New York— The pickup wars will heat up again today as Chrysler Group LLC unveils a new version of its Ram 1500 truck at the New York International Auto Show.The 2013 Ram 1500 is chock-full of new technology, much of which is designed to assuage customers concerns about rising fuel prices.
The pickup wars used to be all about towing capability and payload capacity. But with gasoline prices climbing towards $5 a gallon, these battles are increasingly about fuel-economy.
It is a fight Ford Motor Co. seemed to have won when it introduced the 2011 F-150 equipped with its economical EcoBoost motor. Instead of a traditional gas-guzzling V-8 engine, these trucks were powered by a less thirsty V-6 that delivered comparable horsepower and torque thanks to the addition of turbocharging and direct fuel-injection technology.
Now, Chrysler is hoping to one-up Ford with a V-8 Hemi-powered truck that it says will get even better gas mileage than Ford's EcoBoost model. And it will also offer a V-6 version that promises to best Ford's most fuel-efficient offering.
"A lot of people doubted that anyone would want a V-6 in their full-size pickup. Ford has proven that they do," said Reid Bigland, head of U.S. sales for Chrysler. "It's pretty tough to put a jack hammer in a small car. People need pickup trucks for their work, but they don't want to go broke at the pump just to drive one."
The new Ram 1500 will be available with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 that Chrysler says will deliver 13 percent more torque and 20 percent better fuel-economy than its current 3.7-liter V-6 offering or a 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi that promises a 10 percent mileage improvement. Both trucks boast a bunch of other fuel-saving features, including a class-exclusive eight-speed automatic transmission, thermal management and stop-start system and active aerodynamics such as computer-controlled grille shutters and an air suspension that lowers the truck to make it less thirsty at freeway speeds.
The Pentastar V-6 delivers 305 horses and 269 pound-feet of torque. The V-8 Hemi offers 90 more horses and 407 pound-feet of torque. Chrysler says it will also offer best-in-class towing and payload capacity of 11,500 pounds and 3,125 pounds, respectively, in the Ram 1500 Tradesman version.
The air suspension can also lower the truck to make loading and unloading easier.
"Even towing, it's got fantastic power," said Mike Cairns, vehicle line executive for Ram Truck. "The eight-speed transmission allows it to still be a real truck engine and still pull very heavy trailers."
The whole truck has been given a major style makeover inside and out, too. Chrysler had originally planned only a modest refresh of its current model.
"Instead, we decided to go crazy," said Ram brand chief Fred Diaz.
"We virtually redesigned the truck from the ground up."
And it set its sights on Ford. Diaz noted that the EcoBoost relies on twin turbos, which he suggested would be less reliable than Chrysler's approach to fuel economy.
He noted that the EcoBoost is out of warranty after 60,000 miles.
"Turbos are very expensive to replace," he said, adding Chrysler will also offer a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
"But they don't have the horsepower that Ford has," pointed out analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP, noting that Ford's most powerful motor still outclasses the Ram. He said the real loser in this competition is General Motors Co., which has yet to introduce a modern V-6 offering capable of competing with either the EcoBoost-equipped Fords or the new Rams. And he said that is what more and more truck customers are looking for today.
"If you're ever going to really load the truck up, the six is going to be pretty bad," he said. "But most people never come close to loading their trucks all the way up — and for them, one of these new V-6s is going to be fine."
And a lot cheaper to fill up.
Chrysler says the new Ram 1500 will go on sale in October.
By Bryce G. Hoffman and David Shepardson
The Detroit News
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