SPY PICS: RAM 1500 moves to a four-pot
Traditional American pick-up will offer an untraditional engine… but will it come to Oz?Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand RAM is working on a new 1500 Series pick-up.
And that new model is reportedly coming to Australia in factory right-hook form. No conversion from left-hand drive, in other words, it will come from the factory with the steering wheel on the correct side of the vehicle for the local market.
But now comes news that this vehicle will reach global markets with a direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Grainy spy pics hint that the engine lurking under the open bonnet is the new Hurricane unit that's set to power various FCA products including the 2018 Jeep Wrangler.
If the engine should find its way into one Jeep, it may also wind up in another – the Grand Wagoneer, which, it's understood, will share its full-chassis architecture with the RAM 1500.
The decision to develop a four-cylinder variant of the RAM is predicated on matching Ford's F-150 with its EcoBoost offering, and matching stringent new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) legislation. What that means for Australia is unclear. Aussie customers drawn to a vehicle as large as the RAM may not want a turbocharged four-cylinder.
Currently, the RAM 1500 is available with a choice of 3.6-litre V6 or 5.7-litre V8. There's a possibility that the four-cylinder engine will be an integral part of a mild-hybrid variant with a 48-volt electrical system.
A global debut for the RAM 1500 is anticipated for next year's Detroit motor show.
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