The perennial third best seller behind the Ford F150 and Silverado, the Ram has been extensively overhauled with a completely revised front facia, new alloy wheel designs, restyled rear end and with most of the body now made from lightweight steel to cut weight by 102 kg.
Aside from the fitment of a new active grille shutter and redesigned cab, loadbox and tailgate to improve aerodynamics, the Ram also sits lower than before and even comes equipped with a spoiler mounted underneath the front bumper that deploys automatically at speeds above 56 km/h.
As well as new brakes, wider exhausts, new coolant lines in rear-wheel drive models and new air suspension, the Ram's interior has seen the biggest update with upgraded materials, new equipment and a redesigned centre console housing a five, 8.4 or brand new full portrait 12-inch UConnect infotainment system.
A seven-inch TFT instrument cluster with a selection of colour choices, up to five USB ports, Wi-Fi, optional wireless smartphone charger and an assortment of material finishes complete the changes.
In terms of safety, and depending on the trim level selected, the Ram can be had with items such as Pre-Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, 360-degree camera system, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Front Lighting and Lane Departure Warning.
Model-wise, the Ram will initially be offered in six grades; Tradesman, Big Horn, the off-road focused Rebel, Laramie, Longhorn and Limited along with new optional appearance packages such as the body coloured Sport and Black. Cab choices will range from the standard regular to the long wheelbase Crew in a series of lengths, with drive either going to the rear or all four wheels.
The biggest departure from previous models comes underneath the bonnet where the long serving 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 and 5.7 Hemi V8 engines now feature a 48-volt electrical system for a mild hybrid setup.
While outputs for the former are rated at 228 kW / 365 Nm, the addition of the hybrid unit, known as eTorque, ups the respective figures by nine kW and 90 Nm, while in the Hemi, the standard 294 kW / 556 Nm increases by 12 kW and 176 Nm. As before, a eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic gearbox is the only transmission offered. Due out later, the controversial 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6 will complete the Ram change, and rival the similarly sized unit recently added to the F150, as well as the all-new 3.0-litre straight-six Duramax in the Silverado.
Pricing will be revealed closer to the Ram 1500's official launch date, but as before, it will be limited to left-hand drive only.
