New and improved cabin
As soon as you sit inside this Ram, you'll notice the great material selection and quality fit and finish. The arrival of Cerberus and Jim Press at Chrysler has led to quite a turnaround. No more compromises will be made here. At last, the final product reflects the exact sketches of designers. Every control is now bigger and wrapped in rubber for easier manipulation, even with gloves.
For 2009, the Ram 1500 finally offers a true 4-door cabin, the Crew Cab. The new layout incorporates almost twice as many storage compartments as before (42 vs 26), which will meet the expectations of potential buyers. While I stopped counting after 30, I spent a few minutes marvelling at the in-floor storage bins; you could put a dozen beer cans with ice in there.
Innovative RamBox
One of the most impressive additions is the new RamBox designed by Gilles and his team. The bulging rear fenders integrate industry-exclusive, weatherproof, lockable compartments. How brilliant! At first, this feature will only be available with the 6-foot cargo box, but Dodge promises to offer it with the longer boxes in the near future. I should also point out that the tailgate includes a torsion beam that makes it easier to fold down.
Revised rear suspension
Another surprise is the new coil-spring, five-link suspension which replaces the old leaf-spring setup. Comfort is enhanced, not to mention stability under load or when towing. Engineers made sure that the new Ram offers the same payload and towing capacities. I can't wait to compare the various models during an upcoming test-drive in late August.
Powertrains
For 2009, the 5.7L HEMI benefits from yet another series of improvements, like variable valve timing, with the goal of further increasing fuel economy. The 4.7L V8 and 3.7L V6 are still on the menu. In 2010, a yet-to-built diesel will be introduced. Cummins and Chrysler are working relentlessly to achieve unprecedented levels of smoothness, efficiency and reliability.
As soon as you sit inside this Ram, you'll notice the great material selection and quality fit and finish. The arrival of Cerberus and Jim Press at Chrysler has led to quite a turnaround. No more compromises will be made here. At last, the final product reflects the exact sketches of designers. Every control is now bigger and wrapped in rubber for easier manipulation, even with gloves.
 |
| The bulging rear fenders integrate industry-exclusive, weatherproof, lockable compartments. |
For 2009, the Ram 1500 finally offers a true 4-door cabin, the Crew Cab. The new layout incorporates almost twice as many storage compartments as before (42 vs 26), which will meet the expectations of potential buyers. While I stopped counting after 30, I spent a few minutes marvelling at the in-floor storage bins; you could put a dozen beer cans with ice in there.
Innovative RamBox
One of the most impressive additions is the new RamBox designed by Gilles and his team. The bulging rear fenders integrate industry-exclusive, weatherproof, lockable compartments. How brilliant! At first, this feature will only be available with the 6-foot cargo box, but Dodge promises to offer it with the longer boxes in the near future. I should also point out that the tailgate includes a torsion beam that makes it easier to fold down.
Revised rear suspension
Another surprise is the new coil-spring, five-link suspension which replaces the old leaf-spring setup. Comfort is enhanced, not to mention stability under load or when towing. Engineers made sure that the new Ram offers the same payload and towing capacities. I can't wait to compare the various models during an upcoming test-drive in late August.
Powertrains
For 2009, the 5.7L HEMI benefits from yet another series of improvements, like variable valve timing, with the goal of further increasing fuel economy. The 4.7L V8 and 3.7L V6 are still on the menu. In 2010, a yet-to-built diesel will be introduced. Cummins and Chrysler are working relentlessly to achieve unprecedented levels of smoothness, efficiency and reliability.
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| Another surprise is the new coil-spring, five-link suspension which replaces the old leaf-spring setup. |