NAIAS Preview: Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab

NAIAS will bring for the first time Ram’s new line of commercial-grade work trucks, the 2011 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs, to the public. The vehicles are built on a new chassis and “engineered for maximum uptime, optimum performance and enhanced commercial capability,” says Ram. And just to get an idea of how big these trucks really are, take into consideration that they offer a huge standard fuel tank (52 gallons), extremely large front-brake rotors (390 mm) and calipers (66 mm) on the 4500 and 5500.

“Ram Trucks continue to break the rules with big-rig styling, improved quality, durability and capability,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer—Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC.

“Starting with the most award-winning light-duty pickup – our Ram 1500, our all-new ultimate towing machine and Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, the 2010 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty, our best-in-class towing Dakota and the all-new 2011 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs, our trucks are the best on the planet,” he added.

Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,200 to 19,500 pounds and their target include small-business tradesmen, fleet customers and traditional chassis cab users.

Because some of the owners sometimes use their car as a mobile office, Ram’s “center console features an upper bin that is large enough to hold a laptop computer (with an accessible power outlet) and a lower bin that accommodates hanging files.”

In standard, the Heavy Duty gets the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engine, which produces 383 hp at 5,600 rpm and 542 Nm at 4,000 rpm. You can also opt for the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, which produces 350 hp at 3,000 rpm and 881 Nm at only 1,500 rpm.