2019 Ram 1500 is the North American Truck of the Year
Move over Ford and Chevrolet, there’s a new champ in town – the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 earned top honors at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show as the North American Truck of the Year. Innovation has paid off for the Ram brand as this is the latest accolade among many for their reimagined 1500. Just one year after debuting at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, the Ram 1500 has been taking the streets by storm for less than a year – it arrived to dealerships last Summer (2018). Available in a range of models and trims with a luxurious interior, the all-new Ram 1500 offers improved payload and towing capacity when compared to its predecessor. The award is determined by a panel of media jurors from the U.S. and Canada.
After a little less than a year on the market it’s the eTorque mild-hybrid system that makes the Ram 1500 a smashing success. Standard on all V6 engines, and optional on the V8 HEMI option, the eTorque mild-hybrid system relies on a 48-volt battery to enhance the pickup’s fuel efficiency and works to efficiently reduce the burden of running additional electronics from the engine. According to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the all-new Ram 1500 saves 1.7 ounces of fuel at an average 90-second stoplight when equipped with the V8 engine and eTorque under the hood. Maximum payload and towing capacity don’t take a hit because the entire system weighs about 100 pounds while the compact batteries are housed in the dead space behind the rear seats. It may not seem like much to some, but those little 1.7-ounce intervals add up, in the long run, to make the Ram 1500 one of the most fuel-efficient pickups in the light-duty segment.
The pickup’s latest redesign helped the Ram brand jump to 537,000 units sold in 2018, an increase of 7.2 percent when compared with the prior year. As a result of the substantial sales jump, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ram gained quite a portion of the pickup segment, threatening crosstown rivals Chevrolet and Ford. Ram executives are happy to reap the benefits of their work with leader Reid Bigland stating: “It’s great that consumers can see what we see in the Ram 1500.”
The brand’s strategy is aimed at truck buyers who need a pickup for work but also want a nice interior with features that would allow the truck to be a recreational weekend warrior. Ram also wants to spread some of the magic that made the 1500 a smashing success to their larger work pickups which they recently debuted at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. While the latest heavy-duty trucks from Ram offer serious towing capability and payload capacity, their interiors are outfitted with features intending to make the ride as pleasant as possible. The battle between the three big American truck makers rages on as Ram fires the latest shot.
Check out the extensive inventory of the all-new Ram 1500 here at University Dodge and experience it for yourself. Schedule a test drive today and follow University Dodge on social media to stay up to date with the latest Ram innovations.
Photo Source/Copyright: Ram