Chrysler Introduces Ram Promaster City Van

[Atomic]

Chrysler Introduces Ram Promaster City Van

















Source: Detroit News

June 26, 2014

Chrysler is planning to unveil its Ram ProMaster City, a small commercial van, at its Chelsea proving grounds today.

Chrysler is hosting reporters from the U.S. and Canada today at its Chelsea Proving Grounds to show off its 2015 model year cars and trucks for all of its brands.

The ProMaster City is part of a growing class of fuel-efficient delivery vans that have hit the U.S. market in recent years. The van will compete with the Ford Transit Connect and the Nissan NV200, which will also sell as the Chevrolet City Express. The ProMaster City will go on sale in late 2014.

"As businesses strive for lower costs, the demand for a smaller, more efficient van has increased and Ram Commercial is answering the bell with the all-new ProMaster City ," Reid Bigland, president and CEO of the Ram brand said in a statement.

The ProMaster City is powered by a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 178 horsepower and 174 pound feet of torque.

Built off of the same platform as the Fiat Doblo in Europe, the Ram ProMaster City is built and designed for commercial customers and will be offered in both a cargo version and a five-seat passenger version.

It can haul a maximum of 1,883 pounds and both sides of van are fitted with a sliding door to access the cargo. Also, the roof is reinforced to support load rails or roof racks, with a weight capacity of 154 pounds.

Chrysler said the van will get better fuel economy than any van in its class but did not release fuel economy figures or a sales price for the van today.

"Years ago, the selection of delivery and cargo vehicles was limited and those offerings didn't focus on cost of ownership," Bigland said. "Today all of that has changed with the recent introduction of the full-size Ram ProMaster, and the now the Ram ProMaster City."

Ram introduced its larger commercial van, the ProMaster, earlier this year. Together, the two commercial vans are part of a wave of new vans and trucks that Ram developing to expand its sales to commercial and fleet buyers.

Both of Ram's ProMaster vans are both built off platforms Fiat uses in Europe its vans. Fiat has sold more than 1.3 million Doblos in Europe.

Chrysler estimates that about 100,000 small commercial vans are sold annually in the U.S., but expects that number will increase in the coming years.

The ProMaster City van will be produced in Bursa, Turkey at Fiat's joint-venture TOFAS plant. The van will be upfitted into a cargo van at Chrysler's "transformation center" in Baltimore.

[ifcar]

That is one large steering wheel badge!

Otherwise, as much as these things make sense I wonder about market saturation. Ford hasn't had super-high sales even when it was the only game in town, and Nissan's NV200 volume has been smaller still.

[hotrodalex]

That is one large steering wheel badge!

That way you know what kind of car you were in if you crash and hit your face on the wheel.

[SVT666]

Why do they go out of their way to make these things as ugly as possible?

[Soup DeVille]

Sorry, I can't help but read that name as "Prom Master."

[Soup DeVille]

Also, it's amusing to think of the process of importing a Turkish van with windows and seats, and then stripping it down to a cargo van as "upfitting."

[veeman]

The grill is stupid looking.  It looks like they cut the headlights in half.

[cawimmer430]

This is basically a rebadged Fiat Doblo.

I'm so used to seeing these things with a manual transmission. That automatic shifter in the cockpit looks so "out of place" in this car. 

[Catman]

Why do they go out of their way to make these things as ugly as possible?

Seriously, how hard is it to design an inoffensive grill?

[mzziaz]

No diesel?

[Catman]

No diesel?

Probably not as it would be a $20,000 option.

[FoMoJo]

Looks weird.

[68_427]

If it isn't priced super cheap it'll get destroyed by this.

[Madman]

The grill is stupid looking.  It looks like they cut the headlights in half.

Yeah, the headlights are really strange looking.  Not at all like the Fiat Doblo or the Opel/Vauxhall Combo.

I wonder if the Doblo/Combo will adopt the ProMaster City's headlamps as a facelift?


Fiat Doblo:





Opel Combo:

[Madman]

The gurus of all things Chrysler, Allpar, have weighed in on the ProMaster City.


http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/06/promaster-city-debuts

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/06/doblo-little-van-major-player


Evidently, the front of the vehicle had to be "resized" to accommodate the 2.4 Tiger Shark engine.

[2o6]

It seems like modern Chrysler 4cyls suck ass.

[Madman]

As I suspected, word is the facelifted Fiat Doblo will share the same front end sheet metal as the Ram ProMaster City.  Only the grille will be different.

The updated Opel/Vauxhall Combo will probably look very similar as a result.


Edit: Allpar has more info on the ProMaster City.

http://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/ProMaster-city.html

[veeman]

Interesting.  Thanks. 

So to accommodate a bigger engine, they went the absolute cheapest route rather than redesign a more pleasing looking grille and headlight fascia. 

Fail. 

[SVT32V]

Sorry, I can't help but read that name as "Porn Master."

ftfy

[Madman]

Well, I guess you could use it for delivering porn.   

[Char]

It seems like modern Chrysler 4cyls suck ass.

All Chryslers engines suck ass. All of them.

[Madman]

Lo and behold, the facelifted Fiat Doblo Cargo.



The only difference between this and the ProMaster City is the grille.

[Secret Chimp]

I like how we're finally getting the smaller fleet vehicles that Europe has had for decades.

[AutobahnSHO]

I like how we're finally getting the smaller fleet vehicles that Europe has had for decades.

+1

Although many people will never buy them, and I won't need one, more options is always good.

[MX793]

+1

Although many people will never buy them, and I won't need one, more options is always good.

With the demise of the Ford Ranger, I can see vehicles like these becoming viable replacements for many people or businesses that previously bought Rangers.

[cawimmer430]

Wait - this thing is powered by a measly 4-cylinder and not a V8!? The hell!? 


I hope it's a turbodiesel engine - torque and gas mileage.

[Submariner]

Wait - this thing is powered by a measly 4-cylinder and not a V8!? The hell!? 


I hope it's a turbodiesel engine - torque and gas mileage.

Why a V8?  Why not a turbocharged V12?  How about a GEnx off of a 777?  That might help with towing capacity. 

[cawimmer430]

Why a V8?  Why not a turbocharged V12?  How about a GEnx off of a 777?  That might help with towing capacity.