2010 Dodge Ram Preview

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Dodge is bringing some innovative features and refinement to the 2009 Ram 1500, company executives have said little about their other pickup offerings, until now. During a recent drive of the 2009 Ram 1500, we were able to gain some surprising insight into what Dodge has in store for the heavy-duty Rams for 2010.

With production of the 2009 Ram 1500 in progress, Chrysler engineers are already toiling away on the next series of heavy-duty - or 2500 and 3500 - Ram models. For the first time the larger trucks will sport a unique front fascia. The large Rams will also make use of the same interior as the 2009 Ram 1500.

In the past Dodge received a lot of complaints about its truck interiors, and that's an issue Ralph Gilles, vice president of Jeep, truck, and advanced interior design, took to heart. The first product of Chrysler's new interior design, the all new interior is exponentially superior to that of the outgoing Ram.

With focus on fuel economy, expect to see a slight drop in output from the signature Cummins diesel engines. Scott Kunselman, vice president of truck product development, believes fuel economy is more important to truck buyers than the ability to pull the largest possible trailer up huge hills at 85 mph. Beefing up the chassis, transmission and other components to handle much more power would add weight and cost to the truck and only a handful of buyers would ever make use of it. Being mostly utilized in fleets, these heavy duty trucks are mostly geared towards the fleet managers who are interested in lowering costs rather than having outrageous power output.

Dodge will likely stick with the Ram HD's current absorber NOx catalyst system, for future 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks instead of the urea treatment most diesel passenger cars use to meet EPA regulations. However, Dodge will use urea for its class 4 and 5 cab and chassis Rams because the emissions certification process is different for the larger trucks. Storing enough urea to last between oil changes is one problem for trucks with factory-installed beds, plus the urea can freeze and thus be rendered useless in northern climates. If the price of the catalyst system - which uses plenty of exotic materials - continues to rise, Dodge may have to re-evaluate this approach.

Ram 1500's multi-link coil suspension makes a lot of sense for light-duty trucks; it doesn't in the heavy-duty segment. Most of the three-quarter and one-ton trucks use a main leaf spring pack and a set of helper leaves to handle overload situations. There isn't any way to add helper springs to coil springs. Dodge's current strategy gears the 2500/3500 trucks for maximum towing and hauling, so the traditional leaf springs will remain on these models.

Dodge has no plans of gearing a heavier duty truck to that of the average consumer, stating that the consumer base is just too small to meet the demand for a new model. Dodge will continue to play in the class 4 and 5 truck segment, an area where it performs well, but these trucks will strictly be cab-chassis vehicles for commercial users.

For 2010 Dodge has also begun production on a Hybrid model. Executive Vice President in charge of product development Frank Klegon when asked about the new hybrid models states "The addition of hybrid and diesel powertrains to our all-new Dodge Ram 1500 lineup is sure to attract an array of new customers looking for the ultimate combination of full-size pickup fuel efficiency, performance and capability."

The hybrid and diesel offerings for Dodge Ram are in addition to three gasoline powertrain options:

-- An all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, that delivers a 4 percent increase in fuel economy for 2009 while producing 380 horsepower and 404 lb.-ft. of torque
-- A new for 2008 4.7-liter flex-fuel V-8, that resulted in an increase in fuel economy while producing 310 horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of torque
-- A 3.7-liter V-6 that generates 215 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque

The renowned HEMI powerplant, now in hybrid form, will continue to feature Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS), which allows the engine to seamlessly alternate between four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when more power is in demand. The two-mode hybrid system provides assistance from electric motors allowing the HEMI V-8 to remain in four- cylinder mode more often than without a hybrid powertrain, improving overall fuel economy.

Chrysler's advanced, state-of-the-art two-mode full hybrid system integrates proven automatic-transmission technology with a patented hybrid-electric drive system to deliver the world's first two-mode full hybrid. 

In the first mode, at low speed and with light loads, the vehicle can operate in three ways: Electric power only, Engine power only, and any combination of engine and electric power.

The two-mode hybrid provides all of the fuel-saving benefits of a full- hybrid system, including electric-only operation. In this mode, the engine is "shut off," with the vehicle moving under electric-only power at low speed. The result is a significant reduction in fuel consumption in heavy stop-and-go traffic.

The second mode is used primarily at highway speeds. In addition to electric assist, the second mode provides full power from the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 when conditions demand it, such as when passing, pulling a trailer or climbing a steep grade.

While the development teams at Chrysler have their hands full, there are still plans to improve the new Ram 1500 in the immediate future.

Improving fuel economy is a major focus for the Ram team. It makes most sense for the Cummins to be tuned for fuel economy, not outright power. We weren't able to get much in the way of fuel economy figures, but when we suggested a minimum of 22 mpg, Kunselman told us, "I think we'll blow away 22 mpg." Hopefully such a truck could return 25 mpg, or better, on the highway and cost substantially less than a diesel heavy-duty truck.  For more details on the Ram, click here.

With a new optimized engine design and an addition of the HEMI hybrid option, the 2010 Dodge Ram appears on the verge to make strides into a market where people are shying away from large trucks and going with crossover vehicles for the added fuel economy. Dodge has high hopes and we share them. Read more about past models of the Ram.

With the introduction of the Hybrid engine to the 2010 offerings, is the truck back? We hope so.