Ram on Wednesday at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis unveiled its new 1500 Tradesman pickup.
Available in Quad Cab with a 6’4″ bed length and Crew Cab with bed lengths of 5’7″ and 6’4″, the truck comes standard with a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6. An optional 5.7-liter Hemi is available, along with a 5.7-liter Hemi with eTorque. Two- and four-wheel-drive configurations are available.
David Sowers, head of Ram commercial truck marketing, noted the truck’s frame “is stronger than ever” and features 98 percent high-strength steel. Between the body and bed, the truck is more than 50 percent high-strength steel.
But all that rigidity didn’t heap on added weight. Sowers says the Tradesman model shed upwards of 215 pounds while increasing payload (up to 2,300 pounds) by 22 percent and towing capacity (up to 12,750 pounds) by 20 percent.
Ram Tradesman also features a Class III trailer hitch and lighted, above-the-bumper four- and seven-pin trailer wire connectors.
Ram 1500 features a segment-exclusive multi-link rear coil suspension for improved ride quality. A coil spring setup absorbs road impact and reduces overall friction in the spring system and it weighs 40 pounds less than a leaf spring configuration. A four-corner air suspension is an available option.
The interior gets tech features like uConnect 5.0, a five-inch screen and hands-free calling. Three USB ports are available along with a 12-volt auxiliary power outlet and one auxiliary port.
For 2019, Ram Box gets a 115-volt outlet to charge tools at the jobsite.
The coming model year is also more fuel friendly. Sowers says body design refinements bring a 9 percent improvement in aerodynamics, which results in a 10 percent fuel economy improvement over the prior model. The 3.6 liter Pentastar is rated as high as 17 mpg/city and 25 mpg/highway.
Ram on Wednesday also introduced its factory-installed telematics platform, Ram Telematics.
Powered by Verizon, the tech suite allows fleet customers to manage vehicle data, like driver behavior information and diagnostics, remotely. The system will be available on all Ram truck and van models with an annual subscription service of $800.
The telematics suite can be spec’d at the time of purchase but Sowers says a retrofit will be available back to 2015 model years.
