Yahoo Autos 2009 Dodge Ram Overview
Even though large-pickup-truck sales have been falling of late, due mainly to relatively high gas prices, they are still hugely important cash cows to the Detroit automakers. The 2009 model year is going to be vital to Ford and Dodge, as both companies are introducing new versions of their pickups, the F-150 and the Ram, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The new Ram is, as expected, a monster, with the kind of grille that can take on full-grown steers. And the Dodge folks are very proud that its hood is adorned with the largest ram's head to date. The 2009 Ram is even more aggressive than the current model, with a huge forward-leaning grille akin to that on the Dodge Charger and a more exaggerated hood dome. The beltline has been raised a half-inch, but the results of market research warned the truck's designers away from increasing the box height. A spoiler has been built into the tailgate. The Sport and Laramie models get 20-inch wheels, which are good for the trucks' manly stance; the Sport model features a body-color grille and mirrors.
The aerodynamics have been improved as well, with Dodge claiming a 0.42 coefficient of drag for crew-cab models riding on 20-inch wheels (compared with 0.46 for a 2008 Quad Cab).
As before, there are three cabs: standard, extended cab (Quad Cab), and a new-for-2009 true-four-door crew cab that replaces the gargantuan Mega Cab. Bed lengths vary from six feet three inches and eight feet long on the standard and Quad Cab, and a new five-foot, seven-inch bed on the crew cab to "maintain garageability." The Ram will be offered in ST, SLT, Sport, TRX (off-road version), and Laramie (upscale) trim levels.
Dodge is proud of its so-called Ram Boxes, which are dry, lockable stowage spaces on each side of the bed. These pockets are available on crew cabs only and run the length of the bed over the wheel wells. Combined, they have nine cubic feet of capacity, enough to fit 10 cases of pop, Chrysler says. This means a narrower bed, but it will still take a four-by-eight-foot sheet of plywood. Although these storage additions are useful, bulky items such as a toolbox still won't fit as easily as they do in the Honda Ridgeline's in-bed trunk.
Upgraded Interior, Standard Stability Control, Lots of Options
The most important design news (leading the design effort was Chrysler's guru Ralph Gilles) concerns the interior. There are three different ones, and they show a dramatic improvement over the cheap-looking interior of the current model. This is the first Chrysler product designed under a new corporate scheme whereby a lump of money is allocated up front to the interior, and it is locked in place so it can't be sacrificed to save other parts of the program that overspend during the development process. In the Ram's case, there's even a stitched dash top.
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