The New York Auto Show hosted the world premiere of the meaningfully updated 2013 Ram 1500 pickup truck that brings a raft of improvements, the most important of which are the presentation of a new Pentastar V6, an eight-speed automatic transmission, a freshened up interior and several fuel saving technologies such as the stop-start system.
We'll start our tour of the 2013 Ram 1500 with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that's rated at 305HP and 269 lb.-ft. of torque, delivering 42 percent more horsepower, 13 percent more torque and at least 20 percent better fuel economy over the outgoing 3.7-liter V6.
The new V6 is mated to a standard eight-speed automatic transmission dubbed TorqueFlite 8 that replaces the older V6's four-speed auto. The new 8sp automatic will also be available next year on the tweaked 5.7-liter V8 HEMI that delivers an additional 5HP for a new total of 395HP.
All 1500s equipped with the 8-speed unit ditch the column or floor shifters for a new rotary knob placed on the right-hand side of the center console.
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