The 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is ready to put some pressure on Ford and Chevrolet with new sheet metal and added capability, as well as lead the way as the first product under the new Ram brand banner. But the Ram team isn't content to compete on product alone, as Chrysler's horned division is also revealing some very competitive pricing today. The Dodge Ram's bread and butter work truck, the 2500 4X2 ST Regular Cab with the eight foot box, starts at $28,165 including $950 destination, which is $1,970 cheaper than the 2009 model. Dodge is also offering a Crew Cab configuration for the first time. Choose the 2500 crew cab SLT 4x4 and you pay $39,430 or $40 less than the 2009 Quad Cab.
If a three-quarter ton pickup isn't manly enough for you, the new 3500 can be had for a few more greenbacks. The 3500 4x2 Reg Cab ST with the eight-foot box retails for $35,630, but if you like to do your trucking in the lap of luxury you can also opt for the 3500 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie for (gulp) $51,095. The Ram brand has also seen fit to resurrect ye old Power Wagon moniker as an available trim level. Available only as a 2500 4x4 Crew Cab model with a 6-foot-4-inch box, the Power Wagon starts at $45,780 and features electric-locking front and rear differentials, an electronic disconnecting sway bar, Bilstein shocks, 32-inch BFGoodrich off-road tires, underbody skid plate protection, a 4.56 axle ratio for hill climbing and a custom-built Warn 12,000-pound winch. Aesthetically, the Power Wagon gets unique graphics and a lower two-tone paint scheme.
Those intrepid sleuths over at PickupTrucks.com have noticed an underhood sticker that may offer an early glimpse into the upcoming small-displacement diesel engine for the 2010 Dodge Ram. We've really got to hand it to Mike Levine and his crew for this one. You've really got to be dedicated to check every little sticker and plaque on a new car to notice that the automaker has inadvertently listed the displacement for a future engine on the air conditioner's R-134a sticker. Fortunately, their every nook-and-cranny nitpicking shows that the Dodge will likely offer a 5.0-liter turbodiesel V8 engine from its long-standing diesel engine partner, Cummins, in the 2010 Ram. This new powerplant will join the 4.4-liter diesel from Ford and the 4.5-liter oil-burner from General Motors in the light-duty diesel truck market. These new diesels will offer more power than their gasoline-fed siblings along with 25-percent better fuel economy. Truck-makers hope they'll spark a pickup revival of sorts, and we have high hopes for them as well. Let the battle begin!
