Ram (Page 18)

The Chrysler Group has been making good use of an 8-speed automatic transmission for some time now in their Pentastar V6-powered vehicles including the Dodge Charger, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the new Ram 1500 but starting later this year, the versions of those vehicles powered by the mighty 5.7L Hemi will also feature the fuel-friendly 8-speed automatic transmission.

In the automotive industry, when the Freep speaks, people listen and the DFP has named the 2013 Ram 1500 its Truck of the Year, giving this forward-thinking new Ram Truck a well-deserved accolade.

The 50 jurors from the North American Car and Truck of the Year panel have announced the finalists for the 2013 award with a pair of trios that are as interesting as ever with the new Ford C-Max hybrid in the running for Truck/Utility of the Year while Car of the Year has three sedans that could stand to benefit greatly from the major award.

The Chrysler Group continued its incredible climb out of the troubles of 2008 with their 32nd consecutive month where the company has shown positive growth compared to the same month one year earlier – with four of the five Chrysler Group brands showing positive growth last month.

The Chrysler Group claimed a major industry award today when the 2013 Ram 1500 was officially named the 2013 Motor Trend Truck of the Year – a decision based on the power, efficiency and capabilities of the new 3.6L Pentastar V6 and the 5.7L Hemi V8 combined with the new exterior design and the high tech gadgetry that is unique to the Ram Truck lineup.

The sales numbers are in for October 2012 and once again, the Chrysler Group is the strongest of the American automakers and third from the top among major auto groups – trailing only Toyota Motor Company and the BMW Group.

I recently found that the receiver lock on my Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab was getting harder and harder to deal with when I was changing my hitch receiver so I began shopping around for a new lock. I was first introduced to the BOLT products at the SEMA Show with their “one key lock technology” and considering how handy their product appears – I picked one up for my own truck.

Among the many vehicles at the 2012 SEMA Show was the bright red 2013 Ram 1500 regular cab short bed model that sported the vintage “Little Red Express” name and design scheme complete with exhaust stacks but unlike the 1978 red-and-gold sport pickup – the truck at the 2012 SEMA Show packed a turbocharged 5.7L Hemi engine.

Ram Truck has started production of the dual fuel Ram 2500 CNG truck and announced that it will be available for retail consumers as well as fleets.

Among the Mopar artwork released last week was a shot of a 2013 Ram with a blue driver’s stripe that I speculated could be a hint as to the next Mopar branded vehicle but after seeing this sporty truck in person at the Mopar headquarters today – the black and blue ‘Urban Ram’ is more likely to be a hint to a future SRT pickup.

The Chrysler Group has issued a recall for select Dodge Ram 1500/Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota models from the 2009 and 2010 model years over a concern that a fastener in the rear differential could work itself loose – possibly leading to the rear differential locking up.

The Chrysler Group continued its incredible climb from the grip of bankruptcy in September 2012, posting the 30th straight month where they have posted a year over year improvement in sales figures thanks to a combination of continued improvement in the American auto industry and a lineup that keeps adding popular new models.

The Chrysler Group routinely has one of the largest and most engaging displays at the SEMA Show each year and with under a month left until the huge automotive convention begins at the Las Vegas Convention Center – the folks from the Mopar division have offered up a very brief glimpse at five of the vehicles that will be in the massive Mopar display.

The Mopar superfans over all Allpar have dug up an interesting handful of new trademarks applied for by the Chrysler Group that offers some insight into some upcoming models – as well as also raising some interesting questions about what is to come.

August 2012 was a good month for the Chrysler Group with an improvement of 14% marking the 29th consecutive month of year over year gains thanks to all five of the Group brands posting positive gains – helping the smallest of the Detroit automakers to post its best August since 2007 while leading the Big 3 in sales growth.

Chrysler announced today the official specifications for the new Pentastar V6 found in the 2013 Ram 1500 and even though the new 3.6L V6 makes the Ram 1500 the most powerful ‘entry level’ truck in America – it is also the most fuel efficient half ton truck on the market today.

While the recent success of the Japanese automakers doing business in America have pushed the Chrysler Group out of the top spot in terms of year over year growth, Chrysler was able to continue their strong year as they were the only American automaker to show positive growth in July 2012.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into select Dodge Ram 1500 pickups over a concern that the rear differential may fail, causing the rear wheels to lock up while moving and vastly decreasing the driver’s ability to control the vehicle.

June 2012 was another great month for the Chrysler Group as, with a year over year increase of 20% for the company as all five of the company automaker brands posted gains – including two of the top five biggest improvements by a single brand in Fiat and Chrysler.

The Chrysler Group continued their incredible growth in May 2012 – once again standing as one of the strongest automakers in the US in terms of growth compared to the same month one year ago.