Stellantis’s Ram Truck brand announced the second phase of its “Built to Serve” truck portfolio Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show.
The new Ram 1500 pickup trucks are designed to honor the three groups of first responders who serve their communities: firefighters, police officers and emergency medical service providers.
Ram’s first wave of “Built to Serve” Ram 1500s honored the five branches of the U.S. military with five different versions of the trucks.
“After honoring each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces with our initial ‘Built to Serve’ models, we felt it would be equally important to also extend our gratitude to all first responders who serve or have served our communities,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram brand chief executive officer, Stellantis.
“Built to Serve” trucks special edition features
Firefighter-inspired Ram 1500 “Built to Serve” editions will be painted in Redline and Diamond Black, and feature a United States flag and “Built to Serve” decal on the rear quarter panels, as well as a blacked-out grille, and bumpers with black-bezel lighting and body-color wheel flares. Badges are black, as are the side steps and dual 4-inch exhaust tips.
Inside, Ram 1500 “Built to Serve” models are equally blacked out, with orange accent stitching, a “Built to Serve” badge on the instrument panel, and black onyx chrome interior trim. The cabin will also come with a lockable console storage bin, an option on Ram 1500s.
To keep first responders and their supporters comfortable, these limited editions come with bolstered performance cloth and vinyl sport seats embroidered with “Built to Serve” Velcro panels. Customers can apply their own patches — either to the front of the seat or to the front seat-back panels.
All Ram 1500 powertrains are offered
The Ram “Built to Serve Edition” package is offered on 2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn models in Regular, Crew and Quad cab body styles with a 6-foot, 4-inch bed, or a shorter 5-foot, 7-inch bed on Crew Cab models.
All powertrain choices are available with the package, starting with a 3.6-liter V-6 mild hybrid system rated at 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. According to the EPA, it returns 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway using regular unleaded fuel. Ram also offers a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 that generates 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, and is EPA-rated at 22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway.
If you must have a V-8, you’ll be thrilled to know that Ram offers two choices. There’s a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 that produces 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, and is EPA-rated at 15 mpg city, 22 mpg highway. However, to get the best power and fuel economy, Ram recommends using mid-grade, 89 octane gasoline, although 87 octane is acceptable.
Buyers can also choose the same 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 as a mild hybrid that produces the same 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, but delivers slightly better fuel economy of rated at 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway. As with the non-hybrid V-8, 89 octane fuel is recommended for optimal performance and fuel economy.
An 8-speed automatic is standard with all engines with wither rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.
But wait, there’s more
“Built to Serve” Ram 1500s come equipped with the 4×4 Off-Road Group, which adds the sort of equipment that makes driving through difficult terrain or weather far easier.
The trucks come shod with 20-inch all-terrain tires, as well as an electronic-locking rear axle, hill-descent control and heavy-duty shock absorbers calibrated for off-road work. There are also a number of underbody skid plates for the front suspension, steering gear, fuel tank and transfer case.
Production of the latest “Built to Serve” model begins this month at Ram’s Sterling Heights, Michigan assembly plant — which is coincidently on the same street as that city’s Fire Department Headquarters. Prices start at $48,420 including destination charge. Expect the them to reach showrooms in the spring.
