For years, full-size pickup truck shoppers scrutinized
Ford,
Chevrolet and occasionally
GMC and then said: "Oh yeah-does not
Dodge make one too?"
That is changed-drastically. With its first truly complete pickup truck redesign in 22 years, Dodge has served notice to customers that its new offering is worthy of switching brands. It is obvious that Dodge was determined to stand out from its full-size Ford, Chevrolet and GMC competitors. It worked. You've seen the all new Dodge Ram's styling before, but never on a pickup.
The low-profile, stepped-down front fenders and close-to-the-road headlamp, treatment make the all new Dodge resemble a big ol' Kenworth or Peterbilt scaled down to the full-size pickup truck format. Precious it ain't. Different it is.
There's also an array of muscle choices under the hood that Ford, Chevrolet and GMC currently can not match. The 5.9-liter 230 horsepower Magnum V8 that propelled our test vehicle had power and torque to spare. Chrysler's tried-and-true 5.2-liter 220-hp V8 won't disappoint either. While There is a difference of only 10 hp, the bigger engine has an impressive increase of 100 pound-feet of torque. Up the line, There is an optional stump-pulling Cummins Diesel six rated at 175 hp and a whopping 420 lb.-ft. of torque and-watch out-a 300-hp V10 based on the Dodge Viper engine, scheduled for availability in 1995. To say this is Dodge's way of making a forceful entry into the full-size pickup truck fray is a gross understatement.
The big-rig fender and headlamp treatments on our 1994
Dodge Ram 2500 are only part of the all new face that
Dodge has put on for the pickup truck market. The hood angles in gracefully to a distinctive grille set off by touches of honeycomb brass. The massive center-mount chrome front bumper is topped by a black vinyl step pad that integrates with a full width air dam underneath the bumper. Unusual contouring, big chrome side-view mirrors, flush-mounted, vinyl-covered door handles and a surprisingly good fit and finish present themselves in profile. Out back, a chrome step bumper is also protected with black vinyl step pads and has no less than three ball hitch holes in different sizes, each rubber-plugged when not in use.
The rear drop gate is supported by two steel cables and features a quick-release provision for easy removal.
The big, 8-foot cargo box offers two tie-down brackets on each wall and a two-tier loading design. It can be illuminated by twin halogen lamps mounted alongside the third taillight atop the rear cab wall. Taillight lenses are flush-mounted and impact-resistant, and they meld with amber wraparound side markers. We just wish Dodge had wrapped them a little farther around the side for even better visibility.
