It was dead a few years ago, but now the midsize truck segment is quite lively indeed. The recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, and upcoming 2017 Honda Ridgeline are all competing for buyers carmakers didn’t seem to know existed even a short while ago.
Noticeably absent from the party is Ram, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand that sells nothing but trucks. Ram hasn’t offered a midsize truck since the Dakota was discontinued in 2011, but now the brand sees an “opportunity” in that field again, Mike Manley, boss of both Ram and Jeep, said in an interview with The Detroit News at the 2016 New York Auto Show.
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Manley wouldn’t confirm a smaller Ram pickup, but said the model could generate sales both here and abroad. In the U.S., it could get Ram a slice of the reanimated midsize truck market, and it could also help the brand fulfill orders from FCA management to concentrate on overseas expansion. Smaller trucks are more popular in markets that Ram is trying to expand in, such as South America.
Bob Hegbloom, former head of Ram and now boss of Ram International, is heading to Brazil to discuss cooperation with Fiat, which already sells small trucks there and in other markets. Manley said one possibility is that Ram will sell a truck based on a Fiat platform. Ram already sells Fiat-based ProMaster and ProMaster City vans in the U.S., so why not import a truck too?
One of the main obstacles to a new Ram midsize truck might actually be internal. Jeep is expected to launch a Wrangler-based pickup truck in the near future that would be close in size to a potential smaller Ram truck. Recently, FCA has tried to keep its many brands from overlapping too much, as there’s always the possibility that duplicate models will steal sales from each other.
On the other hand, FCA seems to have gone truck crazy with recent revisions to its current five-year plan. The company looks set to focus more on trucks and SUVs, and in that climate it’s possible a Ram midsize truck will indeed get the green light.
Halloween is almost upon us, and that means one thing for Fortnite fans: The return of Fortnitemares, the annual spooky October event. This year's event is called Midas' Revenge and revolves around a ghoulish theme of the undead. The event is available on all platforms and, as expected, there are a bunch of new challenges and rewards.
Trucks are big, powerful, and capable. But the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor are bigger, more powerful, and more capable. These aren't normal trucks. When Ram revealed the insane off-road-specced 1500 TRX, comparing it Ford's Raptor was an easy given. The F-150 Raptor has been the champion of full-size off-road trucks since its release for the 2010 model year. Ram wants that title and is using 702 horsepower to claim it. But power isn't everything for these types of trucks; they have to crawl through rocks, jump sand dunes, traverse mud pits, creep through high water, and plow through snowbanks. It takes a lot of engineering to make a 3-ton truck do that. Below, we compare both crazy trucks. Is the TRX the new champ? Decide for yourself.
Power, acceleration, and towing
Ford F-150 Raptor
Ford’s Raptor is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out an impressive 450 hp and 510 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic backs the engine. According to Car and Driver, the big truck will hit 60mph in 5.1 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 13.9 seconds at 99mph. If you have towing or hauling duties, the Raptor can tow up to 8,000 pounds and has a payload capacity of up to 1,200 pounds. However, all that can soon change if the rumors of the upcoming Raptor getting the Mustang Shelby GT500’s supercharged V8 are true.
Ram 1500 TRX
All cars can tow -- even the pocket-sized Smart ForTwo can pull a small trailer -- but some are happier doing it than others. If you're occasionally taking bags of leaves to the landfill, you can get away with putting a hitch on your daily driver. If you're regularly towing heavy loads, you'll need to put a truck in your driveway. From midsize to heavy-duty models, these are the best trucks for towing available new in 2020.
The best midsize truck for towing: 2020 Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet's smallest truck, the Colorado, proves you don't need to buy a mammoth pickup to benefit from a useful towing capacity. Although the entry-level, four-cylinder-powered model receives a 3,500-pound towing capacity, selecting the 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine and rear-wheel drive increases that figure to a class-leading 7,700 pounds. That's enough to pull a car and a trailer, a camper, a couple of ATVs, or a boat. Selecting four-wheel drive reduces that number slightly to 7,600 pounds, so the trade-off is worth it if you want to venture off the beaten path.
The best full-size truck for towing: 2020 Ford F-150
