Ram engineers have been hard at work fine tuning the 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 to combat rivals such as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HD twins, as well as the iconic Ford Super Duty lineup. Based on our recent sighting, it looks like things are progressing quite nicely on that front.
Spotted undergoing freeway testing in Northern Michigan, these heavily camoflauged testers are hiding the bulk of their styling from prying eyes, but look for the 2500 and 3500 to channel much of the 1500’s aesthetic influence, albeit with tweaked lighting elements including bigger reverse lamp inserts. Both testers revealed that they will most likely retain FCA’s Articulink front suspension as well as a five link setup in the rear.
The 2500 we encountered also appeared to be a Power Wagon model with the 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires and higher suspension lift being dead giveaways. Our attempts to document the camoflauged front ends of both were thwarted, but look for that item to be a heavily reworked version of the slick fascia that already adorns the 1500.
The biggest changes though will be found in the interior, where the Heavy Duty lineup will embrace much of the magic that helped define the 1500’s transformation. Modern materials and improved design will be at the fore-front, with an optional 12-inch vertical touchscreen outshining the best wielded by both GM and Ford. With the last generation already boasting an impressive improvement in interior quality, look for this additional polish to truly cement the transformation, especially in the eyes of consumers.
Performance hardware is expected to follow the 1500’s lead, and be carried over from the last generation, with the 5.7 liter and 6.4 liter Hemi V8s resuming their respective duties with the 5.7 liter retaining its optional e-Torque hybrid system. The big question will be whether the Power Wagon will finally embrace the Cummins diesel or not?
Unlike other HD Ram models that readily embrace this 6.7 liter inline beast, the current Power Wagon is limited to V8 only due to the front mounted winch interfering with cooling and placement of the fore-mentioned diesel in the engine bay. It will be interesting to see if the switch to a new platform will solve this problem, and allow both to co-exist in harmony.
It’s also unknown when Ram will be officially unveiling both the 2500 and 3500 HD models, but the pace of testing as well as the numerous amounts of testers that have been spotted in the past two months seems to suggest that they could appear next year. We suspect that will occur either at the North American International Auto Show in January, or the Chicago Auto Show in February with the latter being a mecca for pickup unveilings.
In the meantime, look for more information to emerge in the coming months, with Ram possibly releasing teasers later this fall. We look forward to hearing more soon, and seeing the production version in person at a future auto show.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.