The upcoming 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 refresh will also be getting some new tweaks to its suspension, employing the services of Jeep‘s Grand Cherokee.

The new truck will be getting the air suspension setup found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, giving the truck a whole new level of riding comfort. The 2013 Ram 1500 will be getting plenty of new goodies with Dodge looking to enhance the trucks’ luxury department as well as some new tech toys. It’ll be making its debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show.

[Source: Auto Evolution]

It was perhaps inevitable. With the Ram 1500 introducing the lockable Ram Box feature as an option for its 2009 update, it was probably only a matter of time before the feature became available on the division’s larger trucks.

According to sources, Ram is seriously considering the feature, though on the larger trucks the Ram Box would be part of a longer 6 foot 4-inch bed (it’s 5 feet 7 inches on the 1500 trucks). This would mean that storage capacity could reach almost 10 cubic feet each side, making the feature notably more useful, for everything from hunting and fishing gear to heavier tools for the jobsite.

If the HD Ram Box feature does make the cut, expect it to become an option during the 2012 model year. There are also rumors that the 1500 Ram Box might also receive larger capacity storage bins, as well as the possibility of a version for 1-ton dualie trucks.

[Source: Pickup trucks.com]

For 2012 the Ram 1500 pick-up will get an all-new base V6 engine, replacing the current unit with more power and improved fuel economy. According to a tweet by Ward’s Auto, Chrysler powertrain boss Paolo Ferrero has confirmed the Ram will get the new corporate Pentastar V6 next year.

While 100 ccs smaller than the outgoing 3.7-liter unit, the new engine could produce as much as a 75-hp gain over the old block for a total of 290-hp, while torque is expected to rise from the 235 lb-ft level to around 260 lbs ft.

In addition to all that power, look for a fuel economy bump as well. With the current model rated at 14/20-mpg (city/highway), the gain could be as much as 2-mpg in each category, or more.

We’ve already heard about Mopar’s Ram Runner package for 1500 pickups, that essentially turns one into a street-legal Pre-Runner type truck, now we’ve got official pricing on it.

As part of a line of accessories available through the Mopar catalog, enthusiasts have the option of acquiring the complete Ram Runner package in one go or doing it peacemeal.

The  Pre Runner Stage II kit, includes a five-link rear suspension, Fox Shox, chromemoly lower control arms, replacement upper arms, forged-steel tie rods and rebuildable high angle ball-joints.

Purchasing the entire kit will set you back $13,270, plus the cost of the donor truck and labor/installation charges and taxes. In addition; Mopar sells a specific off-road front bumper ($1,250) plus an off-road tire carrier, designed to be mounted in the bed ($1,010).

There’s also a set of fiberglass front and rear fenders ($1.020 per set) plus a stamped aluminum hood ($978) that includes twin scoops, plus a performance dual exhaust system ($1,135) to give your Ram Runner the sound only a Hemi can provide through a set of big pipes.

If you add the cost of all this additional stuff, then by the time you’re done, you’re probably looking at close $50,000, factoring in the cost of the truck, the taxes and labor charges.

Is it worth it? Depends on your viewpoint. But, considering you’ll have a Hemi powered rig with 14 inches of suspension travel and a 41-degree approach angle, it’ll still be fun to go out and beat on some F-150 Raptors.

Chrysler is delivering  10 Ram 1500 Hybrids to the U.S Department of Energy for testing within the next week. The pickups will be delivered to Yuma, Arizona, as part of a $100 million research project. The program with the U.S Department of Energy will run through June 2014.

140 Ram 1500 pickups will be delivered by Oct. 1 across the U.S. These plug-in hybrid trucks we be put through grueling testing including extreme temperature testing with fluctuations from 25 below zero to 125 degrees.

The Ram trucks utilize 5.7-liter V8s making 345-hp. The engine is mated to a two-mode hybrid transmission manufactured by GM and a 12.9-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery. These trucks will be capable of traveling 20 miles on electric-power alone with a total range coming in at 655 miles. The Ram is capable of towing 6,000 pounds and has a 1,000 pound payload capacity.

[Source: egm Car Tech]

The Off Road Championship (TORC); is one of the most gruelling race series going. Each event is a short track natural course where jumps and fender banging are par for the course, much like a four-wheeled motorcross, which makes it very entertaining to watch.

Chrysler’s Mopar and Ram divisions recently announced that they will be official sponsors for the series, providing trucks for drivers as well as an official pace vehicle in the shape of a Ram Runner Pickup. First revealed at the Jeep Easter Safari last year, the Ram Runner is a package designed for 1500 trucks that adopts pre runner style equipment, such as larger wheels and tires, suspension upgrades, including Fox Racing shox and flared fenders.

The five drivers which will be sponsored by Mopar and Ram in the TORC series are Rob MacCachren and two-time drift champ Samuel Hubinette of Traxxas Racing and Bryce Menzies, plus Ricky and Luke Johnson of Menzies Motorsports.

The first race in this year’s TORC series is set to kick off at Redbud MX in Buchanan, Michigan on Memorial Day weekend. Mopar says that fans who attend the events this year will also have a chance at experiencing off-road driving themselves. Now that’s interaction.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently implemented a revised test procedure for it’s 5-star New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) vehicle safety rating system and now, has issued results conducted with four 2011 model year pickup trucks – the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500,  Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma.

NHTSA’s new NCAP test results are calculated using the probabilities of injury in determining frontal, side and rollover ratings, but now incorporate different sized dummies for more ‘accurate’ measuring and a new side impact ‘pole test’ as part of the program. The results of the crash tests are awarded ‘stars’ based on the ‘level’ of injury risk related to a defined average from those individual front, side and roll-over tests – five stars being the best above average, one star being the worst.

And based on those ratings, among the four trucks tested, the Silverado/Sierra scored the highest overall rating – earning an average ‘four-stars’ for occupant safety – including a 5-star award for driver frontal crash protection on extended cab models and five-stars for side impact testing – including the new pole test that simulates the impact of hitting a pole or tree at 20 mph, just behind the A-pillar. Rollover ratings were 4-stars on both trucks.

The  Toyota Tacoma also received an overall ’4-star’ rating but didn’t fare as well as GM twins in frontal and side impact testing.

The 2011 Ram 4×4 garnered a 3-star safety rating largely due to average ratings in frontal driver and passenger protection and just a one-star rating in the new pole test, though interestingly, two-wheel drive Rams tested were awarded an overall NCAP rating of 4-stars.

NHTSA is the first to indicate that because of the changes in the new tests, like adding different sized dummies and the pole test, direct comparison between the 2011 and 2010 NCAP tests can’t be drawn, though it will be interesting to see how some of other pickups on the market will fare in the tests, particularly the current F-150 and the compact Ranger.

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

It’s no secret that the Lone Star State is known as truck country. Texas accounts for 17 percent of total pickup sales in the U.S. and this year, after two grueling days of evaluating a total of 57 trucks and SUVs, the Texas Auto Writers Association, declared the 2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn as this year’s ‘Truck of Texas.’

And from looking at this truck, it probably isn’t difficult to see why. The Laramie Longhorn is loaded with gingerbread, from the two tone paint on the outside and plenty of chrome, to a luxurious leather interior that harks back to the days of the old west; plus it has a big Hemi V8 and that most Texas of features, chrome dual exhausts, which nearly every big pickup on the road in the Lone Star state seems to sport these days.

Besides winning this prestigious award, Chrysler products cleaned house in other categories too –  the Ram Power Wagon won Heavy-Duty pickup honors (for the second year in a row), while the full-size truck award went to the Ram Outdoorsman a model aimed at hunters, fisherman and campers, that incorporates such features such as a towing package and RamBox holster (we don’t need to tell you what that’s for). In the SUV category – top awards also went to Chrysler Group vehicles – Jeep’s new 2011 Grand Cherokee took the win in the full-size category, while the mid-size award went to the 2011 Jeep Wrangler.

GALLERY: 2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn

Recently, Chrysler issued a recall affecting approximately 22,000 vehicles from model year 2010. Said vehicles include Ram 1500 1/2 pickups, the Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs, plus the Jeep Wrangler. The recall centers around the brake system on these vehicles, whereby  the lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic brake unit could fail, causing a loss of fluid and compromised braking ability, potentially resulting in accidents.

However, at the time of posting, Chrysler said it was unaware of any vehicle crashes relating to the problem. The recall is scheduled to begin at the start of August and dealers will inspect the brake lines on the affected vehicles and replace them for free if they are discovered to be faulty. Owners of the Dodge and Jeep vehicles affected can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Hotline on 800-327-4236 for more information regarding the recall.

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

The Ford Transit Connect, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Nitro and RAM 1500 are being recalled by Ford and Chrysler respectively, for separate issues.

A pushpin that holds the Transit Connect’s headliner in place could come loose, a seemingly minor error that according to Ford’s statement on a NHTSA website, “…could exceeded head injury criteria requirements set by the standard,”. Ford said the safety recall for the Transit Connect is expected to begin “on or about” July 19.

Chrysler is recalling the aforementioned vehicles due to “defective brake tubes” that could lead to a loss of brake fluid. Anything involving the brake systems should be attended to right away, and owners should service this problem immediately, when Chrysler begins the recall in August.

[Source: Carscoop]