Though an all-new 2019 Ram 1500 has already hit the market, the older “DS” platform truck isn’t going out without a fight. Ram just announced the new name of the 2019 version of the “outgoing” Ram: Ram 1500 Classic. And if you want a 2019 Ram with a regular cab, it’s your only option.
I myself am a huge fan of regular cab trucks, which means, if I wanted to buy a new Ram, I’d have to pick up the Ram 1500 Classic—basically, the old “DS” Ram with a new badge. Actually, this badge:
Ram says it will offer the “DS” Ram 1500 Classic as well as the all-new “DT” Ram 1500 concurrently in dealerships in the fourth quarter of this year.
The all-new DT comes in a number of different trims, starting with the roughly $32,000 Tradesman and topping out at over $54,000 with the Limited. But the Ram 1500 Classic will be aimed a bit downmarket, offering only the lower-end trim levels like Tradesman, Express, Big Horn/Lone Star and Special Service Vehicle. But the most important bit is that the Ram 1500 Classic can be had as a regular cab with either an eight foot or a six-foot-four-inch bed, which means it’s the cheapest Ram you can buy by a large margin. (There’s no pricing for 2019, but the 2018 model starts at around $27,000).
I asked Ram why it’s keeping the old Ram alive, and—in addition to saying the brand wants to serve an audience that includes fleet customers—the representative implied that there’s a benefit to continuing to build vehicles at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant while the all-new truck comes off the line in Sterling Heights.
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I also imagine the profit margins on the old truck are rather high, and perhaps keeping the old truck around might be a benefit in terms of meeting demand as the new DT ramps up production. In any case, the old Ram lives on, and, if you’re thirsting for a tiny, V8-powered, sub 30-grand truck—like we all should be—it’s really your only option from Fiat Chrysler.
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