Motor Trend has selected the Ram 1500 as its 2014 Truck of the Year®.
The announcement was made at the Chrysler Group LLC Warren Truck
Assembly Plant in Michigan, the birthplace of Ram Trucks. A full report
on
Motor Trend’s comprehensive Truck of the Year testing will be featured on
MotorTrend.com and in the February 2014 issue of
Motor Trend.
Nine Truck of the Year contenders were put through an extensive battery
of testing designed to evaluate virtually every aspect of each vehicle.
In addition to the 2014 Ram 1500, the judges examined other all-new or
significantly updated trucks the industry produced this year: the
Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ram Heavy Duty, and Toyota Tundra
pickups; and the Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Nissan
NV200, and Ram ProMaster vans.
To determine which truck deserved top honors, the
Motor Trend judges
took the nine contenders to the Continental Tire Automotive Proving
Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. There, the judges tested each truck’s
performance with the following exercises:
1. Standard testing (without load): 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile acceleration, 60-0 mph braking, and maximum lateral grip.
2. Limit handling (without load): closed-course cornering, braking and acceleration.
3. Tow/payload testing: 0-60 acceleration repeated with trailers
attached (pickups) or payload secured (vans), loaded to 75 percent of
each truck’s maximum rating (as equipped)
4. Road looping: Highway and real-world replication.
At Continental’s 5,000-acre proving grounds, the team utilized the
facility’s 8.5-mile high-speed oval, 15-acre dynamics pad, 1.1-mile
dry-handling road course, and multi-surfaced ride road to evaluate each
truck’s capabilities and expose strengths and weaknesses. Following the
team’s intensive, weeklong evaluation in Uvalde, the trucks were shipped
to
Motor Trend headquarters in El Segundo, California, to
undergo proprietary “Intellichoice Real MPG” fuel-economy testing. Using
advanced technology including a weather station, GPS data-logger, and
flow-rate and gas analyzers, Real MPG measures exhaust samples every
second during an 88-mile drive to record accurate real-world fuel
economy.
Once testing was completed, the judges convened to determine which truck
would be crowned Truck of the Year. The winner is not chosen from a
direct comparison against the other contenders, but rather as a result
of how each contender measured up against the award’s six criteria:
Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value
and Performance of Intended Function.
With the votes cast, the Ram 1500 clearly emerged as
Motor Trend’s 2014
Truck of the Year. The judges were particularly impressed with the
performance of the Ram 1500’s all-new EcoDiesel V-6 engine as well as
its eight-speed TorqueFlite transmission, a combination that boasts a
towing capacity of up to 9,200 pounds. Further,
Motor Trend’s Real
MPG testing supported what the team learned in Uvalde: None of the
gas-powered half-ton trucks in this year’s competition – be they V-6 or
V-8, 4x2 or 4x4 – could match the EcoDiesel’s mileage. After delivering
observed fuel economy of 15 mpg under extreme testing at Continental’s
proving grounds, the EcoDiesel continued to impress during the Real MPG
test loop, returning the following frugal stats: 19/26/21 mpg
city/highway/combined for the Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 with a 3.92
rear axle and an even more notable 18/28/22 for the Lone Star Crew Cab
4x2 with a 3.55 rear axle.
The Ram’s optional air suspension system also scored high marks in
Engineering Excellence, as it delivered a compliant ride and commendable
handling no matter the terrain. In terms of design, the Ram 1500
impressed with its style, packaging, and interior ergonomics; notably,
the Laramie Longhorn’s luxury aesthetics and real wood trim. The breadth
of the lineup was another compelling factor. Whether outfitted as a
basic workhorse or optioned up to a near-luxury hauler, the Ram 1500
provides all of the capability needed in a truck.
“For 2014 we had a large and highly competitive field of contenders for
Motor Trend's Truck of the Year," said Edward Loh, Editor-in-Chief of
Motor Trend.
"At the end of the day, though, the Ram 1500 quickly rose to the top.
Not only did it withstand our rigorous testing, it thoroughly impressed
our judges with its vast array of standard and optional equipment, and,
most notable, its fuel-efficient, segment-exclusive EcoDiesel V-6. With
420 lb-ft of torque and up to 28 ‘Real MPG’ highway, the EcoDiesel is a
true game-changer. In fact it helped make Ram 1500 the
Motor Trend 2014 Truck of the Year – and the only consecutive winner in the history of the award.”
"Half-ton truck customers have been asking for a diesel engine and Ram
is the only truck manufacturer to answer the bell and deliver not only
best-in-class fuel economy but also 9,200 pounds of towing capability,"
said Reid Bigland, President and CEO Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group
LLC. "In a brutally competitive truck industry, the Ram 1500 is the only
vehicle to ever win the
Motor Trend Truck of the Year award two years in a row, reaffirming the fact that we have the best truck on the road."
Truck of the Year® is one of several coveted honors
Motor Trend bestows
on automakers, including Best Driver’s Car®, Sport/Utility of the
Year®, and Car of the Year®. For more information on our 2014 Truck of
the Year, visit
motortrend.com, pick up the February 2014 issue of
Motor Trend,
or search the hashtags #MTTOTY on Twitter (@motortrend), Instagram
(@motortrend), Facebook.com/motortrendmag and Google+
(plus.google.com/+motortrend).
About Motor Trend Magazine
Motor Trend, a publication of Source Interlink Media, LLC, was
founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total
readership of 7 million. Internationally recognized as one of the
leading brands in automotive publishing, MOTOR TREND comprises
Motor Trend Magazine; the award-winning website motortrend.com; the
Motor Trend YouTube Channel;
Motor Trend Radio; Truck Trend;
Motor Trend International Auto Shows;
Motor Trend en Español; and the renowned
Motor Trend Car,
Truck, and SUV of the Year Awards program. The MotorTrend.com website
attracts more than 5.5 million unique visitors per month and its YouTube
channel averages more than 1 million views a week.
Motor Trend's social media presence spans 3.3 million followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Plus.
About 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 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. 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.
About Source Interlink Media
Source Interlink Media, LLC is the premier source of special interest
media in the United States. With more than 75 publications, 100
websites, 800 branded products, 50+ events, and TV and radio programs,
SIM is the largest provider of content to enthusiast communities
interested in automotive, action sports, home theater, and other niche
activities. The division's strategy is to wholly focus on targeted
audiences by leveraging and expanding upon its core market-leading
brands through a multiplatform media approach.
