(Ram)
Ram is staking its claim to the title of undisputed pickup champion of the world.
Its 2016 Heavy Duty lineup will be available with an updated Cummins diesel engine that cranks out a record-setting, sequoia-size stump-pulling 900 lb-ft of torque. The 6.7-liter inline-six achieves that number with increased turbo boost and fuel delivery compared to the current version, and delivers it to the wheels through a strengthened rear axle.
The result is a Class 3 Ram 3500 that can tow a maximum of 31,210 pounds, which the company says is over two tons more than the competition, and is about the weight of two African elephants. But while the competition it’s referring to is the Ford F-350 that is currently rated at 26,500 pounds, the Ram’s figure is also 10 pounds more than the F-450 that Ram argues is really a Class 4 truck, even though Ford lists it with a GVWR of 14,000 pounds, exactly one pound under the limit.
Regardless, Ram is the towing king for now, and if you opt for the 6.4-liter gas V8 it boasts the top payload rating of 7,390 pounds, too. But that could change next year when Ford rolls out an all-new Super Duty lineup with a weight-saving aluminum body that should increase capability across the board, as it did with the F-150, and who knows what kind of monster under the hood.
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