Texans take their pickup trucks very seriously. The Lonestar State is one of the largest markets for trucks in the world. Texas is filled with oil and gas fields and cattle ranches. Trucks make the rugged terrain more easily accessible and when you drive through Texas, you see virtually every kind of truck ever made. The Texas Automotive Writers Association just released its Texas Truck Rodeo Awards and the 2021 Ram 1500 drives off with top award for the third year in a row.
Truckload of Texas Awards for the 2021 Ram 1500
- The 2021 Ram 1500 also won the award for the Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas, and Off-road Pickup Truck of Texas.
- The 2020 Ram 2500 was selected as the Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck of Texas.
- The 2021 Jeep Gladiator was chosen as the Mid-size Pickup Truck of Texas for the second year. The winning model was the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave edition. This is impressive because the Gladiator has only existed for two years and there are lots of other mid-size pickups that are available.
- The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat also won awards for being the SUV of Texas and the Full-size SUV of Texas. The Durango has won the Full-size SUV six times in the last eight years. Again, there are many other full-size SUVs that are considered competition for the Durango, so the selection is impressive.
- The 2021 Jeep Wrangler wins as the Off-Road SUV of Texas for 11th consecutive year. The Jeep Wrangler really wrote the book on off-roading and is often considered the best of the very best.
"The Ram, Dodge and Jeep brands from FCA impressed our TAWA members with an exceptional product lineup at the Texas Truck Rodeo," said Kristin Shaw, TAWA president. "The 702-hp 2021 Ram 1500 TRX thrilled our members with incredible performance both off-road and on-road at the event; it crawled over the articulation obstacles with ease. And what's not to love about the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat? With 710 horsepower, AWD, quicker 0-60 times than most sport cars, and 8,700 pounds of towing capability, the three-row Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat delivers unmatched performance that allows you to bring your entire family along for a roaring-fun ride."
Other FCA Texas Awards
The Fiat-Chrysler brands took home the most awards of any automaker. FCA was honored for things like Best infotainment with its Uconnect system. The supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI raced off with the award for Best Powertrain. And Ram was also singled out for its 360-degree camera system that gives extensive views of the outside of its trucks.
This has been a difficult year for automotive events. Many of the reviews and the awards have been put on hold because of the pandemic. This year’s Texas Rodeo was held under tight COVID-19 safety protocols, and it was forced to limit the number of media because of the Coronavirus. The different vehicles were judged on styling, overall utility, value, off-road capability and performance.
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