Ram Pick-up Among Top 10 Interiors & Other 9 Winners for 2013-14

[Atomic]

Ram interior grabs award: Posted on April 15th, 2013 • by David Katz

(Allpar) The 2013 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn has been named one of Ward's 10 Best Interiors for 2013. Klaus Busse, Head of Interior Design, wrote, "We've added unique materials and richer colors to give Ram customers a premium feel while staying true to the hardy nature of a Ram truck."

The WardsAuto editorial staff selected ten winners after evaluating 46 vehicles. All contenders new or significantly upgraded for the 2013 or 2014 model years.

Drew Winter, Editor-in-Chief, wrote, "The instrument cluster looks like a fine chronograph. Both front and rear seats are heated, as well as the full circumference of the steering wheel. The wood trim is natural-looking and of the highest quality. Other amenities are too numerous to mention. If Bentley made a pickup truck, this is what the cabin would look like."

New premium materials, colors and designs are now on all four doors. Soft-touch materials enhance armrests and upper bolsters with expanded use of premium surfaces. The 2013 Ram 1500 features the award-winning 8.4-inch Uconnect system with background screens tailor-made to specific Ram models and themes. For the Laramie Longhorn, the Ram design team sought out a rare Walnut grain with a unique burl that was unintentionally created by ranchers using trees as fence posts for barbed wire. Eventually, the trees grow over the rusting metal wire, creating a swirl coloring pattern and tone that is not found anywhere else.

The new HVAC controls have simple, improved function, meeting the highest human-machine interface (HMI) standards, with redundant controls on the 8.4-inch touchscreen and mechanical knobs. All buttons in the comfort bank also are redundant on the Uconnect system.

The Ram 1500's new, exclusive eight-speed transmission created the need for an innovative rotary e-shift dial in the cockpit to replace the center console gate shifter, a first for pickups. The rotary dial enables intuitive blind-shift transitions between "Drive" and "Reverse" with a direct and confident feel. The transfer case retains full capability with push buttons located directly under the e-shift dial.

New technology also moves to the gauge cluster. Previously only available on premium models, the 3.5-inch vehicle information screen is now standard on ST and SLT. The new thin film transistor (TFT), 7-inch multiview display is now available on SLT, standard on Sport, Laramie and Laramie Longhorn models.

NOTE: To Learn of and add all other vehicles ASAP ~ Atomic 

PICTURES

[TurboDan]

I like it. It doesn't look like it panders to the redneck stereotypes to the same level the old one did.

[Atomic]

I like it. It doesn't look like it panders to the redneck stereotypes to the same level the old one did.

And Ya'll like it anyway  Lol!

Joking aside with "Ya'll" but you are so right, Dan. It is still rugged. It's elegant and as you say NOT your stereotypical "redneck" special. I think this is where the former Dodge Truck Division and new Ram Division of Dodge differ significantly and why the following combinations are working... And will actually show even more distinction in coming years car-by-car, truck-by-truck:

- Chrysler/Jeep/Fiat-Italian Affiliates
- Dodge-SRT-Ram-Profession Trucks

Lincoln (the short-lived LT) and Cadillac (Recently cancelled for MY14 Escalade/Avalanche based) both tried luxury pickup trucks with seeming way off in pleasing the traditional pick-up truck consumer looking to upgrade. If not for sports stars, rappers and other celebrity clientele, I doubt these overpriced Escalade pickups would have made it... Yet it was an alleged money maker in its first few years of production. Fuzzy dice were a popular add on, eh? Lol. Not with this gorgeous new tastefully appointed handsome Ram, I would bet.

[Atomic]

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors Of 2013

Penton's leading automotive brand unveils annual list of best car interiors; to be celebrated at upcoming WardsAuto Interiors Conference

     
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2013 "Ward's 10 Best Interiors" list was announced today, and it features a wide range of automobile types and sticker prices, including several models that prove a buyer doesn't have to break the bank to drive in luxury and style.

WardsAuto editors selected the top passenger compartments after spending February and March evaluating 46 vehicles that were all-new or sported interiors that have been significantly upgraded. The winners will be recognized during a special ceremony at the WardsAuto Interiors Conference being held May 22 at The Henry hotel in Dearborn, MI.

This Year's Winners:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)

Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)

Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)

Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)

Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)

Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)

Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)

Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)

Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp.)

To determine the winners, editors drive the vehicles during their routine commutes and submit score sheets ranking each auto interior based on several criteria, including materials, ergonomics, comfort, safety, value, fit-and-finish and overall design. Scores also are applied based on the user-friendliness of the human-machine interface and the ability to link mobile phones and access vehicle information. Video reviews and photo galleries of evaluated vehicles may be found at http://wardsauto.com, and full write-ups on each winner will post on April 29.

"This year's batch of winners really drives home the point that auto interiors are vital in the battle for consumers' hearts and minds," says WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief, Drew Winter . "It wasn't uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program. They eventually figured out that's a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their car than the outside."

In addition to the awards being presented in a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference, Ward's expects to have all ten winning vehicles on display at the event for attendees to experience and judge the interiors for themselves. The ceremony will include a live video review inside each vehicle, highlighting the key features that earned each interior its honor. Registration information for the conference is at http://autointeriors.com.

About Ward's Automotive Group

Ward's Automotive Group is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data, and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for more than 80 years. WardsAuto World is a monthly magazine serving automotive professionals.  WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data, and analysis compiled by WardsAuto. Ward's also manages the annual WardsAuto Interiors Conference, to be held May 22, 2013 in Dearborn, MI. WardsAuto is a Penton business.

About Penton

For millions of business owners and decision-makers, Penton makes the difference every day. We engage our professional users by providing actionable ideas and insights, data and workflow tools, community and networking, both in person and virtually, all with deep relevance to their specific industries. We then activate this engagement by connecting users with tens of thousands of targeted providers of products and services to help drive business growth.

Chris Lamphear, Director of Marketing at Penton Transportation Group contributed to this report.

[veeman]

Is a white cowboy by definition a redneck?  Regardless other than putting in a gunrack and some steer horn insignia, i'm not sure how you make an interior appeal to a redneck/cowboy.  Maybe a confederate rebel flag.  Yee-haw!

The new interior is awesome.  Most of the high end large crew-cab pick ups have great interiors.  Those vehicles fully optioned are up to 50 grand.  Thats bordering on mercedes E class pricing.

[Atomic]

Is a white cowboy by definition a redneck?  Regardless other than putting in a gunrack and some steer horn insignia, i'm not sure how you make an interior appeal to a redneck/cowboy.  Maybe a confederate rebel flag.  Yee-haw!

The new interior is awesome.  Most of the high end large crew-cab pick ups have great interiors.  Those vehicles fully optioned are up to 50 grand.  Thats bordering on mercedes E class pricing.

Well, to be safe, I think the price tag would be a good indicator as to whether one is a redneck or not 

Actually, redneck's a term I do not hear all that much anymore.

[Atomic]

Doing a little research on my Volvo and its spectacularly comfy and high caliber interior, I learned of at least two (2) recent winners. The Volvo S60 won for its 2010 model and the '11 Volvo XC60 snagged the award the following year. Generally, gradual upgrades to any brand's interior make the list. However, I read that the MY13 Honda Civic and its new Accord hovered around the top 10. I see the 2013 Acura RDX took home the price instead and what an impressive interior this crossover has -- remembering it fondly from the 2012 NYC NAIAS. 

I was blown away by the many seating/placement configurations of my MY13 Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design and memory buttons for three (3) drivers and I think three (3) passengers (cannot recall passenger side). Even more creature comforts, conveniences and safety features were added on the MY14 S60, XC60 and all new V60.

Below is an interior photo of a 2010 Volvo S60 T6 provided of by Wards:

[GoCougs]

Is a white cowboy by definition a redneck?  Regardless other than putting in a gunrack and some steer horn insignia, i'm not sure how you make an interior appeal to a redneck/cowboy.  Maybe a confederate rebel flag.  Yee-haw!

The new interior is awesome.  Most of the high end large crew-cab pick ups have great interiors.  Those vehicles fully optioned are up to 50 grand.  Thats bordering on mercedes E class pricing.

$50k? The base Platinum F250 w/diesel has MSRP of $62k...

[Laconian]

Volvo interiors have come a long ways. I drove a 2010 S60 and a 2010 C70 and both were pretty dismal, just chintzy plastic all over the place.

The BF of my friend got a S60 R-design, and wow - night and day difference. Very high quality looking, quite ergonomic, and the seats are killer.

When we replace the Acura we might look at Volvos. Hopefully the V60 is still en route to Uhhmerica.

[TurboDan]

With all this said, I still think domestic pickup trucks continue to pander to the redneck/tough guy/blue collar stereotypes. I think the Hilux is the ultimate example of what a modern pickup should be. It's insane, to me, that Toyota doesn't give us the real Hilux the rest of the world gets.

[SVT666]

With all this said, I still think domestic pickup trucks continue to pander to the redneck/tough guy/blue collar stereotypes. I think the Hilux is the ultimate example of what a modern pickup should be. It's insane, to me, that Toyota doesn't give us the real Hilux the rest of the world gets.

The Taco is a better truck. 

[veeman]

$50k? The base Platinum F250 w/diesel has MSRP of $62k...

true, but that's F250 not F150 and diesel adds another 5 grand at least.  Just a crew cab F150 fully optioned gas model is probably around 50k my guess is. 

in 5- 10 years i'd have to seriously debate whether going for a sports car, large luxury sedan, or "luxury" pick-up.  All three are very different, around same price for the models I'd consider, and since i recently moved to a more rural area, the pick-up could make sense for me.

If i was in that boat now, it would be between a used porsche, a new equus, or a new loaded crewcab F150/silverado.

the porsche handles like a dream but would attract tickets and i can't utilize its blistering speed on public roads in america.  the equus is relatively under the radar which i like, is a lot of car for the money with a great warranty, has great sound insulation, and i just like large cars.  the loaded top level crewcab is just as nice inside as the luxury car, have really good smooth rides now, with the added benefit of being able to haul stuff around and plow.

[TurboDan]

The Taco is a better truck. 

Huh? Hilux has a much better chassis and frame and is better built in general. Plus it has a refined, modern look despite its tough underpinnings.

[SVT666]

Huh? Hilux has a much better chassis and frame and is better built in general. Plus it has a refined, modern look despite its tough underpinnings.

There are good reasons why the rest of the world gets the stronger Hilux and we get the Taco.  One is that overseas the Hilux is used commercially and private owners usually live in countries where driving trucks are almost a requirement.  In NA, we use trucks as daily drivers and we use them to commute.  The funny thing is we want our trucks to look like off-road machines even if they never seee a spec of dirt.  Overseas they like trucks to look sleek and aerodynamic.

Personally, I like the looks of the Taco better and the added ground clearance is great.






Having said that though, I would kill for the Arctic Trucks Hilux.

[93JC]

O_o

[280Z Turbo]

The interior is good, but it needs more RAM logo. I think the steering wheel should be a stuffed and mounted Ram's head that you steer with the horns.

[hotrodalex]

No matter how nicely appointed it might be, I'm still not a fan of the styling of truck interiors.

[SVT666]

The interior is good, but it needs more RAM logo. I think the steering wheel should be a stuffed and mounted Ram's head that you steer with the horns.

That's awesome.

[SVT666]

To me it's kinda busy.  It's nicely appointed and the materials are top notch and I really like the colours.  But damn, is it ever busy.

[Raza]

 

[MrH]

Wow, can't say I agree with the vehicles picked much at all.

Deserved it:

Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)

Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)

Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)

Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp.)



Didn't deserve it:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)

Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)

Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)

Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)

Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)



Pretty weak selections for the most part I think.  I'll be at the Ward's Interior Conference here though in May.   I went last year, and it's usually a good time.

[Raza]

There's so much going on with an interior aesthetic; personal preference plays a lot into it.  I mean, I think my Z4's interior is absolutely beautiful, but it's very simple--minimalistic.  Aesthetically, that can be to your taste or not.  I wonder what goes into them deciding what's the best interior. 

[MrH]

There's so much going on with an interior aesthetic; personal preference plays a lot into it.  I mean, I think my Z4's interior is absolutely beautiful, but it's very simple--minimalistic.  Aesthetically, that can be to your taste or not.  I wonder what goes into them deciding what's the best interior. 

A lot goes into it.  I didn't discredit those cars based on styling aesthetics.  Basically, if it's something like new and unique to the market, great execution, tons of content for the price segment, etc.  Those are what should qualify for best interior.  And that's what they're supposed to go on too.

I agreed with last year's selection a lot more.  Most of the winners this year are thoroughly average this year though.

[LonghornTX]

A lot goes into it.  I didn't discredit those cars based on styling aesthetics.  Basically, if it's something like new and unique to the market, great execution, tons of content for the price segment, etc.  Those are what should qualify for best interior.  And that's what they're supposed to go on too.

I agreed with last year's selection a lot more.  Most of the winners this year are thoroughly average this year though.

Have you sat in this truck? I cannot agree that this truck shouldn't have won it...

[SVT666]

I went and checked one out today and the quality of the interior is pretty awesome. 

[Atomic]

A LOOK AT THE TOP TEN FOR THE YEAR: 2013

Link to read and see more: TBA*

*UPDATED (With HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Link) 

http://www.carscoops.com/2013/04/these-are-10-best-new-interiors-of-2013.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Carscoop+%28CARSCOOPS%29

[MrH]

Have you sat in this truck? I cannot agree that this truck shouldn't have won it...

Yep.  Why should this truck have won?  It's nothing drastically different than what was in it before.  The top pad is still poorly done, and there's nothing particularly impressive or new about it.

[2o6]

Yep.  Why should this truck have won?  It's nothing drastically different than what was in it before.  The top pad is still poorly done, and there's nothing particularly impressive or new about it.

Longhorn works for Fiat/Chrysler, remember? I remember him giving us shit because we all thought the Cherokee is ugly.

[MrH]

Longhorn works for Fiat/Chrysler, remember? I remember him giving us shit because we all thought the Cherokee is ugly.

I know.  Nothing wrong with that.

Just curious why he thinks it deserves the award.

[2o6]

I know.  Nothing wrong with that.

Just curious why he thinks it deserves the award.

Because it's a Chrysler.