THE ALL-NEW 2019 RAM 1500 SPORT 4X4

2019 Ram 1500 Sport 4X4

My first impression when I saw my tester was “that thing’s a monster!” (but in a good way).

My daily driver is not the smallest vehicle (2006 Nissan Pathfinder), but the new Ram Sport is big, and like many other full-size trucks – they’re getting bigger. It looked great in red pearl especially with the optional sport performance hood, which includes functional air vents. The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine is standard on the Sport and delivers 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. I was looking forward to hearing that throaty V-8. For a moment, I was twelve years old again.

When I pressed the push-button start, I could tell there was a V-8 under the hood, but as I would soon find out, the cabin is so well insulated that unless you really wake up that beast, the HEMI is, for the most part, pretty quiet. All 2019 Ram 1500’s also come equipped with a fully electronic TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and I found it was a good match to the HEMI engine.

The cabin feels luxurious, and everything is top notch. The all black interior is stunning. The redesigned rotary gear selector is a nice touch. It is different, but you quickly get used to it. There’s also a lot of storage in the cab. The center console is huge and offers more than 12 different storage combinations. Unfortunately, my tester didn’t come with Ram’s gorgeous 12-inch touchscreen media centre. But I found the 8.4-inch touchscreen very responsive, even in the cold weather.

My tester came in the Crew Cab configuration with a 5’7” box length. A 6’4” box is available as well as a Quad Cab. The latter only comes with the 6’4” box. The Crew Cab is now four inches longer, thus making for an even more spacious cab and it can also be equipped with a dual-pane panoramic sunroof. Overall, I really liked the cab and getting in was easy with the optional power running boards.

The luxurious cabin, optional leather seats (heated and ventilated), and the optional Alpine sound system made a two-hour drive between MontrealOttawa more enjoyable. The Sport is very comfortable on long trips, and the steering

is responsive–however, since this is the ‘Sport’ model, I would have enjoyed a more responsive ‘sportier’ feel from the steering wheel (which is also heated).

I could not help but continue to Gatineau Park when I arrived in Ottawa. The twisty mountain roads would give me a good indication of how the Sport handles curves and bumpy, rough roads. My tester was equipped with snow tires on the optional 22-inch aluminum wheels. I was impressed. Have you ever experienced the ride of an older pick-up driving on a bumpy road with an empty box, the rear end bouncing around accompanied by plenty of noise? Well, you won’t feel this with the Sport. It just feels solid, no matter the road conditions thanks to the multilink coil spring rear suspension and the optional four-corner air suspension system. I must add that the braking system

also performed very well. The front brake rotors on the new Ram 1500 are now at 378 mm (14.9 in).

According to FCA, the new Ram 1500’s frame is now 98% high-strength steel, which improves durability, reduces weight (it’s 100 pounds lighter), increases rigidity, and improves handling. Overall, the new Ram 1500 has lost 102 kg (225 lbs).

We received about 35 cm of snow in the area during my third day with the Sport. Although I was told to work from home that day, I made good use of the on-demand 4WD system. It offers auto, 4Hi, 4Low and 2WD. Note that 4X4 is optional on the Sport. All 2019 Ram 1500 also come with many safety and security features that’d be too long to list. An interesting feature however is the available blind-spot detection system as it can be programmed to take into consideration your trailer length.

If you have anything to tow, the new Ram 1500 can now tow up to 12,750 lb (5,783 kg) with a max payload of up to 2,300 lb (1,043 kg) depending on the truck configuration. Mine had a max towing capacity of 8,240 lb (3,738 kg) with a max payload of 1,840 lb (835 kg). My tester was also equipped with the air suspension system, which allows you to back up to your trailer with the help of the rear-view camera, and then raise the suspension up to connect the hitch and trailer. This system also provides loadleveling capability. It will detect a load on the suspension from either the payload or a trailer and adjust accordingly. For normal driving, the height will adjust automatically as required, but you can also manually raise or lower the suspension to normal, aero, exit/entry, and choose from two off-road height settings.

Selecting the trailer tow group ($525) will give you folding trailer tow mirrors, as well as trailer brake control. But you’ll also have to select the class IV hitch receiver option ($495).

In terms of fuel economy, you can expect the following from the Sport’s standard 5.7-liter HEMI V-8:

Highway 10.5L/100 Km (27 mpg) City 16.2L/100 Km (17 mpg)

An interesting new feature is Ram’s mild hybrid technology, called eTorque. eTorque combines a belt-driven motor generator unit (replacing the alternator) with a 48-volt battery pack to provide short-term torque assist (up to 130 lb.-ft. on the HEMI). This system also recaptures energy during deceleration and braking to recharge the battery pack. It also enables start/stop function for improved fuel efficiency. eTorque is now standard on the other Ram models that are equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. It is optional on the HEMI for the Laramie Longhorn, and Limited models only.

Now standard on the Sport are LED headlights and fog lamps. Good lighting is very important, and I am glad to see manufacturers moving away from those yellowish halogen headlights. Driving on a country road at night, I found that the Sport lit the way very well.

The Sport is Ram’s most popular model in Canada and starts at MSRP $45,345. My tester was at an MSRP $76,840. While the Sport is likely to see more tarmac than dirt roads, it can still take you off the beaten path. But for off-road use, the Rebel would be a better choice over the Sport.

While most of Ram’s competitors have also seen significant redesigns and updates recently, Ram really has hit the nail on the head with the new 1500.