New Ram Cargo Van is a 2012 Dodge Caravan for the Pro

The Chrysler Group’s Ram Truck division has lifted the wraps off its latest offering, the new Cargo Van or simply Ram C/V, which is nothing more than a 2012 Dodge Caravan in LCV guise with solid panels in the place of the rear windows and a flat load area.

The business sibling of the Detroit firm’s family of minivans, which also includes the Chrysler Town & Country and more recently, the Lancia Grand Voyager, is offered with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivering 283-ponies and 260 lb.-ft of peak torque. The V6 is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission and is claimed to return 25 mpg on the highway.

A commercial-tuned ride and heavy-duty load-leveling suspension along with a heavy-duty radiator and heavy-duty transmission oil cooler are also part of the package. According to the automaker, the Ram C/V features 144.4 cubic feet of interior storage, and a 1,800-lb. cargo payload plus a towing capability of up to 3,600 lbs.

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Ram Goes Big, Really Big with New Long-Hauler Concept Truck

The Chrysler Group claims, “they don’t get much bigger” than its new Ram Long-Hauler Concept truck and at a whopping 24 feet (about 7.3 meters) long, who can blame them? Based on a Class 5 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab, the monstrous Long Hauler rides on an extended wheelbase measuring 197.4-in. (5,014mm) in length, which is more than enough to fit a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (191.7-in)!

The concept truck is also 79.1 inches tall and tips the scales at an environmentally…unfriendly 9,300 lbs (4,218 kg), or close to 2.5-times as much as a Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan. Ram says the Long-Hauler has a maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating of 37,500 lbs (16,783 kg).

Power comes courtesy of a 6.7-liter inline six-cylinder Cummins Turbo Diesel engine rated at 800 lb.-ft. of torque, which is hooked up to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission with four-wheel-drive transfer case coupled to a 4.88 Dana 110 axle with dual rear wheels. To quench its appetite, the Detroit firm’s engineers fitted the Long-Hauler with three fuel tanks with total capacity of 170 gallons (643 liters).

Other highlights include the full Kelderman Air Suspension and 19.5-inch Alcoa aluminum wheels, while Ram customized the apparently spacious 2+2 interior with several options such as a DVD player with overhead screen for rear seat passengers and a rear center console that includes a refrigerator, cup holders and tray tables.

The Auburn Hills automaker said that while only a concept for now, it will show off the Ram Long-Hauler across the country over the next eight months “to gauge public opinion” for a possible production version.

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Ram Unveils New 1500 Express Pickup Truck for Younger, First-Time Buyers

Ram's new version of the 1500 pickup truck, formerly known under the code name the “Adventurer”, has finally received an official designation. The Ram 1500 Express targets younger customers and first-time buyers and comes with a starting price of $23,830 (€16,677), including a $975 destination charge.

The truck is fitted with a standard 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine that delivers 390 horsepower and 407 lb-ft of torque (552 Nm) and posts an average fuel economy rating of 20 mpg (11.76 l/100km). Available as a regular cab short-bed model, with either a 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrain, the 1500 Express comes in a monochromatic paint scheme, with body-colored grille, front fascia and rear fascia and a total of eight body colors available.

A grille with black honeycomb inserts, chrome-tipped dual exhausts, fog lamps and five-spoke 20-inch aluminum wheels are also part of the package.

Standard features include a locking tailgate, 160-amp alternator, 26-gallon fuel tank, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp battery, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, power steering, heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and a full-size spare tire.

The interior of the 1500 Express gets a heavy-duty vinyl 40/20/40 split-bench seat, with buyers being able to choose between vinyl or carpeted floor covering. Other features include air conditioning, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, six-speaker audio unit with CD and MP3 player, automatic headlamps, behind-the-seat storage bins, power accessory delay and tinted glass windows. Safety equipment includes front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, ESP and tire pressure warning lamp.

The options list is extensive and includes two rear-axle ratios (3.21, 3.92), anti-spin differential, engine block heater, trailer brake controller, Mopar chrome tubular side steps, Mopar chrome steel bed rails, folding and heated trailer-tow power mirrors, spray-in bedliner and under-rail bedliner.

For the interior, buyers can outfit the 1500 Express with a cloth split-bench seat, Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, remote USB port, cruise control, remote keyless entry and a Sirius Satellite Radio. Finally, Mopar will offer more than 300 accessories for those who want to customize their ride.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Pickup Trucks Inventories Rising, Manufacturers are Worried

It seems like US carmakers are beginning to worry about the rising inventory of their big pickup trucks. For example, General Motors has an inventory of 122 days (or 4 months) of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra according to a report from Reuters, or 50% higher than the typical industry inventory of 80 days.

But GM isn’t the only automaker in distress. Chrysler, Toyota and Ford also are behind their projected sales, with 93 days inventory for the first two makers and 79 days for the third respectively.

“Most manufacturers overestimated the kind of demand they were going to get for full-size trucks in the first half of the year” commented TrueCar research website’s analyst Jesse Toprak. “Its’ not a crisis yet, but it’s above healthy levels”.

So far, pickup truck sales have been on the rise for US carmakers. GM’s Silverado and Ford F-Series have seen their sales increasing by 10%, and Dodge Ram and Sierra sales have risen even more, by 32% and 22% respectively. Overall, in the first six months of 2001 sales of cars and light trucks have increase by 13%.

So why all the fuss? Because despite the rise in the first half of the year, the worsening state of the economy makes the carmakers predict a drop in demand for the second half, forcing them to offer higher incentives and, thus, reduce their profits.

“If demand doesn’t come back in the second half, that means fire sale come December” said Toprak referring to GM, which relies heavily on its wide range of pickup trucks. “On the other hand, if demand does rebound, it will be sitting pretty with lots of trucks to offer”.

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