Paul Murrell previews the 2018 Ram 1500 with pricing, specs, ride and handling, safety, verdict and everything the over-50 driver needs to know.
In brief: Big utes are flavour-of-the-month and they don’t come much bigger, or capable, than the new Ram 1500.
2018 Ram 1500
Pricing: From $79,950 (Express Quad Cab, driveaway); $84,450 (Express Quad Cab with RamBoxes, plus on-road costs); $89,450 (Express Quad Cab Black Pack, plus on-road costs); $99,950 (Laramie Crew Cab, plus on-road costs); $104,450 (Laramie Crew Cab with RamBoxes, plus on-road costs) (so most will be owned and driven by successful company owners or well-heeled retirees)
Warranty: Three-years, 100,000 km
Safety: not ANCAP tested
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi petrol V8 with cylinder deactivation
Power: 291kW @ 5600rpm (that’s 395hp in the old money)
Torque: 556Nm @ 3950rpm (plenty for most towing applications)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Drive: all-wheel drive
Body: 5816mm (long); 2018mm (wide); 1968mm (high) (it towers over other road users and demands care around town)
Turning circle: 13.9m (Express), 12.1m (Laramie)
GVM†: 3330kg (perhaps it should eat fewer utes for breakfast)
Towing: 4500kg (Express, braked), 3500kg (Laramie with 3.21 axle ratio, braked), 4500kg (Laramie with 3.92 axle, braked), 750kg unbraked (all models)
Maximum towball download: up to 450kg, depending on model
Payload (in the tub): 912kg (Express), 885kg (Laramie with 3.21 axle ratio), 855kg (Laramie with 3.92 axle ratio)
Spare: Full size (reassuring when you’re a long way from civilisation, but it’s steel, not alloy)
Fuel Tank: 121 litres (Express), 98 litres (Laramie)
Thirst: 9.9L/100km (combined, 3.21 axle ratio), 12.2 L/100km (combined, 3.92 axle ratio)
Fuel type: 89 RON (recommended), 87 RON (acceptable) (good fuel economy, plus cheaper petrol – what’s not to like?)
seniordriver consumption: not yet tested (but we can’t wait to see what they get around town)
† GVM is the maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle’s chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers
[preview]
Utes just keep getting bigger and bigger, but if you need serious towing capacity, it’s a case of the bigger the better.
Now there’s a new player in the market.
The Ram 2500 and 3500 have been around for a while, but the new 1500 takes the company into the heart of the premium ute market in Australia.
It’s headlined as “the truck that eats utes for breakfast” and sums up local distributor Ateco’s confidence in the new model.
There are two versions of the V8 petrol-only (for now) Ram 1500 with prices starting at a substantial $79,950 (driveaway). Move up to the top-spec models and you’re into six figures (and all but the base Express incur on-road charges).
Ram Trucks Australia general manager Alex Stewart would admit that he’s not the tallest bloke around, but when he stands beside the new Ram 1500 at the launch, he is dwarfed by the vehicle, his shoulders barely higher than the top of the front mudguards (or fenders, if you must). However, he talks larger than he stands, declaring that Ram expects to grab 10 percent of the high-end ute market, taking on Mercedes-Benz and the top-end Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models.
“With a maximum towing capacity of up to four-and-a-half tonnes, it’s a full tonne ahead of its rivals,” he says. And in this market, towing capacity is king. Even if you are towing less than the maximum, the extra margin is always welcome.
There’s no question that the new Ram is simply huge: almost six metres long and more than two metres wide. Older drivers and those with mobility issues will find it quite a climb up into the cab, but the grab handles and side steps do make it slightly easier. In the tray, there’s room for a full-size pallet. The cheaper Express comes with a smaller cab (and upright rear seats) but gets a longer tray (193cm) and a payload of 912kg. GVM is 3330kg. It can tow 4500kg thanks to its lower axle ratio (3.92:1). Owners of very large boats and caravans can form an orderly line here.
Standard equipment in the Express includes colour-matched front grille and bumpers, black side steps, 20-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, heavy-duty tow bar, spray-in bed liner, rear-view camera with rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery, 5.0-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio, manual air conditioning, power windows front and rear and floor mats.
There’s a $9500 optional Black Pack which dresses the Express up nicely, turning many fittings black, as the name implies. Also optional are metallic paint ($850, which is reasonable considering how much there is of it) and a tri-fold tonneau cover ($1795, standard with RamBox versions).
The Laramie has the advantage of more space in the rear and more car-like back seat angles. The trade-off is a smaller tray (170cm) and “only” 3500kg towing capacity (4500kg with the 3.92 rear axle ratio). Unlike the Express, the Laramie aims squarely at recreational buyers. They’ll need deep pockets because the starting price is $99,950 (plus on-road costs).
The Laramie is undeniably well-equipped and liberally adorned with chrome: chrome grille, chrome 20-inch alloy wheels, chrome side steps, chrome bumpers. It also gets remote keyless entry, climate control air conditioning, rear vents, remote start function, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, front parking sensors, automatic wipers, power adjustable pedals, leather upholstery, 8.4-inch touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, additional 12-volt outlets at the rear, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel.
For the time being, both models get the same motor (a diesel is planned for later in the year): a petrol V8 producing 291kW of power and 556Nm of torque. Transmission is an eight-speed automatic with low-range (part-time in the Express, electric full-time on demand in the Laramie). It’s a 5.7-litre Hemi V8, but cylinder-deactivation technology allows it to run on just four cylinders when appropriate, so fuel consumption in the official combined cycle is an impressive 9.9L/100km.
An interesting feature are the innovative and useful RamBoxes which provide additional secure storage in the tray. The tri-fold tonneau cover comes as part of the RamBoxes package.
When we say “Aussie-built”, there’s a caveat. Vehicles are shipped from the US in their original left-hand-drive configuration and remanufactured in right-hand-drive form by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne. Consequently, the Ram 1500 is the only factory-authorised full-volume supplier of right-hand drive Ram trucks in the world. By meeting a number of pre-set requirements, the process is classified as a manufacturing process, with the key advantage for customers of product consistency and quality, ensuring that replacement parts will fit without modification and most (some, such as airbags and paint, aren’t allowed on aircraft) getting to dealers within 24 hours of being ordered. Ateco founder Neville Crichton reports that the company has spent $1 million and more than a year re-engineering the Ram 1500 to meet Australian specifications.
As for safety, the Ram 1500 hasn’t been ANCAP tested but a number of models in the US range have been tested independently by the US equivalent of ANCAP, IIHS/HLDI and while direct comparisons are almost impossible, the Ram 1500 scored roughly the equivalent of four ANCAP stars. You can see their results at http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/ram/1500-crew-cab-pickup
Over a dozen “sled tests” have been conducted on Australian models to ensure the relocated airbags deploy correctly.
More than 30 dealers have already been appointed, with a further ten scheduled by the end of the year. Projected sales are 2100 for the first year, rising to 4500 by year 3.