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23 Jan 2019

Middle East - 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel Wins Off-road Title: Named as Four Wheeler Magazine’s Pickup Truck of the Year

Four Wheeler Magazine, a popular off-road enthusiast publication in the US, has named the new 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel its Pickup Truck of the Year. For more than 30 years, the Four Wheeler staff has chosen a pickup truck to hold the off-road-focused annual title.

Middle East - 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel Wins Off-road Title: Named as Four Wheeler Magazine’s Pickup Truck of the Year

Four Wheeler Magazine, a popular off-road enthusiast publication in the US, has named the new 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel its Pickup Truck of the Year. For more than 30 years, the Four Wheeler staff has chosen a pickup truck to hold the off-road-focused annual title.

 

“The entire 2019 Ram line-up is impressive, but what the company was able to do when confronted with the task of developing a competitive off-road package leaves little to be desired,” said Sean Holman, Group Content Director for Four Wheeler. “Starting with a stiff chassis, skid plates, electrically-activated rear locker, 33-inch Goodyear Duratrac tyres, tow hooks and a stellar implementation of Bilstein shocks means that the Rebel is a willing and ready trail companion right out of the box. Add to that the Ram’s benchmark interior, supple ride and incredible technology and the Rebel is an everyday driver that isn’t afraid to go adventuring on the weekends.”

 

The competition took place over five days and 1,000 miles (1,609 kms), giving the panel of seven judges the ideal opportunity to experience every plausible condition from city gridlock to technical trails. Judges tested each vehicle’s performance, comfort and design.

 

After an initial phase of ramp travel index (RTI) testing in the Los Angeles area to gauge each vehicle’s suspension articulation, the trucks were driven to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, for track testing. Sophisticated electronic equipment was used to record each vehicle’s 0-60 mph (0-97 kmh) and quarter-mile (0.4 km) acceleration times, as well as 60-0 mph (97-0 kmh) braking distance. 

 

The vehicles were then driven to the Southern California desert on paved roads, with experienced judges rotating between vehicles on a regular basis to ensure equal testing time. The judging panel included staff from various brands within the Motortrend Group, including Four Wheeler, 4-Wheel & Off-Road, and JP Magazine. The long drive to the desert allowed the judges to gather important information on each vehicle’s on-road manners in both stop-and-go and open-highway driving, providing fuel efficiency data for this type of driving.

 

The next three days were spent primarily off-road, and each of the vehicles was driven by each judge in a variety of off-road conditions, including sand, rocky trails, loose-surface trails and snow. The test also included a loose-dirt hill climb and water crossings. This provided a wealth of information, including each vehicle’s off-road visibility from the driver seat, four-wheel-drive system selection and performance, tyre performance and durability, engine power and cooling, transmission function and cooling, suspension tuning and performance, traction control system function, and much more. Night driving was also integrated to measure the efficiency of each vehicle’s lighting equipment. 

 

The final day of testing included a long highway test section returning to the Los Angeles area, during which additional important highway data was gathered, including fuel economy, interior comfort and on-road handling. 

 

“The Ram Rebel is the rugged extreme of the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 line-up, and this award from Four Wheeler magazine recognises the Rebel’s combination of capability, design and durability,” said Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand, FCA. “We worked hard to deliver something unique with the Rebel, and it’s a proud feeling when a leading off-road enthusiast publication stands behind it as their Pickup Truck of the Year.”

 

Based on the all-new 2019 Ram 1500, the Ram Rebel brings off-road capability to the full-size truck segment with unique design cues and off-road components backed by Ram Truck engineering. The Rebel comes standard with a factory lift or optional air-suspension for added ground clearance. The 33-inch tyres, electronic-locking rear axle, Bilstein shocks, skid plates, tow hooks and other off-road-ready features also appeal to the truck owner looking for an adventure.

 

The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 is a no-compromise truck, leading in luxury, efficiency, capability and innovation. Overall weight for the Ram 1500 has been reduced by 225 pounds (102 kgs). The frame uses advanced materials and engineering to eliminate 100 pounds (45.4 kgs) while increasing stiffness and durability for 12,750 pounds (5,783 kgs) of towing capability and 2,300 pounds (1,043 kgs) of payload. The new Uconnect® 4C with a massive 12-inch (305 mm) touchscreen leads the pickup world with technology, featuring split-screen capability and 360-degree camera views. Active safety and security systems join the technology onslaught with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring.

 

About Ram Truck Brand: The Ram brand has achieved significant success since becoming a stand-alone brand in 2009, winning numerous prestigious awards along the way. The brand, which only makes trucks, has rapidly built a strong reputation as a truck specialist. Creating a distinct identity for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and the features they find valuable. In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability.

 

Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities. Ram continues to beat the competition in the most sought-after titles: over the last 30 years, Ram has the highest percentage of pickups still on the road in the US, highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup in the US, best ride and handling with exclusive link coil rear and auto-level air suspensions. 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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