Ram's Commercial Truck lineup. Its new van offerings are covered in the back row.

Ram's Commercial Truck lineup. Its new van offerings are covered in the back row.

AUBURN HILLS, MI – Chrysler’s Ram Truck brand is launching a new division called Ram Commercial Truck, which the automaker said will focus on commercial truck development, sales, and support. Chrysler stated its new Ram Commercial organization will offer a full line of trucks and vans, and integrates a network of Ram BusinessLink dealers that focus on commercial customers’ needs.

The company said the new division’s launch aligns with the launch of the all-new Ram ProMaster large van. Chrysler said the Ram Commercial division will target businesses in a range of industries, including service and repairs, construction, transportation/shipping, large-medium-small businesses, and agriculture.

The company said it designates a vehicle as “commercial” based on whether it meets one of the following criteria: titled in a company or corporation; used for business but titled in an individual's name (sole proprietor); the vehicle exceeds 26,000 lbs. GVWR; the vehicle is used to haul any hazardous material.

The Ram Commercial Truck division will offer the following vehicles: the Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups; the Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs; the Ram C/V (cargo van) and Ram ProMaster vans.

For the all-new ProMaster, Ram Commercial said it’s working with the Fiat Professional division. The Fiat Ducato, which the ProMaster is based on, is in its third generation and Fiat has sold more than four million of this model globally.

For the 2013 model-year, the Ram 1500 features a new V-6, an eight-speed transmission, and gets 25 mpg. The Ram 1500 Tradesman model offers a standard V-8 that gets 20 mpg. The Tradesman model also includes a spray-in bedliner, a class 4 trailer hitch, 4 and 7 pin trailer connectors, and the RamBox storage system.

The Ram 2013 Heavy Duty comes in a Power Wagon model, a 17,000 lb. Class 5 hitch, a 4 & 7 pin trailer connector, cruise control, and available RamBox cargo management system. Ram Commercial also offers a factory-engineered and built CNG-fueled version of the truck. All Ram Heavy Duty trucks offer the Cummins 6.7L diesel. The Ram 3500 also offers 850 lb.-ft. of torque and a 15,000 mile oil change interval. A heavy-duty Aisin six-speed transmission is available for the Ram Heavy Duty as well.

The Ram Chassis Cab 3500, 4500, and 5500 models offer a Tradesman trim level, and feature a 5-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and a 15,000-mile oil change interval on the Cummins diesel models.

Chrysler said its Ram truck models are also upfitter-friendly and help reduce specialty-truck-related costs, such as those for cranes, roll-back, or dump bed upfits.

Beyond its new products, Chrysler provided a brief, approximate overview of its commercial business in a range of industries:

Service and repairs – 24 percent
Construction – 19 percent
Transportation/Shipping – 17 percent
Large-Medium Businesses – 8 percent
Small Businesses – 8 percent
Schools-Organizations-Non-profits – 7 percent
Machinery/Electronic Products – 6 percent
Forestry/Mining/Oil/Gas – 3 percent
Farming/Agriculture – 2 percent
Wood/Metal/Stone Products – 2 percent
Food and beverage – 1 percent
Other – 3 percent

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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