What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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Auto Brand Spotlight | 10 | AutosArkansas.com Ram R am may be one of the newest automotive brands, but it actually has a long history under the Dodge umbrella. Until the last decade, Ram was the name of a Dodge pickup truck that had developed a reputation for being tough, powerful and stylish. It only made sense for the Chrysler Corporation's new owners to look to a familiar name — Ram — when they wanted to separate their trucks into a completely different brand in 2009. Today, Ram trucks still have that reputation for durability and capability, but they're no longer considered Dodge vehicles. Dodge focuses on cars, and Ram focuses on trucks. e Ram truck name dates back to 1981, when it was named for the ram's head logo that had adorned Dodge vehicles since the 1930s. e earliest Rams were popular with companies that operated fleets of work trucks, but their sales numbers still came in a distant third behind Ford and Chevy. All that changed in 1994, though, when Dodge introduced an all-new, redesigned Ram that was styled like a big-rig truck. e new body, comfortable cabin and strong performance helped the Ram quadruple sales volume from 100,000 units in 1993 to more than 400,000 units in 1996. Today's new-generation Ram trucks build on that foundation by offering pickups designed to do tough jobs — with some of the best performance on the market — all with a surprising amount of comfort. TECHNOLOGY: HEMI V8 engines and the innovative RamBox storage system set Ram trucks apart from the competition. HISTORY: While Dodge trucks have been around since the early 20th Century, the Ram truck name first appeared in 1981. FAMOUS MODELS: The Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 all offer different levels of capability and comfort. KNOWN FOR: Tough, powerful pickup trucks with distinctive big- rig styling. AT A GLANCE Truck brand has deep roots SPOTLIGHT ON 2020 VEHICLES TO WATCH 1500 Building on the success of the new- generation truck, the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is rated for an impressive 32 mpg. Heavy Duty Ram Heavy Duty Night Edition includes a monochromatic design enhanced by black 20-inch wheels and black badging. ProMaster The tough ProMaster van gets a factory- installed trailer hitch with maximum trailer tow rating of 6,800 pounds.