Chrysler has kicked off the month of inevitable teasers of customized cars heading to SEMA today,  with some Moparized vehicles from Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, RAM, and SRT.

While all eyes are on the 2012 Paris Motor Show, September 27 will also be a big day for  RAM, as its newest heavy-duty trucks, and chassis cabs are unveiled.

Chrysler will debut its new “Uconnect Access” service in the 2013 RAM 1500 pickup truck and 2013 SRT Viper supercar and will offer both groups of buyers a free trial of the service.

Chrysler is withdrawing its fleet of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in order to issue out a battery-pack upgrade due to overheating issues with its lithium-ion propulsion batteries.

Last year, Chrysler confirmed that a Fiat Doblo-based RAM commercial van would be on its way to America, and according to recent trademark filings it appears that it will be called the RAM Promaster City.

Noticeably missing from the 2013 RAM 1500 lineup is the Tradesman HD model, and chances are it won’t be returning anytime soon, if ever. 

This past weekend, 273 RAM trucks assembled out in Dresden, Ontario, Canada to set the Guinness World Record for longest pickup truck parade.

Thanks to a new 3.6-liter V6 engine and an 8-speed automatic the 2013 RAM 1500 can now lay claim to being the most fuel efficient pickup in its segment.

Designed for hunters, fishermen, campers, and boaters, RAM is updating its Outdoorsman model for the 2013 model year 1500, combining convenience, off-road capability, and trailer towing hardware in one package.

A vehicle appeal study of 2012 models has just been released by J.D. Power and Associates, and it shows that smaller cars are becoming more desirable for consumers. 

A preliminary defect investigation on 2009-2010 Dodge Ram vehicles has been opened because of reports of the rear differential failing.

Though a final decision has not yet been made, a Chrysler executive confirmed that a compact Ram pickup is currently being mulled over as engineers study several platforms that it could potentially be built on. 

June of 2012 marked a good year for automakers, improving sales by 20 percent overall, compared to June, 2011.

How does a Maserati relate to a RAM 1500? RAM has released a video offering some background info on how the 1500 was designed with sports car aerodynamics in mind.

It may seem odd in these times of austerity and relatively high gas prices but truck sales are remaining buoyant. Not only that, but demand for higher end offerings, with all the bells and whistles is up significantly.

Not long ago, we tested the Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson, arguably the king of the so- called poseur trucks. Now, if your persuasions lean more toward the Pentastar side of things, Ram offers an alternative in the shape of the Laramie and especially the Southwest themed Longhorn, a rolling tribute to cowboys of old.

In its recent tests, NHTSA found that the RAM 2500 Heavy Duty crumples worse than the rest in a crash and even observed flames and smoke under the hood after its test.

There’s a pretty common stereotype that if it’s an American-built pickup, it’s nice and strong. Not only is it built to last, but it’s built to withstand any major accidents and safely protect its occupants.

In today’s pickup truck market, you can only get a diesel engine if you step past the half-tons and get into a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck, but that won’t be the case for long as RAM may be testing out a small diesel option for its 1500 pickup.

The pickup truck is an icon that embodies the working spirit. It’s every blue collar employee’s calling card and farmer’s best friend. Truck buyers grow especially close to their vehicles as trucks are a  key tool in earning a living, depending on them to last through days and years of service.

Price, looks and size… these are the few factors that used to decide what vehicle you’d park in your driveway. Looking for a cheap and small car? A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic will do. Need something bigger, perhaps a mid-size Hyundai Sonata or an SUV. Things used to be pretty easy.

With increasingly high gas prices and an overall movement towards green, fuel efficient vehicles, fuel economy has become more important. In fact, for many price, looks and size are now completely trumped by fuel economy.

“Buyers just look at the MPG on the sticker,” says IHS Automotive Analyst Devin Lindsay commenting that car buyers are now completely mesmerized by the EPA sticker label.

Take a look at the Toyota Prius, for example. It’s not terribly big, is fairly expensive, and looks… well… weird. But that didn’t stop three million of them from being sold, all thanks to a hybrid gas-electric engine that provides excellent fuel economy.

The Prius isn’t the only option for someone looking for a fuel efficient car, however; especially those in search of a more engaging driving experience. If you want to cut down on trips to the pump, and still drive a fun, powerful, good looking car, your best bet might just be in a diesel powered vehicle. That does mean you’ll almost certainly have to drive German, although a flood of new diesel-powered vehicles are about to hit our shore.

Over the past few years Lexus has been referred to as a Japanese Buick, with the number one reason being the ES front-drive luxury sedan – a car that drew direct comparisons with the not-quite-Cadillac GM premium brand. To erase those comparos the new 2013 ES gets a more stylish exterior with a GS-themed front nose and a profile more like the flagship LS.

According to brand CEO Fred Diaz, the 2013 Ram 1500 was due to receive a mid-life freshening. However, what’s ultimately emerged is an extensively re-engineered truck, despite looking familiar on the outside.

Key developments, many in a gesture toward improved fuel economy, include a re-designed frame that’s both lighter and stronger than last year’s true. In addition, there’s also an eight-speed automatic transmission (the TorqueFlite 8), that’s teamed not only with the base 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 but also the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. There’s also a rotary shifter on the center stack designed to make engaging gears easier and free up additional interior room.

After multiple teasers, RAM has officially unveiled its 2013 1500 packed with a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, with a 5.7L HEMI V8 as an option.

Gas prices might not have hit the budget-busting $5/gallon yet, but drivers are already feeling the pinch. Consumer Reports has exposed a list of the top 10 most expensive vehicles to fill up. All prices are based on the average fuel price in the United States. 

The latest teaser image features two more macro shots, this time of what looks to be the interior trim of the Ram truck – the first of an interior light, the second of a piece of trim from the dashboard. While teaser images are considered by many automakers to be a fun and effective marketing trick to raise awareness and excitement, these obscure images fail to convey exactly what we should expect from the next generation Ram. Its official reveal will be during the New York International Show and we will share more substantial information regarding the new truck later in the week.

The RAM 1500 will be debuting this week at the New York Auto show with new engine choices, a new transmission and a new airbag suspension system. In preparation for the event, RAM is releasing five teaser shot s, and today’s is the third in the series.

The second of four teaser images for the upcoming 2013 RAM 1500 has been released, hinting at some sort of rotating knob, perhaps infotainment related.

The Ram 1500 will be getting some upgrades and a refresh which will be shown off at next week’s 2012 New York Auto Show.

Back in 2002, a special edition Ram 1500 pick-up truck was launched specifically for Texan truck buyers. Called the Lone Star edition, it quickly became the top selling Ram model in the vast state.

The Ram 1500 is getting some new powertrain options, the Pentastar 3.6L V6 and an eight speed transmission. These new upgrades will bring the Ram into even closer contention with Ford’s Ecoboost engine.

Ram trucks is growing the range of options for the tradesman trim work truck today, adding crew cab and quad cab models to the lineup.

The Chevrolet Silverado super bowl ad caused quite a controversy, as Ford didn’t see the lighthearted fun in the spot which suggests that Chevys are the only trucks which could survive the apocalypse, and that anyone driving a Ford wouldn’t make it.

It seems that Ram trucks also wants to join in the Ford bashing, recently releasing a commercial of its own that speaks quite negatively of Ford trucks. The question posed in the spot is, what if you were to take away horsepower, torque and warranty coverage from a Ram? “Well,” says the rough and manly voice-over, “you’d end up with a  Ford F-150.”

Whether Ram and Chevy were in cahoots when producing these ads, we don’t know. And why Ford is the butt of all these jokes, we can only assume because the F-150 is such a successful seller and its competition is a little jealous.

Originally, Ford had said that it was going to take Chevy to court over the ad, saying that the reliability claims in the commercial were inaccurate. It seems the lawsuit was not followed through however, which begs the question, how will Ford answer its rivals?

Watch the ad after the jump.

Set to bow at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Ram trucks has released details on a new luxury package called the Laramie Limited.

The sales have been tallied and the numbers are finally in. The list of the Top 10 best selling vehicles in the U.S. has now been released  lots of familiar faces and a few surprises – starting with number 10, the Chevrolet Cruze. Sales for the new compact sedan total 231,732 units for the first full year on sale, with the Cruze launching late in 2010 and amassing just 24,495 sales in a short period of time then.

Since Fiat restored Chrysler after its humbling bankruptcy, the third American automaker has been reinvigorated, and boasts industry leading statistics in growth.

The Detroit Red Wings, one of the most decorated hockey teams and the winner of the most Stanley Cup Championships ever, announced that the Ram 1500 Express 4X4 Crew Cab is named the “Official Truck of the Red Wings.”

Law enforcement gets a severe-duty upgrade beginning this month, with Chrysler’s Ram Truck brand offering their new Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4×4 Special Service package for police enforcement and emergency services support.

For all the Dodge Ram enthusiasts out there, Chrysler has something for you at this year’s SEMA Show. Based on a 2011 Ram R/T, the team at Mopar Underground outfitted the Ram with a collection of modifications, enhancing performance while giving the truck some good looks. Powering the Ram 392 Quick Silver is a 392 HEMI V8 from Dodge’s SRT lineup packing 470-hp. The motor was mated to the R/T’s 4.10 gear set with a high-stall converter. Additional performance comes from Mopar’s cold-air intake kit, headers, and cat-back dual exhaust.

Chrysler has announced that it will expand its Ram trim levels for 2012, offering two new ones on the 2500 3/4 ton Power Wagon, plus a limited run “Mossy Oak” Edition as part of the 1500 1/2 ton lineup aimed at the hunting and fishing set.

Given how hotly contested the full-size pickup truck market has become in recent years, those manufacturers participating are constantly looking for ways to one-up each other. Most recently, in the half-ton segment, Ram has attempted to do such a thing by going after the fleet crowd with its 2012 model year 1500 Tradesman Heavy Duty.

The Fiat and Chrysler product osmosis continues. Chrysler first revealed its plan for a Fiat collaborated small commercial van for the North American market back in November 2009. Finally, here it is. Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi, Fiat’s Turkish joint venture, announced that it will supply Ram with 190,000 units of the Fiat Doblo small panel van over the course of seven years.

The five-speed transmission, “545RFE,” features an interesting split dual cog 2nd gear. Engagement on one cog or the other depend on whether the transmission is performing an upshift or a downshift. The 1.67 and 1.50 ratio cog are used for the upshift and downshift respectively. An electric range select is also featured in the 545RFE, allowing driver to manually limit the highest available gear, a handy device during hilly terrain or tow situations.

Chrysler has announced that it is recalling some 280,000 Ram pickups in the US, Canada and Mexico along with several other parts of the world.

For its Ram division, since the loss of the Sprinter, Chrysler has been looking at a large van to fill the void. With no indigenous offerings at home, the logical step would be to tap Fiat’s resources in Europe and bring over variants of commercial vans already on sale across the pond.

It was perhaps inevitable. With the Ram 1500 introducing the lockable Ram Box feature as an option for its 2009 update, it was probably only a matter of time before the feature became available on the division’s larger trucks.

For 2012 the Ram 1500 pick-up will get an all-new base V6 engine, replacing the current unit with more power and improved fuel economy. According to a tweet by Ward’s Auto, Chrysler powertrain boss Paolo Ferrero has confirmed the Ram will get the new corporate Pentastar V6 next year.

According to a published report; Chrysler’s Ram division is planning to build a light-duty pickup using its minivan architecture around 2013-2014.

The Ford F-Series pickup isn’t just the best selling truck in America, but the best selling vehicle and it has been that way for almost as long as anyone can remember. That, however, may change, especially if gas prices continue to stay high and jobless rates don’t decline.

The Ram Long Hauler concept is getting a fair amount of attention for its ability to travel 1,600 miles on a single tank of fuel, but you won’t have to wait for its Kentucky Derby debut on May 6th to see the rest of the truck.

It’s just a concept right now, but Ram‘s Heavy-Duty based Long Hauler, is already making waves. Based on a Class 5 Heavy Duty Chassis Cab, it features an 8-foot long dually pickup box and extra fuel provisions – a 60 gallon resevoir mounted between the cab and the bed, plus a further bed mounted fuel tank that holds 50 gallons.

Bringing commercial vans from Europe to North America seems to be a growing trend among Detroit Automakers. It first began with the Dodge Sprinter (a Mercedes in all but name), then Ford followed with the tiny Transit Connect.

After a wildly enthusiastic reception to the Ram Runner, the dune-bashing variant of the Ram pickup, Chrysler engineers have decided to go back to the drawing board and make the upgrade kit street legal, giving Ram loyalists a weapon against the Ford F-150 Raptor.

There are few places in the world where you can get a 5.7-liter V8 for the price of a well-equipped Civic Hybrid. But Chrysler has appealed to cheap truck fans with the Ram Adventurer, a base-model Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 for the low, low price of $23,830.

Fred Diaz, current President and CEO of Chrysler’s Ram truck division has gone on the record as saying that beyond government funded programs, Hybrids are not part of the brand’s strategy moving forward.

Debuting alongside the updated Heavy Duty models, Chrysler’s new Ram truck brand unveiled the Ram Tradesman today at the Chicago Auto Show as a budget oriented model for fleet customers, small contractors and for use on construction sites.

Chrysler’s new Ram brand is looking to get on top in the truck segment, announcing today at the Chicago Auto Show a new high-output Cummins diesel engine that will deliver best-in-class torque. The new 6.7-liter diesel engine will also deliver several other class-topping statistics, which Ram will exploit under a new ‘strength in numbers’ marketing campaign.

Those with an interest in muscle cars will no doubt be aware of the Hurst Corporation’s famous shifters; some might even recall classic drag machines like the famous Hemi under Glass Baracuda.

The Chrysler Group of brands is set to unveil several new models at the Chicago Auto Show later this week, with rumors pointing towards a new commercial vehicle for the Ram truck brand. According to Automotive News, the vehicle will be, “a truck aimed at carpenters, plumbers and other tradesmen.”

At the recent North American International Auto Show, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, during a round table discussion, said that the tools to bring a light duty Ram diesel pickup to market are there, it’s just a question if there’s enough demand for it.