Stellantis North America’s headquarters sits along Interstate 75 in the upscale Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is home to the firm’s Technical Center, and the sparkling complex was an appropriate venue for the modern Ram trucks that the division’s principals showed off at a recent press event.
I focused on two conventional-cab trucks that find frequent application in construction applications: a Ram 2500 HD pickup and a Ram 5500 HD cab-chassis. These two were genuine work trucks with big-displacement engines and multispeed transmissions, and chassis components to match.
The trucks showed poise and power. They were pleasant to occupy and drive although, being unladen for this demo, they rode somewhat stiffly while in motion. And the long-wheelbase 5500 took some planning and a little fore-and-aft maneuvering to pilot around the complex’s driveways and through gates laid out for smaller cars.
Cabs sat high, which was not an ingress/egress problem with the 5500 because it had low-slung running boards that served as intermediate steps. The 2500, though, had no outside steps and its floor was about 2 feet above the pavement. With my short legs I got an upper-body workout pulling myself aboard, then hopped out afterwards.
Ram pickup interiors shine
Both trucks had 4-door crewcabs, the cabin type that’s taken over the bulk of pickup sales but is still uncommon on cab-chassis trucks, which usually have 2-door Regular cabs. Ram builds both cab types with solid structures and generous amounts of room and appoints them with one of seven trim packages befitting each owner’s presumed intended duties.
The 2500 HD pickup had the base Tradesman trim with cloth-covered bench seats front and rear. The front seat was split and included a fold-down armrest/beverage holder. In the dashboard were purposeful gauges, switches, and a large multifunctional central touch screen. Trips into nearby neighborhoods via streets, boulevards, and expressways were too short for me to interact with the screens’ infotainment systems, but they are capable of putting drivers and passengers well in touch with 21st Century busy-ness.
The 5500 HD truck had similar gauges and controls but, with its top-of-the-line Limited package, had bucket seats separated by a large console that extended to the dash. Seats were leather covered with classy stitching—a luxurious but uncharacteristic accent for something sporting a flatbed body.
Then again, consider the chrome-clad nose, polished aluminum wheels, and the fifth-wheel hitch mounted in the body’s deck. With a tow rating of 35,150 pounds, it’s more than capable of pulling a hefty equipment trailer carrying a small dozer or excavator.
Ram engines provide power
Propulsion in both trucks was from burly internal combustion engines. Engine downsizing has not reached the Heavy Duty series, unlike the Ram 1500 that has dropped its legendary 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 for a 3-liter twin-turbocharged Inline 6 or an optional 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 with a “mild” gas-electric hybrid system. The standard HD engine is a 6.4-liter (392-cubic-inch) gasoline V-8, also a Hemi, and the one in the 2500 HD makes 410 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. of torque, gutsy enough for this 3/4-ton truck. Transmission was a 6-speed double-overdrive Aisen automatic.
The 5500 HD had the Cummins Turbo Diesel, also with a 6-speed Aisen. (Automatics are it, as Ram dropped the 6-speed manual option on HDs for lack of sales after model-year 2018.) The Cummins is an I-6, same as the original 5.9-liter (360-cubic-inch) Turbo Diesel that Dodge began using in 1988 for the ’89 model year. In 2007, displacement went to 6.7 liters (408 cubic inches) and remains there. Through the years, the Cummins has been popular among Dodge and now Ram customers.
In the commercially oriented 5500 HD that can see high sustained loads, the Cummins’ Standard Output rating is 360 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. The consumer-grade High Output version claims 420 horsepower and 1,075 lb.-ft. The HO rating can be had in 2500 and 3500 HD pickups, though with an upcharge of around $10,000.
If a truck will carry or pull heavy loads for long periods at higher speeds, a diesel is better due to its strong torque and high fuel efficiency. Under less load and intermittent operation, and especially when the truck is shut down for hours at a job, a gasoline engine like the 6.4 makes far more sense. Yes, it makes fewer miles per gallon while underway, but that gas usually costs less than diesel fuel and there’s no premium to pay at purchasing time.
In effect, these Ram HDs were “working at home” at this headquarters event, and they did well. They are fifth-generation versions introduced in 2019 and, though modern and capable, they’re due for a refresh. Officials won’t talk about future models, but the 1500 series has revised styling with more powerful headlamps and other advancements for 2024. Because HDs use cabs and other parts from the light-duty trucks, we can infer that the HD series will see similar treatment in ’25.
If you’re a Ram fan, you’ll be watching for it.
