The gargantuan 2500 and 3500 HD pickups are the kings of the hill for the Ram brand

2024-04-26 10:22:52

The gargantuan 2500 and 3500 HD pickups are the kings of the hill for the Ram brand 

The gargantuan 2500 and 3500 HD pickups are the kings of the hill for the Ram brand when it comes to maximum towing capacity. When fitted with the high-output 400-hp Cummins diesel inline-six, the Ram 3500 can pull as much as 37,090 pounds, thanks to its powertrain's stunning 1075 pound-feet of available torque. When equipped with the standard 410-hp Hemi V-8 engine, the Ram HD still puts up big enough numbers to challenge rivals such as the Chevrolet Silverado HD and the Ford Super Duty trucks. While the heavy-duty Ram is abundantly beefy, life is a little less meat and potatoes from the driver's seat. Like the full-size Ram 1500 half-ton pickup, the 2500 and 3500 models offer a refined interior with comfort in mind. The off-road-minded Power Wagon and Rebel models are where work and adventure meet, as both offer skid plates, all-terrain suspensions, and mud-slinging off-road tires.

The recent history of the European pick-up truck market is an uncharacteristically epic tale of boom and bust, of unexpected twists and turns, new arrivals and sudden exits. It’s a lot more interesting than you might think.

Not so long ago, these vehicles were such big business that almost every major volume car maker was planning a ‘light flatbed’. Many wondered if Europe might, like North America, finally and fully embrace the lifestyle pick-up. And now, after brands like Renault, Fiat and even Mercedes-Benz tried - and failed - to establish a presence in the segment, which has been through both rapid expansions and contractions, only the doughtiest operators are left.

Now, while the benefit-in-kind tax advantages of running a pick-up truck as a company car relative to a fairly large passenger car remain clear, there are even bigger savings to be made - and greater hay for light commercial manufacturers - with all-electric pick-ups. The fully electrified buying options remain few, but we expect them to expand quickly once an appetite is established for flatbed regulars to ditch diesel for alternating current.