Sunday 15 July 2012
2013 Ram 1500
2013 Ram 1500 - The Ram 1500 will receive a significant refresh for the 2013 model year, and the majority of the changes are indeed more than skin-deep. That's because the 2013 Ram will hit the showroom floor with a host of powertrain upgrades, including features that have never been offered on American pickup trucks until now.
The Ram was due for a facelift, but rather than giving it a superficial makeover, Chrysler went for so many smart updates that Ford and GM will be chasing for their own answers. Start with aerodynamics, where Chrysler has altered the front wheel openings and given the truck's grille active shutters said to reduce drag by 3 to 5 percent. It added an eight-speed automatic transmission too, tied in electric power steering, and brought in start/stop technology to save gas in traffic.
Many of the Ram's new technologies speak to its fuel-saving nature, including an eight-speed automatic transmission for both six- and eight-cylinder models, stop-start, improved aerodynamics, electric power steering, grille shutters and an auto-adjusting air suspension. The air suspension is essentially a version of the setup used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and features an Aero Mode, lowering the ride height by 1.2 inches to help cut through the wind more efficiently. Ram will also offer the Chrysler Group's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as the base powerplant, delivering 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. For reference, Ford rates the 2012 F-150 pickup's naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 at 302 hp and 278 lb-ft.
