The latest RAM 1500 full size pickup is now in Australia.
But is it too much truck for us? Let's find out.
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What we've got here is the flagship model, the fifth generation RAM Range,
The Limited. It costs about $140,000 and goes up against the similarly huge Chevrolet Silverado.
This thing is big. I mean, really big. It's almost 6 meters long, it's more than
2 meters wide, and it's nearly 2 meters high. And, it weighs in at more than 2700 kilos.
For reference, Australia's top selling utes, the Toyota Hilux, is 5.3 meters long, 1.9 meters wide,
1.8 meters high and weighs in at about 2.2 tons. There's so much detail to take in here. Check out
the pair of side steps and in the lockable storage boxes, by either side of the tray.
The wheels are massive, 22-inch alloys.
The engine is a 5.7-litre pushrod V8, but it's no dinosaur. It comes with 48 volt
mild hybrid boosting, and cylinder deactivation to save fuel.
It attaches to an 8-speed automatic transmission and a BorgWarner torque on-demand transfer case,
that enables rear wheel drive, all wheel drive and low range for 4x4 off-roading.
The Limited is luxurious. There's leather everywhere, including these front seats,
which are also powered, heated, and ventilated.
The Limited is actually converted from left to right-hand drive in Melbourne,
but you wouldn't know it looking at the dashboard and surrounds.
The star turn inside the limited is definitely this 12-inch infotainment screen.
It instantly updates anything on offer from any rival. It's more Tesla than truck.
Through the screen, you can operate the Sat-Nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, the 19 speaker
Harman Kardon audio system, the Dual-zone climate control and plenty more. The Limited
comes with a strong safety suite that includes autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise
control. Importantly for such a big vehicle, it bristles with cameras and sensors, watching out
for potential issues. This is not a vehicle I choose as my everyday inner city commuter.
The Limited's cabin is enormous and storage options are plentiful.
Check out its center console. It's got heaps of different ways you can set it up.
You can even fit a laptop in here. You can fit 10 laptops in here.
It's not only the front seat where the storage impresses.
In the back, there's under floor bins and the seat folds up to create more space.
This is a vehicle where rear seat passengers get the royal
treatment. I mean, look at all this space.
The rear seat slide and recline, they have ventilation and heating,
and passengers also get their own aircon controls and a choice of USB outlets.
If there's one area where these big Yank utes disappoint,
it's in the tray. The size itself is fine. You could fit an Aussie payload in here, no problem.
It's the payload. At just 701 kilograms, the RAM is well shy of the smaller cheaper
diesel dual-cab utes that sell by the tens of thousands in Australia. Where it does fight back
is the bright towing capacity. At up to 4500 kilograms, it's massive.
Well, there is just so much to take in with this thing
and we haven't even driven it yet, so let's get to it.
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I won't kid you and say the RAM Limited shrink wraps around you, but it does handle quite
impressively considering how tall and heavy it is. It's not that much roll and wallow,
and it does seriously try and go, where you point it.
The RAM is the only full size pick-up with the air suspension,
and that helps with the ride comfort. It also helps with getting a load in the back.
Seriously, you can cruise along in this thing all day. It's quiet, it's comfortable, it's spacious.
Stick a bathroom on the back and you could probably live in it.
But of course, you pay the price at the petrol buzzer. The claim is 12.2
litres per 100 kilometres, and weigh average 17.6, without carrying heavy loads or towing.
The RAM also comes with a relatively low key 3 year 100,000 kilometer warranty. If I'm committing
more than $140,000 to a vehicle, I'd like to see more comprehensive back-up, thanks very much.
Having said that, Australians have really voted with their wallets since the factory back RAM,
1500 program launched last decade. They have bought them by the thousands.
Which means for all its cost, for all its size, for all its thirst, the RAM 1500 Limited clearly
isn't too much truck for Australians. In fact in some cases, they just can't get enough.