Perhaps thinking they were in Chicago stockyards of old, Dodge debuted the 2009 Ram outside the Detroit/NAIAS auto show amongst a herd of cows. I guess no sheep were available and Dodge didn’t realize many press keep their (writing and recording) hands in their pockets in Detroit winter.
Was this a backward admission the Detroit airwaves and show floor are full of, umm, cow dung?
The 2009 Ram looks exactly like the one Dodge leaked/posted/swapped onto their Mopar web site. How else did they do?
Well…I figured the base 3.7 V-6 would be dumped for the 4-liter but the 3.7 remains, and it’s among the weakest base engine in full-size pickups. Steee-rike one.
The 4.7 is indeed the 310-hp/330 lb-ft used elsewhere, and the Hemi gets variable valve timing for 380 hp and 404 lb-ft…with the Tundra at 401 a rating of 400 simply would not do. Dodge claims a best 0-60 of 6.1 seconds--a Hemi, regular-cab, 2WD, short bed with 4.10:1 gears.
I’ve done 6 flat in a 5.7-liter 4WD four-door Tundra…and I’m crediting the Tundra’s six-speed automatic. The new Ram V-8s use a 5-speed auto (6M or 4A for V-6...get a run at that hill), and the lightest one is 4555 pounds. Steee-rike Two.
Max tow rating is 8950-9100 depending where you look, which will either hurt because everyone except Nissan offer more or help by keeping half-ton chores based in reality. Off the foul post.
You can debate the styling. It follows trend by eliminating the big seam between the bumper and grille. Note there’s a real crew cab offered…better late (the market is more than 50% crew cab) than never. It adds 2.6 inches of legroom in back over a Quad Cab…not sure it’s worth it. Another foul post.
The Crew Cab bed has 4.3-cubic-foot boxes in either side of the rails since fancy pickups can’t have dirty ropes, tools or parts out in the open. It’s hard to see any wheelwell intrusion yet the data gives the same internal and tailgate widths as the other boxes.
It has a “first-in-segment coil-spring, multilink rear suspension” although coil-spring pickup rearends were around 40 years ago and their descendants are called the “Car of Tomorrow” by NASCAR. The info never mentions one but there is a picture of a leaf-sprung rear axle…and it isn’t an HD-sized differential. Another mistake? The base-model rear? A new HD suspension in disguise? The ruling’s still in review.
Dash layout is similar except the center stack blends in to a broad console with automatic gated shifter. They’ve made a bin available under the right-rear passenger’s feet for storing drinks and ice; the lid swings inward so it’s easy to load from the door but really hard to reach into from the driver’s seat. Wonder if rear seat floor mats come with a hole for it.
Noteworthy new goodies include standard ESP/trailer sway control and optional heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel (a nice lux in slow-to-warm diesels), Sirius Backseat TV and surround sound.
And what of the diesel?
Dodge specifically says a two-mode hybrid will be offered for 2010 but only that a diesel will be available “after 2009”. What the !#%&@! does “after 2009” mean? Dodge notes torque and emissions advantages relative to “equivalent” gasoline engines but don’t’ specify if that’s hp, torque, or capacity “equivalent.”
Dodge names Cummins but not V-6 or V-8, 4.2 or 5.6. Dodge should know there is no such thing as a gasoline equivalent. Steee-rike Three?
