RAM 1500 ETORQUE OFFERS ELITE RIDE
How much truck do you need for your lifestyle? “All of it,” you say? Well, rev up those chequebooks, because this lifestyle load-out stickers for more than $100,000.
Introduced in 2019, the fifth-generation Ram 1500 was a strong step for the half-ton segment. Refining the pickup's ride with independent front and coilsprung five-link rear suspension, the updated platform afforded an Suv-like ride with the same old pulling power of the 5.7L V8.
More recently, Mopar has inched the getup forward with the introduction of 48-volt mild hybridization — branded “etorque” — to bolster the old engine's power without hiking its emissions.
This impressive 1500 Limited Elite is one such-equipped truck, pairing this subtlest of electrified setups with one of the most richly comfortable cabin experiences on the market.
POWER
The 2023 Ram 1500 etorque runs an evolution of the long-standing 5.7L “Hemi”-branded V8. Delivering 395 horsepower and 410 poundfeet of torque, it turns through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case offering a 2.64 reduction ratio. Depending on configuration, this in turn feeds differentials geared to 3.21, 3.55, or 3.92 final drive ratios, including a limited-slip rear.
Equipped with this tester's $1,495 towing package, it affords a 12,750-lb maximum towing capacity on a load-distributing hitch, or a 2,300-lb bed payload. So equipped, a Class IV hitch receiver beneath the bumper teams with the usual four- and seven-pin connectors, a slickly integrated trailer brake controller with at-hand gain adjustment beneath the infotainment display, knob-directed trailer steering assist, and trailer tire-pressure monitoring.
Compounding this is the addition of full air suspension, replacing the Ram's springs with
airbags. This enables the 1500 to self-level, correcting and steadying its attitude when loaded down with cargo or a trailer.
UTILITY
The Ram 1500 Limited Elite's lifestyle orientation comes at a cost to its workday utility. The limits of the five-foot-seven-inch short bed are a given, of course, but the all-out Ram Box is another point demanding more attention than just a check mark for the sake of loading up.
The Ram Box's primary selling feature is the integration of lockable enclosed storage compartments built into the sides of the box. These weather-sealed compartments wrap around the wheel wells, allowing for secure storage of small tools, straps, or other items. The drawback, however, is that they stretch the boxes' inner walls in as far as the normal wheel well humps. It will fit a standard four-foot palette loaded dead-straight, but with just 1.25 inches' clearance on either side, you'd better trust your forklift operator.
CABIN COMFORTS
The Ram 1500 Limited Elite is one of nine trims on offer for 2023. Configured here as a crew cab, it offers an unusually spacious interior at the expense of cargo capacity.
Front seating is as broad and comfortable as should be expected of such a sprawling vehicle, with ample shoulder room and stretch-out space across the broad centre console. The configurable centre bin is laid out well, and the inclusion of a pop-up divider effectively keeps items fore or aft of the sliding tray.
Steering controls are many, and combined with a versatile digital cluster and heads-up display, easily keep the driver's attention up and forward.