New Ram 1500 Express unveiled at Dallas Auto Show

The Texas truck market has always been extremely important for the major domestic manufacturers so it's no surprise that Dodge reveals new trucks in Dallas at the Auto Show and state fair. This year was no exception as the Ram division of Dodge unveiled the Ram 1500 Express April 7. 

"I want you to know that our Ram truck team has been working hard to ensure that our customers and our dealers have the absolute best truck line-up in the history of our company," Ram CEO Fred Diaz said via video press conference. "The proof is in the recent product announcements including the Ram outdoorsman, the Ram Laramie longhorn which was unveiled here at the state fair of Texas last September, the Ram tradesman, and the Cummins high-output engine."

With Ram marketing several different models of the tried and true Ram truck at every price point, the Express sets the standard for entry level trucks for young and price conscious minded buyers.

"This truck is specifically designed for the young or first time truck buyer in mind," Diaz said. "A first time truck buyer gets the performance of the hemi engine while also not sacrificing fuel economy because you get 20 miles to the gallon in this baby. And also a great entry-level price, there is absolutely nothing in the market like this."

Coming with a standard hemi V-8, fog lights, and 20-inch aluminum wheels with locking lug nuts, this entry level truck is set to start at around $23,000 and include a 5 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

"The Ram 1500 Express is designed for a customer who is looking for style and performance that they can make their own," head of the Ram truck brand David Sowers said. "It comes standard with a 5.7 liter hemi V-8 with 390 horsepower and 20 miles per gallon; all for the same price of the competitors entry level V-6."

Chrysler seems to be catching on to what Ford has known for years; entry level work trucks with standard power and features matched with Mopar's ease of customization, of which they already have hundreds of items, will lead to higher numbers of truck buyers.

"We knew people would like a simple yet refined hard working truck with a base V-8 and trailer tow capabilities, we just underestimated how popular that would be," Sowers said. "The positive response we got to Tradesman caused us to pull ahead a second truck that was using the same theory of an entry level V-8 but was targeted toward a younger performance oriented buyer."