Being the “other” American pickup truck offering is a status the Dodge Ram pickups have either enjoyed or endured (depending upon your perspective) for quite some time. Perennially bested in sales by the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado, to compete, the Dodge pickup trucks went higher profile in 1994. Back then; in the midst of the design revolution at Chrysler, the pickup’s product management team approved the now ubiquitous Dodge “Big Rig” look — mimicking Peterbilt’s long nose styling language.
With the introduction of that model, the Dodge offering became a more prominent aspect of the American pickup truck market. Starting this year, the Dodge name has been dropped from Chrysler’s pickups. Where they used to be referred to as Dodge Ram models, the Dodge name has been reserved for the car line, while the truck line has been renamed Ram.
In other words, Ram is now a standalone brand of Chrysler Group, just as is Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and SRT. Thus, this all-new iteration of Chrysler Group’s pickup is being marketed as the Ram 1500. That said, as the first all-new model to fly the Ram flag, this new 1500 series pickup bodes extremely well for the fledgling enterprise.
According to Fred Diaz, president and CEO of Ram; “The new 2013 RAM 1500 is the most capable, best-looking half-ton pickup in the world and delivers best-in-class fuel efficiency, new technology, and new features — while upgrading the interior and exterior. With best-in-class towing and payload, best-in-class ride and handling, and best-in-class aerodynamics, the 2013 Ram 1500 delivers unmatched content, performance and capability.”
Of course, it’s his job to say that.
It’s ours to say whether he’s right or wrong.
The good news is he’s right.
And, the 2013 Ram 1500 has been racking up Truck of The Year awards left and right.