Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition 2022 Car Review

MODEL: Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition
PRICE RANGE: From $155,990 ($162,990 reviewed model)
ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI® eTorque Petrol Mild-Hybrid 
POWER: 291kW/556Nm
GEARBOX: 8-speed automatic
ECONOMY: 12.2L/100km, 283g/km
BODY STYLE: Pickup Truck
STATUS : Currently available

Boarding the Ram 1500 was quite a departure from the utes we are accustomed to driving. The first thing that strikes you about the Ram 1500 is the sheer size. It dwarfs most other vehicles on the road, coming in at almost six-meters long and two-meters wide. It’s hard to believe that the Ram 1500 is the smallest in the range, with the 2500 and 3500 coming in even bigger sizes.

As we stepped into this truck from its electric auto deploy side steps, that eject as you open the door, you truly do feel like the king of the road.

Commanding presence

The aesthetics of a pickup truck seem difficult to pull off, but Chrysler have done a splendid job to create a dominating appearance with carefully selected accents. From the front there is a unique black surround limited edition grille with integrated black Ram lettering and you will also find signature SmartBeam® Intelligent Headlamps.

The side profile evokes strength with large black alloy 22-inch wheels. You will also find the RamBox’s mounted either side of the tray. The left side featured a handy power outlet so we imagine that it would be perfect for powering tools on the jobsite. While these power outlets are not the biggest, they seem like the perfect solution to loading and storing your groceries safely instead of having them roll around in the tray.

There is a power release dampened tailgate to access this area and it features a smart cargo management system, which lets you easily separate different items in the tray.

There is also a handy pull-out step that lets you have better access when loading and unloading, which is a great idea, especially when the adjustable suspension setting is set to high.

Lavish interior

Inside the Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition you would be forgiven for thinking you have just stepped into a swanky five-star hotel, this is thanks to its first-class levels of space, full-length dual-pane panoramic sunroof, and heated and ventilated leather seats. It’s premium 900-watt Harmon Kardon® Sound System, 10-inch subwoofer and active noise cancellation gives incredible sound clarity and power.

The Ram 1500 comes with the Uconnect® 4 system and class-exclusive, 12-inch fully configurable touchscreen, which has a split-screen display functionality which makes for a hi-tech environment.

The 360-degree Surround View Camera with bird’s-eye perspective of the vehicle, voice-controlled satellite navigation, multifunction USB ports and an integrated wireless charging pad added to the fully connected experience.

Because it is now longer and wider than its predecessor, the cabin has gained another valuable 8cm in space – the leather drenched cabin has over 150-litres of internal storage capacity.

The second row includes 60/40 stadium-folding seats that can recline to a lazy eight degrees, the seating is so wide in the rear it is almost like sitting on a three-seater lounge suite.

New safety overload

With 90 safety and security features included, you are well covered. Features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Pedestrian Detection, Ready Alert Braking and Trailer-sway Damping control, Lane Departure Warning and ParkSense® with Parallel/Perpendicular Park.

Powerful performer

The Limited models now come with the new eTorque mild hybrid system to improve efficiency and drivability. This system combines a belt-drive motor generator unit with a 48-volt battery pack to enable start/stop function, short-term torque assist, and brake energy regeneration. Power and torque outputs are 291kW @5600rpm and 556Nm @3,950rpm respectably.

In terms of economy, it gets 12.2L/100km however, during our drive around town, we couldn’t achieve this figure. The transmission was very competent and the TORQUEFLITE® 8-Speed transmission did a great job around town, but our domestic driving never really pushed this Ram to its limits.

Although the payload is only 701kg the towing capacity is one of the highest we have ever tested at 4500kg. The FOUR-CORNER AIR SUSPENSION is ideal for towing, featuring the Bed-Lowering Hitch Assist. We imagine this would appeal to rural owners that need to have a vehicle capable of towing horse floats or other heavy loads regularly. With its V8 Hemi engine, it’s hard to find anything that comes close if you are looking for a confident brawny towing vehicle.

Verdict

The Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition is an incredibly serious truck and with a price tag of $162,990 it should be. It’s a unique sight on New Zealand roads, so if you are after something special that can tow almost anything, while sitting in luxurious leather-trimmed seats, then this could well be one of the few models that fit the bill. The only other pickup truck that may come close is the Chevrolet Silverado.

Pros

• Stand out looks
• Great Towing Capacity
• Lavishly appointed

Cons

• Not easy to park in the city
• Fuel consumption
• Serious price

Safety systems

• Airbags, Driver, Front Passenger, Front Seat Side & Curtain
• Airbags, Advanced Multi-stage Front Driver & Passenger
• Park Brake Manual Manual Electronic Electronic
• Stability Control
• ABS Brakes
• Traction Control
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution 
• Trailer Sway Control
• ParkSense® Park Assist System Rear Rear Front & Rear Front & Rear
• ParkView® Rear Back-Up Camera
• Parallel & Perpendicular Park Assist 
• 360° Surround View Camera
• Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking (FCW+)
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-path and Trailer Detection
• LaneSense® Lane Departure Warning-Plus

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