2010 Dodge Ram With All New Amenities is the Truck Back?

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Summary

Fake cowboys helped Dodge prove that a big sheep, the 2010 Dodge Ram, can help herd longhorn cattle in their natural downtown Detroit habitat. The presence of the big truck didn't keep the bulls from getting frisky at the 2009 Detroit auto show, however, as members of the large herd took turns humping each other.

In addition to its full redesign and cowboy cred, the 2010 Ram employs lots of clever gimmickry in an attempt to claw away sales from the perennial darlings of hard-working, hard-playing American consumers, the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra.

Interior Design and Styling

In the past Dodge received a lot of complaints about its truck interiors, and that's an issue Ralph Gilles, vice president of Jeep, truck, and advanced interior design, took to heart. Scott Kunselman, vice president of truck product development, believes fuel economy is more important to truck buyers than the ability to pull the largest possible trailer up huge hills at 85 mph. Beefing up the chassis, transmission and other components to handle much more power would add weight and cost to the truck and only a handful of buyers would ever make use of it. Being mostly utilized in fleets, these heavy duty trucks are mostly geared towards the fleet managers who are interested in lowering costs rather than having outrageous power output.

Available Engine Styles

Dodge will likely stick with the Ram HD's current absorber NOx catalyst system, for future 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks instead of the urea treatment most diesel passenger cars use to meet EPA regulations. However, Dodge will use urea for its class 4 and 5 cab and chassis Rams because the emissions certification process is different for the larger trucks. Ram 1500's multi-link coil suspension makes a lot of sense for light-duty trucks; it doesn't in the heavy-duty segment. Dodge's current strategy gears the 2500/3500 trucks for maximum towing and hauling, so the traditional leaf springs will remain on these models.

Dodge will continue to play in the class 4 and 5 truck segment, an area where it performs well, but these trucks will strictly be cab-chassis vehicles for commercial users.

Coming soon, HYBRID model!

For 2010 Dodge has also begun production on a Hybrid model. The hybrid and diesel offerings for Dodge Ram are in addition to three gasoline powertrain options:

An all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, that delivers a 4 percent increase in fuel economy for 2009 while producing 380 horsepower and 404 lb.-ft. of torque .

A new for 2008 4.7-liter flex-fuel V-8, that resulted in an increase in fuel economy while producing 310 horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of torque.

A 3.7-liter V-6 that generates 215 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque.

The renowned HEMI power plant, now in hybrid form, will continue to feature Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS), which allows the engine to seamlessly alternate between four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when more power is in demand. The two-mode hybrid system provides assistance from electric motors allowing the HEMI V-8 to remain in four- cylinder mode more often than without a hybrid powertrain, improving overall fuel economy.

Chrysler's advanced, state-of-the-art two-mode full hybrid system integrates proven automatic-transmission technology with a patented hybrid-electric drive system to deliver the world's first two-mode full hybrid.

In the first mode, at low speed and with light loads, the vehicle can operate in three ways: Electric power only, Engine power only, and any combination of engine and electric power.

The two-mode hybrid provides all of the fuel-saving benefits of a full- hybrid system, including electric-only operation. Improving fuel economy is a major focus for the Ram team. It makes most sense for the Cummins to be tuned for fuel economy, not outright power. With a new optimized engine design and an addition of the HEMI hybrid option, the 2010 Dodge Ram appears on the verge to make strides into a market where people are shying away from large trucks and going with crossover vehicles for the added fuel economy. Dodge has high hopes and we share them.

Manufacturing

The all-new 2010 Dodge Ram will be built in two locations: Quad Cab and Ram Crew 1500 models will be built at the Warren (Mich.) Assembly Plant, and regular cab and Ram Crew 1500 models will be built at the St. Louis North Assembly Plan in Fenton, Mo.

Early Conclusions

With a U.S. market share of 6.4 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC's best-selling brand and the fifth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. A better truck is theoretically possible if someone took the best elements from each and mashed them together. The final results show just how good the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, 2009 Ford F-150 and 2008 Toyota Tundra are.

For now, the 2009 Dodge Ram sits atop this pile, but any of the others could forge ahead if they spend a little time on their respective weaknesses. It's that close. And we think it's safe to say that horsepower and torque are still among the more important elements in the mix if you're going to tow or haul for work or play. And if you're not going to tow or haul, why buy a truck at this point? "Unlike the Charger sedan, which borrowed only a name from the muscle-car era, the Challenger was designed after the 1970 model, and it is unmistakably the Challenger from any angle," writes Cars.com.