As you can tell from the wide assortment of automotive announcements coming after a relative summer drought in stories, the Los Angeles Auto Show is set to open at the end of this week. While a great deal of the releases and premieres at the 2012 edition of the Los Angeles car show will revolve around regular commuter cars or crossover vehicles, Chrysler Group has devoted part of their show presentation to selling the Ram brand to commercial customers. Launching a division dedicated to worksite trucks, the Ram nameplate and followers received anticipated confirmation for a new large van joining the line-up later in 2013.
The 2014 Ram Promaster will be based on the Fiat Ducato panel van. When the Fiat Group buy-up of Chrysler Group took place, we knew that a resulting trend would numerous future products for North America would share platforms with Fiat-related vehicles. With the Dodge Dart already serving as a favourable expression of the mechanical fusion progress, the Ram ProMaster will be the next for what will be several future products following the globalized platform model.
Just announced the ProMaster van as a 2014 model set for sale sometime during the summer of next year, details are still sketchy towards many related topics. While a diesel engine would be very viable for commercial use, buyers of the Ram ProMaster might be searching for more power than the Ducato’s maximum 130 horses produced from a 2.3 liter engine. When it comes to looks, an official image of the 2014 Ram Promaster has yet to be released (hence, the picture above is the Fiat Ducato van). Chrysler has indicated the Promaster’s exterior will be significantly shaped to conform to Ram brand DNA.
Chrysler lost the Sprinter van as a result to the disastrous merger with Daimler-Benz dissolving. Lauded by parcel delivery services and other contractors, Mercedes-Benz proceeded to sell the Sprinter upward from 2010. When it comes to European-based professional vans being sold in the United States, the Dodge Sprinter was ultimately served as a forerunner of things to come. With the Ford E Series being replaced by the Transit van, General Motors will become the only manufacturer of full-sized commercial vans using a North American specific vehicle.
The Ram ProMaster’s entrance in later 2013 will place the Chrysler Group in what is a vehicle segment as busy as the people who use large vans. Nissan entered the North American market late last year with their NV series of utility vans while Ford’s sale of the Transit is set for production roll-out in the near future.
Information source: Chrysler Group
Photo source: Fiat Group
