Why is Ram Building Two Different Half-Ton Trucks?
The completely redesigned 2019 Ram 1500 pickup is loaded with ingenious features.
From its splayed frame rails for enhanced frontal crash protection to performance-enhancing mild-hybrid functionality, from an available infotainment system with a massive 12-inch screen to optional frame-mounted, NVH-quelling tuned-mass modules, it’s one of the most innovative trucks to launch in years.
But even as this groundbreaking model, internally referred to as the DT, populates dealership lots across the continent, FCA will continue to offer its predecessor, the DS, sold as the Ram 1500 Classic.
FCA factories in Warren, Michigan and Saltillo, Mexico are home to this previous-generation Ram, the former building quad- and crew-cab models, the latter regular-cab and heavy-duty versions. The brand-new 2019 pickup is built at their Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit, which continues to ramp up production, though as Connor Spence, Ram 1500 Classic marketing manager admitted, the company needs more of both pickup generations to keep pace with customer demand.
But building vehicles is no easy task; you can’t simply flip a switch and have more trucks to sell in an instant. To meet customer demand, the previous-generation model is sticking around to fill a market gap and bolster Ram’s portfolio.
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The DS is aimed primarily at fleet buyers and drivers interested in a more entry-level pickup. “Right not they’re still working out pricing [for the Classic model],” Spence said, so how strong a value it is remains to be seen, however, an entry-level version of the 2018 Ram 1500 starts around $27,000. Expect the Classic model to be in that neighborhood, a good bit less than the all-new truck, which kicks off at around $32,000.
Appealing to value-conscious customers, the DS will be offered in several trim levels including Tradesman, Express, Big Horn and Laramie. A regular-cab body is also on the menu, something the brand-new DT model does not offer at this time, an important reason why it’s several thousand dollars more expensive. FCA’s fuel efficient and torque-rich EcoDiesel V6 engine will once again be on the DS menu, offered in several high-end models and standard in Laramie variants.
The DT Ram’s arrival appears to be a win for the brand. Last month FCA’s truck division saw its year-over-year sales increase 6 percent to nearly 52,000 units, its best June in history. Retail sales of light-duty pickups increased 11 percent, undoubtedly aided by the brand-new rig. As for the projected sales mix of DS and DT models, Spence declined to comment. “Unfortunately, that information is proprietary,” he said.
What Spence did mention, however, is that the Ram Classic will not be hanging around forever. As demand starts to drop and, ostensibly, once they can build enough of the new DTs to meet customer demand, the DS will fade away.
Look for the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic at dealerships in the fourth-quarter of the year.
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