The newly redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram was drove through a herd of cattle as it was introduced. The new Ram is Chryslers attempt to gain market share in the heated light duty truck market. More and more people are buying trucks for everyday use in the city so Dodge responded with a truck that has a much improved interior to compete with luxury SUVs and more storage space than any other truck on the market. To go with the new luxury interior is a new, bolder, intimidating exterior look. The exterior look of the 2009 Ram is refined. It still has the unique Ram look to it in the front grill, but the rest of the truck is shaped to provide a feel of controlled power instead of the current look of untamed power. Along with giving the exterior a new, intimidating look, Ralph Gilles and Co. spent almost a year in a wind tunnel with the new design to reduce the coefficient drag (Cd) for the Crew Cab 4x4 to .419, down from the .463 from the 2008 Ram Quad Cab - and is just a bit better compared to the .42 of the 1994 Dodge Ram.

• The shape of the front grille and hood, as well as the shape and placement of exterior rearview mirrors, were developed for optimized aerodynamic performance

• A subtle circumferential notch near the rear edge of each outside mirror housing causes airflow (and dust or water, when present) to separate from the housing. This also helps keep the door glass clean

• A fully styled and integrated air dam contributes to directing air flow around the vehicle in order to reduce aerodynamic drag, as well as directing air flow for cooling the engine and air-conditioning condenser

• Doors are full cut-line doors for less wind noise and better aerodynamics

• A carefully developed curve at the leading edge of the windshield frame reduces drag

• A raised lip on the cowl screen helps direct air flow and water toward the sides of the windshield

• The cowl screen smoothes the airflow transition from hood to windshield, reducing turbulence and wind noise

• Troughs created by windshield-side moldings channel water over the roof rather than around to the side windows

• Side windows offset from door frames were minimized to help reduce turbulence and wind noise

• Side sills are lowered, extending the attached air flow and eliminating some underbody turbulence

• The new front-end module has smaller gaps around headlamps to help aero performance

• A large tailgate spoiler integrated into the sheet metal improves aerodynamic flow

• Lowered windshield-wiper location improves visibility, as well as reduces wind noise and drag

• Flush-fit fog-lamp pockets eliminate aerodynamic drag of fog lamps

• Reduced wheel openings help decrease aerodynamic drag

• Optimized ride heights provide aerodynamic efficiencies

Along with the updated looks comes new power. With the exception of the base engine (the 3.7L V6), every engine available for the 2009 Dodge Ram has been updated for horsepower, torque, and fuel efficiency. The Hemi (still 5.7L) is now rated at 390 Hp (13% increase) and 407 ft-lbs torque (8% increase). These gains are made by increasing the compression ratio, variable valve timing, better flowing heads/intake/exhaust and an intake manifold that is able to switch from long to short runners to give better low end torque and high end horsepower. All these improvements also add an additional 5% fuel economy.

The interior of the new Ram is revolutionary for a light duty truck. Heated and vented front seats and heated rear seats (crew cab), storage bins in the floor, two toned colors, Sirius back seat TV, 426 cubic inches of glove box storage, center console floor mounted shifter, and a total of 38 storage locations are just some of the new features in the Ram.

"Quite simply, our goal with the 2009 Dodge Ram was to make the competition sweat," said Gilles. "We spent a lot of time rethinking the layout, functionality, feel and packaging of the interior. We also no longer have a base interior, just higher levels of luxury throughout the series. The new interior was conceived to match the image of the exterior and drill home a new level of perceived and actual quality. Much higher grades of materials and finishes were selected throughout, culminating in the Laramie interior, which is the exclamation point on a new level of luxury for the segment. All surfaces have been carefully thought-out, as we wanted a robust feel to the interior that communicates to the owner that he is driving an extremely high quality piece of engineering."

There is no base model for interior now, only trims of luxury. When the soccer moms come to look at a vehicle they might want to buy they dont want to look at a base model, they want different levels of plush to keep them comfortable while doing errands. Contributing to this are new seats with improved surface area and updated for better lumbar and lateral support. The controls have all been placed in the most optimal locations for the driver. Great pains were taken to make sure every button and knob is intuitively placed within the truck.

"We put a truck on the market that tripled our market share," said Ralph Gilles, Vice President Jeep®/Truck Design Studio, Chrysler LLC. "Our design was polarizing people loved it or hated it. But the people who loved it, bought it. They still do, because Dodge Ram continues to stand out from the herd of "me-too" trucks."

Another feature important to people that need a lot of storage is the new RamBox built into the sides of the bed. Featuring 4.3 cubic feet of storage per side, the RamBox can hold up to 240 cans of beer. Both boxes are lockable and weather proof, providing more places to keep important gear. The bins run the length of the bed in space that normally would not be used because of the wheel wells sticking out into the bed. Each bin has a drain for water so they can be used as a cooler for all that beer.

"RamBox meets the number-one unmet need among pickup truck owners," said Mark Allen, Chief Designer Jeep®/Truck Design Studio. "Truck buyers want dry, lockable storage, and Rambox not only meets that need, it takes it a step further with the addition of built-in lights and drains. And there's still enough room between each bin to lay a sheet of plywood flat in the pickup bed."

The lids for each box have swing hinges that can open either partially or all the way. The boxes also feature lighting to make it easy to see what is inside at night. The bins can also serve as a cargo management system. The bins large enough to hold golf clubs, basketballs, helmets, chainsaws, etc. and they also hold a bed divider that can be stretched across the width of the bed to provide different areas within the bed to store different items such as tools or other equipment.

Even though you would be driving in one of the bigger vehicles on the road Chrysler has added many safety features to the 2009 Dodge Ram. Now standard safety feature for the truck are four wheel anti lock break system (abs) and electronic stability program (esp) with hill start assist and trailer sway control. Here is the list of the safety features for the 2009 Dodge Ram:

• Advanced Multi-stage Air Bags: Inflates with a force appropriate to the severity of an impact. Meets FMVSS 208 advanced air bag requirements for small out-of-position occupants
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS): Senses and prevents wheel lockup, offering improved steering control under extreme braking and/or slippery conditions - advanced ABS modulates the four brakes individually for optimum control and stopping performance
• All-speed Traction Control: Senses drive-wheel slip and applies individual brakes to a slipping wheel(s), and reduces excess engine power until traction is regained
• Auto-reverse Sun Roof: Advanced sensing system that automatically engages and reverses the sun roof to the open position
• Auto-reverse Window: Automatically engages and reverses the window to the down position when an obstacle that restricts glass movement is detected
• BeltAlert: Periodically activates a chime and illuminates an icon in the instrument cluster to remind the driver to buckle up if a vehicle is driven without the driver being properly belted
• Brake Assist: In a panic brake condition, the system applies maximum braking power, providing the shortest possible stopping distance
• Brake/Park Interlock: Prevents an automatic transmission or transaxle from being shifted out of Park unless the brake pedal is applied
• Child Seat Anchor System: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) is designed to ease installation of compatible aftermarket child seats
• Child-protection Rear Door Locks: Disables the rear doors inside-release handles via a small lever on the door-shut face
• Crumple Zones: Designed to compress during an accident in order to absorb energy from an impact, decreasing transfer of that energy to occupants
• Digressive Load-limiting Retractors: A two-stage load-limiting feature to limit the maximum force on the belt webbing in order to help absorb the energy of the occupants upper torso during an impact
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP): Enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability under all conditions. Provides the greatest benefit in critical driving situations, such as turns, and is especially valuable when driving on mixed surface conditions including snow, ice or gravel. If there's a discernible difference between what the driver asks through the steering wheel and the vehicles path, ESP applies selective braking and throttle input to put the vehicle back onto the drivers intended path
• Energy-absorbing Steering Column: The manual-adjust steering column utilizes two hydroformed coaxial tubes that move relative to each other in order to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy-absorption during an impact
• Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS): Makes it easier for emergency personnel to see and reach occupants in the event of an accident by turning on interior lights and unlocking doors after air-bag deployment. Also shuts off the flow of fuel to the engine
• Height-adjustable Front Seat Belts: Allows the driver and front passenger to raise and lower the shoulder belt. Encourages seat belt usage by offering a comfortable fit
• HomeLink® Universal Home Security System Transceiver: Stores three separate transmitter radio-frequency codes to operate garage-door openers, security gates, security lighting or other radio-controlled devices
• Hill Start Assist (HSA): Assists drivers when starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill by maintaining the level of brake pressure applied for a short period of time after a drivers foot is removed from the brake pedal. If throttle is not applied within a short period of time after the drivers foot is removed from the brake pedal, brake pressure will be released
• Interior Head-impact Protection: Interior pillars above the belt line and instrument panel, including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side-rail structures and shoulder-belt turning loops are specifically designed to limit head-impact force
• Knee Bolsters: The lower instrument panel and the glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling air bags to work effectively
• ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System: Assists at low speeds in Reverse to detect stationary objects. Consists of visible (interior lights seen with rearview mirror) and audible warnings for the driver
• ParkView® Rear Back-up Camera: Provides a wide-angle view of the area immediately behind the vehicle, giving the driver greater peace of mind before backing up. Also aids in lining up a trailer to the vehicles trailer hitch, when so equipped. The image automatically displays on the navigation screen when the transmission is shifted into Reverse
• Power-adjustable pedals: Allows brake and accelerator pedals to move toward or away from the driver in order to achieve a comfortable seating position for improved vehicle control
• Remote Keyless Entry: Locks and unlocks doors, and turns on interior lamps. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-theft security alarm, the remote also arms and disarms that system
• Remote Start: Conveniently starts the engine from outside the vehicle by using the Remote Keyless Entry fob while maintaining vehicle security
• Safety Cage Body Structure: Protects occupants by managing and controlling energy in the event of an impact
• Seat Belt Pretensioners (both front seat belts): During a collision, impact sensors initiate front seat belt pretensioners to immediately remove slack from seat belts, thereby reducing the forward movement of occupants heads and torsos
• Sentry Key Engine Immobilizer: Utilizes an engine key that has an embedded transponder with a pre-programmed security code to discourage vehicle theft. When the key is inserted into the ignition, the controller sends a random number to the transponder and the engine is allowed to start. If an incorrect key is used, the engine will shut off after only a few seconds
• Side Guard Door Beams: In front and rear doors, provides occupant protection during a side impact
• Supplemental Side-curtain Air Bags: Extends protection to all outboard front- and rear-seat passengers. Each side air bag has its own impact sensor in order to autonomously trigger the air bag on the side where an impact occurs. Available on Quad® and crew cabs
• Tire-Pressure Monitoring (TPM): Pressure-sensor modules within the valve stems of all four road wheels send continuous radio-frequency signals to a receiver and the system informs occupants when tire pressure is too low
• Trailer Sway Control System: Reduces trailer sway and improves handling in adverse towing conditions caused by crosswinds and traffic. Software monitors the vehicles movement relative to the drivers intended path, then applies brake pressure to slow the vehicle and increases the pressure on one front wheel to counteract sway induced by the trailer
• UConnect Hands Free Communication: Uses Bluetooth technology to provide voice-controlled wireless communication between the occupants compatible mobile phones and the vehicle?s onboard receiver
• Vehicle Theft Security Alarm: Deters vandalism and theft, frequently lowering insurance premiums. System protects the vehicle from theft by monitoring door- and liftgate-ajar switches and the ignition circuit for unauthorized entry

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"We engineered safety into every single corner of our all-new 2009 Dodge Ram," said Scott Kunselman, Vice President Body-on-Frame Product Team, Chrysler LLC. "With more than 30 safety and security features, our new Ram is designed to protect and perform."

"The new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine will offer our customers better fuel economy, improved idle quality and overall refinement, along with more horsepower and torque," said Bob Lee, Vice President – Powertrain Product Engineering Team, Chrysler LLC. "HEMI has always been synonymous with power, and now—thanks to VVT, expanded four-cylinder mode in our MDS system, and a host of other technologies—Chrysler’s new HEMI delivers more fuel efficiency and refinement, along with even more power."

"Our all-new Cummins engine will offer future Dodge Ram 1500 customers the ultimate in terms of fuel economy, refinement, reliability and durability," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President – Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "It's another example of Dodge bringing new, clean, quiet diesel technology to the marketplace."

"The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram doesn't just push the envelope in truck design—it shoves it aside and reinvents it," said Ralph Gilles, Vice President – Jeep/Truck Design Studio. "We wanted to design a game-changer, a truck that takes Dodge's bold, powerful and capable attributes to a new level."

"We listened to anecdotes from truck owners, not just our own, but owners of competitive makes as well," said Mark Allen, Chief Designer – Jeep/Truck Studios. "We built a range of concept trucks that we took to clinics, including one that was intentionally not 'Ram-like.' We heard loud and clear that people wanted the look we own with Dodge Ram—bold, powerful and capable. We knew we had to build on that theme." ?

"The truck segment is a very important part of any major manufacturer's lineup," said Doug Betts, Vice President – Chief Customer Officer, Chrysler LLC. "We developed the iconic Ram truck years ago with a distinctive look but, more importantly, with overwhelming capability and the strength that our customers demand. People want a great-looking workhorse that is dependable and reliable. The all-new Ram will benefit from the hard work and quality initiatives that were started nearly five years ago."

2009 Dodge Ram R/T

The performance of the new 2009 Ram is amazing. The R/T model is 4x2, has 4.10 gears, a regular cab/short box, and does 0-60 in less than 6 seconds - faster than any other truck on the market. The bold styling of the R/T lets everyone know that they don't stand a chance against this truck. The 390 HP Hemi is paired with a loose torque converter that lets the Hemi get closer to it's powerband before shifting providing for firmer shifts and faster take off. The trade off is worse fuel efficiency in stop and go driving and slower throttle response as the Hemi revs up to get more torque off the line.

Pictures from the Ram Challenge