Test drive Dodge Ram 1500 EcoDiesel: Horns forward
First kilometers behind the wheel of a full-size American pickup
Even the size of this car (or is it more correct to call it a truck and not the smallest one?) is enough to turn it into an interesting sight on European roads. Pickup trucks of this class are extremely popular in the USA, but although they are quite decent sizes there, on the relatively narrow roads of the Old Continent and especially in urban conditions, here it looks like a four-wheeled analogue of Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians. However, the effect wouldn't be as striking if the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Dodge didn't have a distinctive design - with its monstrous traditional-style grille and copious chrome trim, this car looks like a powerhouse among other cars on the road. In general, it seems that with so much metal used for decorative lettering, grille and bumpers, a Chinese manufacturer could produce an entire car. And that won't be far from the truth.
Such cars in the United States are most often equipped with low-speed V8 engines ordered in Heavy-Duty versions, or, in short, demonstrate the essence of American automotive culture in a particularly authentic way. In Europe, however, this model is also offered in a politically correct embodiment, so to speak, which in fact turns out to be surprisingly reasonable for the concepts presented here. Under the hood of the Dodge Ram, in addition to the gluttonous "sixes" and "eights", a 3,0-liter turbodiesel, familiar to us from the last generation, can work. Jeep Grand Cherokee. The V-XNUMX engine, designed and manufactured by VM Motori, handles the vehicle's enormous mass with impressive efficiency.
Impressive three-liter diesel
A ram with a diesel engine? To die-hard fans of this type of car, this probably sounds more like a compromise and dilution of the car's classic character than a pathetic decision. But the truth is that the 2,8-ton pickup truck looks pretty decently motorized. The V6 pairs very well with the eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission supplied by ZF - thanks to the short first gear, starts are quite nimble, and the maximum torque of 569 Nm allows the automatic transmission to maintain low revs most of the time without it can adversely affect traction when accelerating.
It sounds incredible, but with this engine, the Dodge Ram consumes an average of no more than 11 l / 100 km in a combined driving cycle - as if contrary to the fact that, when looking at its impressive posture, a person initially imagines costs of at least twenty percent - and this with favorable circumstances, headwind, movement mainly downhill and careful handling of the right foot.
Contrary to prejudice
Another pleasant surprise is the behavior of a huge pickup truck on the road. Suspension independent front and rigid axle rear, pneumatic version also available on request. However, even without ordering this option, the Dodge Ram rides really comfortably (the truth is that most of the bumps in the road are absorbed by the monstrous tires and don't open up the chassis at all...) and, what's actually much more interesting, offers pretty decent conductivity. The steering is precise and even, the body lean is many times lighter than most Europeans would expect from a Ram pickup, and the turning circle is actually almost sensationally tight for a car that's 5,82 long and 2,47 wide. , XNUMX meters (including mirrors).
Combined with a well-tuned parking assistant and a surveillance camera system around the car, the maneuvering is a far cry from the elephant in the glass shop that inevitably comes to mind when most Europeans encounter a six-meter pickup truck. Or it happens when you maneuver in a place where you can even drive a Dodge Ram ... We must not forget that even the shortest (and two-seater!) Version of this car is exactly 5,31 meters long. - much more than one Audi Q7 let's say. For this reason, it is physically difficult to place a car in standard parking lots, specialized garages and parking lots, and narrow streets in the central areas of the city are in many cases simply inaccessible to Ram. But that's how Americans are - they have a lot of space and such problems seem downright abstract. However, it cannot be denied that with such a car it acquires incredible functionality, which will be difficult to find a complete analogue in any European model.
The equipment of the model is also typically American, which cannot but please everyone who loves comfort. The dimensions of the cabin are amazing - compartments and drawers have a capacity that many home closets will envy, seats are the size of luxury armchairs and can be heated or ventilated, and the free space is more like an atelier than a normal car.
Modern technology for dual transmission
The fantastic functionality of the model is undoubtedly aided by the modern all-wheel drive system based on an electronically controlled plate clutch, which has a variable torque distribution, various operating modes, a mechanical center differential lock and even a reduction mode. transmission of infection. Equipped with such equipment, the Dodge Ram 1500 EcoDiesel fully meets the expectations that it can be driven from anywhere. And through everything.
Text: Bozhan Boshnakov
Photo: Miroslav Nikolov
