Spy Shots: 2009 Dodge Ram caught!
by John Neff on Aug 21st 2007 at 3:56PM 
With the arrival of Toyota's all-new Tundra on the scene, Dodge is at least entertaining the possibility that its solid third place in half-ton truck sales might be threatened for the first time... ever. Enter the 2009 Dodge Ram, caught here for the first time being tested. These mules are the real deal, reports Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com, not like the ones that have been caught in the past with the truck's new nose grafted onto the current truck's body. Of course, that nose is as obnoxiously large as ever, a Ram trademark since the truck's highly successful redesign back in 1994. We've also got new engine news to report. Seems the popular 5.7L HEMI may get variable valve timing and grow in displacement to achieve a simultaneous increase in both power and fuel efficiency. The 4.7L base V8 will also get a 30% increase in power and 10% increase in torque, again accompanied by an increase in fuel efficiency. Look for Chrysler's new Phoenix family of V6 engines to donate a motor for the Ram, as well, possibly with cylinder deactivation so save fuel. Finally, as we reported a while back, a new Cummins light-duty diesel V8 is still being developed for the new Ram, as well.
[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
David Zatz 4:06PM (8/21/2007)
And if you want information on the changes to the Hemi, we've had them for a while at Allpar, along with Phoenix details.
http://www.allpar.com/
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Barney 4:33PM (8/21/2007)
That's a very good link. The smaller diesel seems to me as the best of all news. It's hard to tell but it would appear that the "new" truck is getting crisper lines with less bulges. Perhaps Chrysler will have another hit on their hands. I am going to first admit that I may have been wrong about their future.
SM 5:04PM (8/21/2007)
Whoop-de-doo.
Another Ford knock-off.
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Barney 5:09PM (8/21/2007)
You must have had a closer look at it then others. Where do you see the resemblance and where are the better pictures?
SM 5:16PM (8/21/2007)
Well they went from round front quarter panels to a square design...where do you think they found that inspiration?
...Same place as the new Chevy did...Ford...
Go back through history and look at overall truck design...Ford comes out with a new body style and 1-2 years later Chevy and Dodge will lean their design towards Ford lines.
SM 5:17PM (8/21/2007)
But.
Better to lead than follow.
Jason 5:25PM (8/21/2007)
While I agree it's possible this new 09 redo may be more following than leading... look at the 1994 Ram. Definitely not following Ford's F-Series, and in fact it was the SuperDuty that would later copy Dodge's "big-rig" styled dropped fenders. There's even remnants of that big-rig look in the new Tundra.
SM 6:07PM (8/21/2007)
I definitely have agree that Toyota copied Dodge (No doubt about it).
But the Superduty line is not a simulated fender. Its a dropped line on the hood with the fender appearing on the side of the front quarter panel.
Besides that the line was on all Ford trucks for about 20 years before they had to start stamping thinner steel.
Jason 6:46PM (8/21/2007)
True, it may have just been a drop in the hood line, but it still mimicked the look of the dropped fender and raised grille styling of the Ram (vs the flat-across-the-top facias of the older Rams and Superduties). The Tundra is kinda half and half, with the hood extending out about halfway over the headlights, but the prominent tapered hood bulge extending directly from the A-pillars is definitely much more Ram-inspired than the previous SuperDuty's.
On another note, I'm glad to see Dodge quickly ditched the wannabe-Liberty/Durango/Dakota/Silverado dual afterburner tail lights.
Don 7:20PM (8/21/2007)
Let's hear it for our only BLIND reader!
Barney 10:25PM (8/21/2007)
"Go back through history and look at overall truck design.."
Actualy it was the Dodge pickup that caused GM & Ford to come up with a new design. Dodge didn't change their design in thirty years but when they did, the pickup design concept changed forever. Both Ford & GM felt no need to change designs either, previously. The Dodge was the "big truck look" and Ford jumped on the bandwagon. GM has stayed with a more conservative design. Even Toyota came up with a "Macho look" for their Tundra.
SPG 5:05PM (8/21/2007)
We can all be sadly sure that the interior won't be the reason anybody buys this thing but the engine choices sound great.
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Jason 5:10PM (8/21/2007)
My wife and I both liked the interior of the 2006 Ram better than the 2006 F250/F350 when we were truck shopping (the 08 Ford interior is a totally different story though). And despite having (IMHO) an inferior steering linkage design, the Ram handled better than the [2006] F250 we test-drove.
Jason 5:07PM (8/21/2007)
Proportionally it looks close in statue to the F150, which will probably be a good thing for the 1500, I'm just wondering how well that will translate for the 2500/3500/4500/5500 when they go up against the Superduty. IMHO Dodge needs to be benchmarking the new F250/F350 first and foremost (not the Tundra), then work down from there.
Looks like the QuadCab is still small as ever, so I'm glad to see they're also keeping the MegaCab around.
OMG! I just noticed... the grille is no longer attached to the hood... BOOOOOOOOOOO
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Kash 5:25PM (8/21/2007)
Who the heck cares? File this under Autoblog: Boring.
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Jeff 5:49PM (8/21/2007)
I know, right? Autoblog should get back to blathering on about outlandish supercars designed for people with an exceedingly low sense-to-IQ ratio. Those things go really really fast so they're not boring at all!
If you don't care about pickup trucks, fine, but don't complain when a site about AUTOMOBILES makes a post about an AUTOMOBILE.
Brad 6:26PM (8/21/2007)
I guess you're right Kash. Autoblog should run all potential stories past you first for you to approve what is worthy of being posted.
Kash 9:58PM (8/21/2007)
Hey not a bad idea. Maybe I should send Autoblog my resume ;)
Henry 2:40PM (8/28/2007)
well all of you here are it looks like this or like that.. or dodge follows.. whatever.. guys.. to start the engine improvements of mulit displacment and the cylinder deactivation.. coming to Ram is wrong.. it has been on the hemi since 2006.. for Ram.. so the important things are missed.. question is in stock Hemi is king to all other engines always has led the horsepower race and fact finally after over 4 years finally Chevy, Ford and Toyota and Nissan are either catching up or passing,, but 2009 Hemi will surpase them again and they all will be scrambling to beat Dodge.. 5.7 liter 405 hp ram 1500 2009 mover over Tundra.. the King is back.. also
each one has there only styling the only thing I hate from ram is the round ugly tail lights.. otherwise for a work truck it is excellent..
Ivey League Educated 5:45PM (8/21/2007)
Another gas guzzling dinosaur truck. I can hear the construction workers, landscapers and plumbers getting a woodie from here.
=)
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