I can’t help thinking that Ram sees their trucks as that overlooked Olympic athlete who trains all offseason while the reigning champ parties. Come competition time, that second place finisher with something to prove tends to make things interesting. To be fair, both Ford and Ram have gotten golden tans from all the limelight, and with GMC and Chevy thrown in the mix, America’s heavy duty pickup segment doesn’t really need to prove anything. But there’s always room for improvement.
The 2013 Ram 1500 looks to take pickup evolution up a notch, and its winning color now comes with a glint of green on it. Take a look at what the mad scientists at Ram have come up with for their newest edition, due in stores by fall.
2013 Ram 1500 New Feature Highlights
Best-in-class fuel economy, brand new tech, and the same trustworthy capability- Ram is going all out with their 2013 1500 pickup. Outside, things get more aerodynamic by way of a new grille and foglight setup, redesigned stainless steel running boards, and new 6 foot 4 inch bed option for Crew Cab models.
Inside, materials and color upgrades will improve style & comfort, but new tech features should gain the most attention. Leading the way is an 8.4 inch Uconnect touchscreen offering easy to see icons that control infotainment, and drivers can access things via voice controlled commands or steering wheel mounted buttons when driving. Other new features include HD radio with SiriusXM radio and a seven inch ‘vehicle information center’ that displays pertinent information.
On the safety front, rear park sensors and a rearview camera become available.
2013 Ram 1500 look appetizing? Come to CarWoo! and fill your belly up right.
2013 Ram 1500 Performance & Fuel Economy
Ram is swapping base V6 engines for 2013. Gone is their base 3.7 liter, replaced by the Ward’s 10 Best 3.6 liter Pentastar carrying 305 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque. HEMI power is represented by a 5.7 liter V8 worth 395 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft.- up five HP from 2012. Both of these engines are promised to get “at least 20 percent more fuel economy” than last year’s powertrains, accomplished by a variety of factors. Ram is giving the 2013 1500 a new 8-speed automatic transmission, standard for the V6 and available for the V8 HEMI, alongside stop-start tech (adding 1 city MPG), active grille shutters, and air suspension that gives drivers five settings for optimized ride comfort and aerodynamics.
Ram is also excited about their electric power steering and a thermal management system that reduces warm-up time by heating engine & transmission fluid temps. Combined, these two features will increase economy by 3.5 percent. Hey, every little thing helps.
Official fuel estimates aren’t out yet, but the 20 percent increase would bring Ram to best-in-class efficiency. Tow and payload numbers are tagged at 11,500 pounds and 3,125 pounds (for Tradesman Heavy Duty models).
2013 Ram 1500: Evolutionary Superiority?
We’ll see what the public’s final verdict is come sales time, but Ram seems to have that championship form ready to go for 2013. We’ll see what Ford is able to counter with. The pickup wars are once again heating up nicely; don’t be surprised if a photo finish decides the outcome this time.
The 2012 Ram 1500 is available right now, and the 2013 edition is right around the corner. Take home either one when the time is right, with CarWoo!
