Ram Heavy Duty Earns IntelliChoice and AutoPacific Motorist Choice Award Two Years in a Row

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IntelliChoice and AutoPacific announced their 6th annual Motorist Choice Awards, naming the 2011 Ram Heavy Duty in the Popular Active Lifestyle Category.

"Twice in a row is quite an honor for Ram," said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. "We're proud to say that Ram Heavy Duty pickups continue to earn the industry's top awards, propelled in large part by the quality and refinements learned from the Ram 1500. Ram Trucks benefit from innovative features and reliability that are benchmarks for their segments."

IntelliChoice and AutoPacific's Motorist Choice Awards are an industry benchmark for measuring the compelling combination of high consumer satisfaction and lower than expected ownership costs over time. Each year, AutoPacific performs the broadest and most widely followed owner satisfaction survey in the U.S. with a record of over 72,000 responses in 2011. This study solicits consumer feedback on a recently purchased 2011 vehicle using 48 key attributes covering the entire ownership experience.

Ram Heavy Duty

The 2011 Ram Heavy Duty brings increased capability and innovative new features to the heavy-duty segment with an uncompromising attitude that remains the standard for all full-size heavy-duty pickups.

Ram Heavy Duty is available in eight distinct trim levels – ST, SLT, Outdoorsman, Lone Star, Big Horn, Power Wagon, Laramie and Laramie Longhorn. Additionally, three cab styles (regular cab, crew cab and Mega Cab) and two cargo-box sizes (6 feet 4 inches and 8 feet), single-and dual-rear-wheel configurations.

Ram Heavy Duty also delivers the performance and amenities customers demand. The 2011 Ram Heavy Duty pickups feature a hydro-formed, fully boxed frame with advanced torsional rigidity and stiffness. A coil-spring suspension setup is used up front, while the multi-leaf spring design is maintained in the rear for heavy-duty capability. Front and rear shocks and springs are tuned for optimum ride quality and capability.

Suspension tuning and C-pillar hydro mounts improve damping through the frame-bending mode frequency in order to better manage shake and after-shake response. The result is reduced shake, which means an improved ride for the customer.

Powertrain choices include the legendary 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, which produces 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and up to 800 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1,600 rpm.

The most durable and reliable engine in its class, the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel features a best-in-class powertrain warranty at 5 years/100,000 miles. It also has major-overhaul intervals of 350,000 miles, providing more than a 100,000-mile advantage versus the competition.

The Cummins 6.7-liter Turbo Diesel engine uses a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an adsorber catalyst to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90 percent, in order to meet stringent diesel emissions requirements.

Ram Heavy Duty is the only 3/4 and one-ton pickup truck to offer a lower cost, lower maintenance alternative to Diesel Emission Fluid (DEF) injection systems to be used by competitors. It's also the only truck in the segment to offer a manual transmission.

The 2011 Ram Heavy Duty comes standard with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engine, delivering 383 horsepower (286 kW) at 5,600 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque (542 Nm) at 4,000 rpm. The 5.7-liter HEMI was redesigned for 2009, with several new and improved technologies including Variable-valve Timing (VVT), increased compression ratio, active intake manifold with long runners for low-end torque and short runners for high-rpm power, improved cylinder head port flow efficiency and reduced-restriction exhaust and induction systems.

The 2011 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups offer a standard exhaust brake (diesel-equipped models only). This feature reduces brake fade, prolongs brake life and provides confidence and safety when hauling heavy loads on downhill grades. Large front (360 mm) and rear (358 mm) brakes with integrated Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) increase brake life and braking stability.

Customers in the heavy-duty segment have a range of needs, and most of them involve high levels of capability. The 2011 Ram 2500 and 3500 are designed to deliver a total package: 

• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on 2500 4x4 crew cab diesel models of 9,600 pounds
• Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) on 3500 dually models with diesel, auto transmission and 4.10 rear axle of 24,500 pounds. With the Max Tow Package, GCWR is 25,400 pounds
• GCWR on 3500 4x2 models of 24,000 pounds
• Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR):
• 5,500 pounds on diesel 4x4 pickups
• 5,000 pounds on diesel 4x2 pickups

Other towing features include improved trailer-tow mirrors with integrated turn signals, memory function and puddle lamps. The larger 7-in. x 11-in. trailer-tow mirrors offer improved visibility with larger convex glass surfaces. The mirrors flip up and out in a vertical configuration for improved visibility around wide trailers. Trailer-tow mirrors are standard on 3500. As an added convenience, a Class IV receiver is standard on all Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups.

The Ram Power Wagon also returns for the 2011 model year, equipped with electric-locking front and rear differentials, electronic disconnecting sway bar, Bilstein shocks, 32-inch BFGoodrich off-road tires, underbody skid plate protection, 4.56 axle ratio for hill climbing and a custom-built Warn® 12,000-pound winch that is accessible through the front bumper. The Ram Power Wagon also features new exterior graphics and a lower two-tone paint scheme.

About the Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.

The 2011 Ram 1500 was named a Consumers Digest Best Buy and AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star. Ram 1500's smooth-riding suspension and 20 mpg, 390 horsepower HEMI® V-8 are just two of the reasons it beat the competition. Ram 1500 also was named the Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association in 2011.

The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Ram trucks now boast these segment exclusives: 

• Coil-spring rear suspension on Ram 1500 for best-in-class ride and handling 
• Available RamBox lockable and lighted bedside storage 
• In-floor storage on all Ram Crew Cabs 
• The largest cab in the market – Ram HD Mega Cab 
• Standard six-speed manual transmission on all diesel models

Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

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About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT, Fiat and Mopar vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger and Ram 1500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC