Ram Heavy Duty could be torque of the town
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is going big for its 2019 Detroit auto show unveiling, rolling out a new, beefier 2019 Ram Heavy Duty pickup.
FCA wants you to know, however, that this is not just a heftier version of the 1500, proclaiming that “for 2019, there will be no mistaking the Ram Heavy Duty (2500 and 3500) with its light-duty counterpart.” The new truck makes its official debut Monday morning on the show floor.
A “barrel-chested profile” and new monolithic grille – it has six grille styles – and a front bumper with larger openings to boost airflow “to the largest turbo intercooler Ram has ever adapted to its halo pickups” are some of the things, FCA says, designed to make the truck stand out.
But power and capability are the Heavy Duty’s calling cards, and FCA promises a towing capacity of 35,100 pounds and payload capacity of 7,680 pounds.
In particular, the company is highlighting a 1,000 pound-feet of torque milestone possible with the optional (in most trim levels) Cummins 6.7-liter
inline-6 turbo diesel. That engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, can also provide 400 horsepower.
By comparison, the 2018 Ram HD
3500 manages 385 horsepower and
930 pound-feet of torque, with a max towing capacity of 31,210 pounds.
The standard engine in the new truck is a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, mated to an eight-speed automatic, which can deliver 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque.
With multiple trim levels – Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Power Wagon, Laramie, Laramie Longhorn and Limited – FCA will offer a range of amenities, but as with its light-duty trucks, FCA is also pushing more luxury offerings, especially into its higher trim levels.
“We’ve added deeper color contrasts, exceptional materials and textures that give customers an upscale, high-quality experience in all trim levels,” according to Ryan Nagode, Ram’s chief interior designer.
There’s also a push-button start on all trims and a redesigned rotary eshifter dial with the Hemi V8. Diesel versions get a chrome-accented column shifter with leather wrap available, according to the company.
Automakers have been rushing to address the demands of truck buyers who want more amenities in their trucks, and the new Heavy Duty is continuing the trend.
Jim Morrison, who leads the Ram brand in North America, noted that “when I started, luxury in a heavy-duty truck was a seat belt, really just to keep you from bouncing out of the truck.”
The updated luxury touches show most prominently in the Limited, which has a corrugated mesh grille and lots of chrome on the outside – bumpers, tow hooks and more – and a “segment-exclusive 100 percent full-grain hand-wrapped leather dashboard, door panel coverings and arm rests” inside.
One of the questions about the Heavy Duty has been whether FCA has completely abandoned its plans announced last year to bring production of the truck to Warren. The question went unanswered at a recent media event.