The new Ram pickup comes a more luxurious, mainstream look. Once a scaled-down knockoff of a Kenworth or Peterbilt semi-trailer cab, Ram designers have softened the pronounced front fenders and hood to resemble other entries in the class.
Gone is the “cross hair” grille – which in a rearview mirror might remind one of a firearm’s sighting mechanism.
This change hasn’t detracted from Ram’s appeal – quite the opposite, its softening is a welcome departure from the ornery, belligerent semi-trailer rig mien introduced in 1994 and deliberately cultivated in marketing campaigns. Back in the day, Ram wanted to be distinguished from the rest of the pickup pack; it also needed a signature, having deteriorated into a plain Jane after 25 years of neglect by a Chrysler Corporation with higher priorities.
Lately, it’s arguably more important for the Ram brand to be seen as an alternative for luxury-minded shoppers, not merely ones trying to prove how macho they are by their choice of pickup truck. Owners of pickups are a hodge-podge of types, one notices in traffic. Lots of them are workmen, simply trying to get to a jobsite with tools and materials.
But other pickup drivers are among the most aggressive on the road, darting about at the speed limit or higher, daring the rest of us by virtue of their size and ready-to-rumble exteriors; owners of Ram seem to be among the most extreme example of the latter, according to my anecdotal observations.
Ram — a big cash cow — is one of the reasons Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. has been able to defy the more pessimistic forecasts for its future in business. The all-new edition is built in Sterling Heights on the outskirts of Detroit and is about to begin arriving at North American dealerships.
Along with FCA’s Jeep models, Ram has proved to be a financial powerhouse for the company, generating revenue and profitability that put it close to luxury-franchise territory. A back-of-the-envelope estimate suggests revenue of about $20 billion from the single model. Pre-tax profitability is tougher to figure but is no doubt in nine-figure territory.
The new version looks to be more competitive than ever with the leaders of the class, Ford Motor Co.’s F Series pickup and General Motors Co.’s new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Toyota’s Tundra and Nissan’s Titan lag far behind. Starting at about $32,000 in price, the new Ram costs close to $70,000 for the most luxurious versions, with sumptuous appointments, advanced safety features and sophisticated infotainment capability.
According to Kelley Blue Book, FCA sold 500,000 Ram pickups last year, about 85,000 behind Silverado and 400,000 or so behind F Series. While FCA isn’t making projections for this year, it’s a good bet that the goal is to beat last year’s total and to do so with the more expensive and profitable versions.
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