Dodge Ram Power Wagon Spy

We just told you that that Chrysler will be launching four new "Moparized" vehicles later this month, and our spies have already caught one of these new vehicles – the Dodge Ram Power Wagon – on the streets of southeast Michigan.


Unlike the Power Wagon that's just now hitting dealers, this is a totally unique package, featuring a single-cab configuration with a short, style-side bed. The huge off-road tires and exaggerated wheel arches lead us to believe that this is Chrysler's answer to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (if only in concept form), and our spies tell us that this prototype "made hair-raising sounds" as it drove by, leading us to believe that the 383-horsepower Hemi V8 is underhood.


We can't wait to see the production version on March 27 at the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. If these spy shots are anything to go off of, it looks like it'll be serious fun for desert storming.



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All-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty Pickup Named Motor Trend 'Truck of the Year'

All-new 2010 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty pickups recognized by editors for setting a new benchmark in heavy-duty truck segment All-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty pickup beats the competition in a series of rigorous tests

"To have our all-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty named Truck of the Year by the editors of Motor Trend really defines how great this new Ram Heavy Duty pickup is," said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer -- Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "The Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award is like a standing ovation for the Chrysler Group designers, engineers and planners who developed this incredible Ram Heavy Duty Truck."







Motor Trend Truck of the Year contenders are evaluated using six criteria, which includes design advancement, engineering excellence, intended function, efficiency, safety and value. To be eligible, a vehicle must have been substantially changed from the previous model.



"The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty absolutely nailed the award in terms of our criteria, from the attractive exterior styling, to the plush and quiet cabins, to the tough and capable powertrains, especially the impressive Cummins diesel, which meets 50-state emissions standards without needing expensive after-treatment technology," said Angus MacKenzie, Editor-in-Chief, Motor Trend. "It delivers the capability heavy duty truck users demand, with style and refinement they perhaps did not expect."





Innovative New Features Strengthen Ram Heavy Duty's Capability and Performance



The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty brings increased capability and innovative new features to the heavy-duty segment with an uncompromising attitude that remains the standard for all full-size heavy-duty pickups.



For 2010, the all-new Ram Heavy Duty is available in five distinct trim models -- ST, SLT, TRX, Power Wagon and Laramie. Each has a unique appearance and offers various equipment options.



Ram Heavy Duty delivers the performance and amenities customers demand. The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty pickups feature a hydro-formed, fully boxed frame with advanced torsional rigidity and stiffness. A coil-spring suspension setup is used up front, while the multi-leaf spring design is maintained in the rear for heavy-duty capability. Front and rear shocks and springs are tuned for optimum ride quality and capability.



Improved suspension tuning and new C-pillar hydra mounts were added to the 2010 Ram Heavy Duty models to improve damping through the frame-bending mode frequency in order to better manage shake and after-shake response. The result is reduced shake, which means an improved ride for the customer.



The new 2010 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups offer the only standard exhaust brake in the segment (diesel-equipped models). This feature reduces brake fade, prolongs brake life and provides confidence and safety when hauling heavy loads on downhill grades. Large front (360 mm) and rear (358 mm) brakes with integrated Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) increase brake life and braking stability.



An available integrated trailer brake control provides better driver control in towing situations. Trailer brake control information is conveniently displayed in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC), which is standard on all Ram heavy duty models equipped with a diesel engine and available on gas SLT, TRX and Laramie models.



In addition, new 2010 Ram transmissions include Electronic Range Select, which enables the driver to manually limit the highest available transmission gear, allowing manual upshifts and downshifts based on road speed and engine speed. A tow/haul mode switch enhances tow capability while towing. Tow/haul mode is available on both five-speed and six-speed automatic transmissions.





Customers in the heavy-duty segment have a range of needs, and most of them involve high levels of capability. The new 2010 Ram 2500 and 3500 are designed to deliver a total package:



-- Increased Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on 2500 4x4 crew cab

diesel models to 9,600 pounds from 9,000 pounds

-- Increased Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) on 3500 dually models

with diesel, auto transmission and 4.10 rear axle to 24,500 pounds

from 24,000 pounds. With the Max Tow Package, GCWR increases to 25,400

pounds (late availability)

-- Increased GCWR on 3500 4x2 models to 24,000 pounds from 23,000 pounds

-- Increased front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on several models:

-- To 5,500 pounds from 5,200 pounds on diesel 4x4 pickups

-- To 5,000 pounds from 4,700 pounds on diesel 4x2 pickups





Other towing features include improved trailer-tow mirrors with integrated turn signals, memory function and puddle lamps. The larger 7-in. x 11-in. trailer-tow mirrors offer improved visibility with larger convex glass surfaces. Mirrors flip up and out in a vertical configuration for improved visibility around wide trailers. Trailer-tow mirrors are now standard on 3500. As an added convenience, a Class IV receiver is now standard on all Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups.



Ram Heavy Duty towing, payload and axle capacity have all been increased for 2010. Suspension upgrades and larger front-axle U-joints, combined with increased front GAWR, result in increased front-weight carrying capability -- a must for larger snowplows.



The Ram Power Wagon also returns for the 2010 model year, equipped with electric-locking front and rear differentials, electronic disconnecting sway bar, Bilstein shocks, 32-inch BFGoodrich off-road tires, underbody skid plate protection, 4.56 axle ratio for hill climbing and a custom-built Warn® 12,000 pound winch that is accessible through the front bumper. The 2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon features new exterior graphics and a lower two-tone paint scheme.





Ram Heavy Duty Powertrains Include 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel and 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8



Powertrain choices include the legendary 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, which produces 350 horsepower (261 kW) at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque (881 N*m) at only 1,500 rpm.



The most durable and reliable engine in its class, the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel features standard oil-change intervals of 7,500 miles. It also has major-overhaul intervals of 350,000 miles, providing more than a 100,000-mile advantage over the competition.



The Cummins 6.7-liter Turbo Diesel engine uses a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an adsorber catalyst to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90 percent, in order to meet stringent 2010.5 diesel emissions requirements.



The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty comes standard with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engine, delivering 383 horsepower (286 kW) at 5,600 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque (542 N*m) at 4,000 rpm. The 5.7-liter HEMI was redesigned for 2009, with several new and improved technologies including Variable-valve Timing (VVT), increased compression ratio, active intake manifold with long runners for low-end torque and short runners for high-rpm power, improved cylinder head port flow efficiency and reduced-restriction exhaust and induction systems.



New Exterior Styling; Loads of Interior Comfort and Convenience



The all-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty pickup was born from the same truck family that brought out the award-winning Ram 1500--Strategic Vision's Quality Award Winner.



The 2010 Ram Heavy Duty includes all-new styling, offering a tougher more capable look with improved aerodynamics and fit and finish. To accommodate cooling requirements of the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, the new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty grille opening is larger than the light-duty grille. The larger grille mates to a taller hood that incorporates louvers on each side. Access to the front winch (on Power Wagon models) and tow hooks led to the unique front-bumper design.



The new dual-rear-wheel fenders (3500 dually only) are now integrated into the box stamping and offer a smooth aerodynamic appearance.



The new 2010 Ram 2500 and 3500 Mega Cab models offer best-in-class interior room in the segment, including the largest, longest cab (143.2 cubic feet 111.1 inches long); largest interior cargo volume (72.2 cubic feet); largest cargo volume behind rear seat (7.7 cubic feet); largest flat-floor load area (16.8 square feet); largest second-row leg room (44.2 inches); largest rear-door opening (34.5 inches wide, 35.5 inches high); largest rear-door open angle 85 degrees); and first-ever reclining rear seats (22- to 37-degree seat-back angle).



Ram Heavy Duty Delivers More than 25 Safety and Security Features



The all-new Ram Heavy Duty also offers 25 active and passive safety features, including Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), advanced multi-stage air bags, BeltAlert, Brake/Park interlock, child-protection rear door locks, Constant-force Retractors (CFR), crumple zones, electronic brake-force distribution, energy-absorbing steering column, Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS), height-adjustable seat belts, HomeLink universal home security system transceiver, interior head-impact protection, knee bolsters, Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) child seat anchor system, low-risk deployment air bag, Parksense® rear park-assist system, power-adjustable pedals, remote keyless entry, seat-belt pretensioners, Sentry Key® engine immobilizer, standard side-curtain air bags, three-point seat belts, Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) and Uconnect Phone.



2010 Ram Heavy Duty Pricing



The all-new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty is available with a starting U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $28,165 for regular cab models, $31,415 for crew cab models and $36,865 for Mega Cab models. All prices include $950 for destination. The all-new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty arrives in dealerships in late 2009 calendar year.



About Motor Trend



Motor Trend, part of Source Interlink Media, LLC was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in automotive publishing, Motor Trend comprises Motor Trend Magazine, the motortrend.com website, Motor Trend Radio, Truck Trend, Motor Trend International Auto Shows, Motor Trend en Espanol and Motor Trend Car, Sport/Utility and Truck of the Year Awards program.



Ram Brand



With a work-hard, play-hard attitude, Ram offers the boldest, most powerful and capable pickup truck lineup on the planet.



Introduced in 2008, the Ram 1500 is a game-changer in terms of its ability to "outsmart" and "out-tough" the competition with its bold exterior design, crafted and refined interior, engineering excellence, superb innovation and best-in-class features and amenities.



The Ram 1500 also ranks at the top of Strategic Vision 2009 Total Quality Index(TM) (TQI) in the full-size truck segment. According to the survey, the Ram 1500 leads the way with the highest Total Quality score of any truck in the 15-year history of the study.



Customers specifically noted that the Ram has the best added storage capability along with the best truck interior ever rated by customers.



Ram will add to its award-winning truck lineup with the introduction of its all-new 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty Trucks. The new Heavy-Duty trucks provide customers with first-time innovations and features along with new standards of strength, utility and driveability, building on the Ram's leadership in the Heavy-Duty pickup segment.



Ram will further enhance its commercial vehicle presence with the introduction of a "new crew" of commercial-grade work trucks: the new 2011 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs. Led by an all-new crew cab, the new 2011 Dodge Ram Chassis Cabs are built on a proven frame and chassis and engineered for maximum uptime, optimum performance and enhanced commercial capability.

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2011 FORD SUPER DUTY FIRE TRUCK AIDS FAMILIES OF FALLEN LOS ANGELES FIREFIGHTERS

2011 F-550 Super Duty

• Ford will donate to the Los Angeles County Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund for each attendee of the L.A. Auto Show who visits the 2011 Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis cab upfitted as a fire department first-responder truck

• Ford will donate $10,000 to kick off contributions to the fund; auto show visitors can help by visiting and participating in the Ford display (Ford donates $10 per visitor) or by taking a test drive in a Ford vehicle (Ford donates $20 per test drive); up to a maximum of $6,000 per day will be donated by Ford

• This F-550 Super Duty features the all-new Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-manufactured 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 turbocharged diesel, which delivers significantly improved torque and horsepower along with class-leading fuel economy

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2, 2009 – For more than 60 years, dependability and reliability have been the hallmark of Ford's F-Series trucks. For those who rely on their trucks 24/7 for emergency rescue work, the new 2011 Ford F-550 Super Duty XLT chassis cab – which can be upfitted as a fire department first-responder vehicle – will be showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2011 F-550 Super Duty is the cornerstone of a program enabling auto show attendees to aid the Los Angeles County Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund. Ford will donate $10,000 to the fund at the outset, then $10 for those who visit the Ford display and $20 for those who test drive a Ford vehicle at the show to a maximum of $6,000 a day throughout the entire run of the show.


"This is one small way we can give back to the families of these heroes and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow citizens," said Doug Scott, Truck Group marketing manager.

Two key additions to the redesigned truck – the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 turbocharged diesel engine and the new heavy-duty six-speed TorqShift automatic transmission – underscore why more municipalities count on Ford trucks than any other to perform their most demanding and critical jobs. Ford is ranked No. 1 in the Emergency Vehicle Segment based on R.L. Polk & Co. Class 2-7 emergency Vehicle Vocation registrations.


"The Los Angeles County Fire Department is grateful to Ford for remembering the family members of our fallen firefighters," said Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman. "We support their efforts to raise funds for the Los Angeles County Firefighters Memorial Committee."

The all-new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel was designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford and will deliver significantly improved torque and horsepower as well as class-leading fuel economy.

It features a block made of compacted graphite iron, which is stronger than cast iron to withstand the increased firing pressures of the new combustion system. The single turbocharger is engineered to provide the benefits of a small turbocharger (faster response) and a large turbocharger (compressing more air to create more power) in one package. The new engine also can run on biodiesel blends of up to B20.


The increased power is especially important on applications such as fire fighting. The apparatus on the F-550 chassis cab first-responder unit includes:

* 300-gallon water tank
* 8-gallon foam cell
* Two pumps
* Electric rewind hose reel with 150 feet of hose
* Three-stage winch with 8,000-pound capacity
* 100 feet of wire rope


Segment-exclusive Live Drive PTO helps put out the fire while the truck is moving
The all-new heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission offers available Live Drive Power Take Off (PTO) for diesel customers. This application allows the transmission to power auxiliary equipment, and the power is available any time the engine is running – and the truck is moving.


The Live Drive PTO is critical in fire-fighting applications because it allows the truck to spray water onto a brush fire or grass fire, for example, while the truck is stationary or moving. This is the first time Live Drive PTO has been offered in this segment.

The 2011 Super Duty will be built at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, and goes on sale next spring.
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Hummer getting plans in order for H4 and H5 models

The last piece of the Hummer reclamation project is adding those new models. When Tengzhong gets the keys to the Hummer kingdom, it will also receive engineering plans for the H4, a new smaller model that is reportedly based on the HX Concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Taylor reportedly told AN that Hummer's Jeep Wrangler fighter could arrive within three years. Also possible is an even smaller Hummer H5, which would help the SUV automaker to meet future CAFE requirements. Taylor even goes as far as to say that the smaller H4 and H5 could one day replace the brand's heavier and thirstier H2 and H3 mainstays. The next big challenge for Hummer once the sale becomes final is to find a manufacturing partner to build these vehicles. GM will reportedly cease building Hummer models as early as the end of 2010.


First on the "Honey Do" list is to arrest the free-fall of Hummer sales. Right now, sales are down 64% on the year to about 8,500 units, but Hummer is looking for 25,000 sales in 2010. That will be a tough nut to crack, but Automotive News reports that the company optimistically plans to get things done in part with some aggressive marketing. Ultimately, however, new product will be needed to get dealerships buzzing with customers again. In the meantime, Hummer's 154 U.S. dealers need more inventory in the showrooms to help move metal. AN says that dealers only have 1,300 units in stock, compared to the 7,400 vehicles at the same time in 2008.


As a brand, Hummer has been in limbo since General Motors announced it was selling the downtrodden marque to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Ltd. Speculation remains that the sale could be completed on or around December 1, pending approval from GM and the Chinese government. For now, everything is on hold, though Tengzhong and new Hummer CEO Jim Taylor are apparently still working hard to plan Hummer's future.
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Ghosn Says Nissan Will Stay in the Full-Size Truck Market

Speculation is that Nissan could be looking for an outside partner (or already have one) to collaborate on a new pickup. We're thinking one candidate could be Toyota. The only other Japanese automaker competing directly with the domestics in the U.S. half-ton pickup truck market, Toyota was expecting to produce 200,000 units per year of the Tundra when the it launched, but has sold only 66,000 through October. Teaming up with Nissan would help bring costs down, soak up extra production capacity and mitigate the risk inherent in competing against Ford, GM and Chrysler at what they do best.


When Dodge announced that it wouldn't be sharing its Ram platform with Nissan, we just kind of assumed that the Titan was going to go the way of the Do Do. Why? Because Titan sales are the suck. Nissan has only sold 15,393 copies of its largest truck through the first 10 months of the year. For perspective, Ford sold more F-150s in the first two weeks of October than Nissan has sold in 43 weeks. Last year wasn't much better either, as only 30,000 customers walked out of a Nissan dealer with a new Titan.


But if a report from Inside Line is to be believed, the Titan will live on. Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn reportedly told IL that "Titan will have a replacement, we are staying in the large pickup truck market." It makes a bit of sense that there will be another Titan given the fact that Nissan also uses the basic platform for the Infiniti QX56 and the Nissan Armada. But then again those portly SUVs aren't exactly flying off the shelf, either.


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