Ram Riding High in Texas

DALLAS – FCA’s Ram division rolls out the latest iteration of its light-duty pickup, the Texas-exclusive Ram 1500 Lone Star Silver Edition, along with several other special trim versions of the Ram today at the State Fair of Texas.

“The Ram Lone Star Edition is the original Texas truck,” Mike Manley, head of Ram Brand-FCA Global, says in a prepared statement. “Ram trucks are an iconic part of the Texas landscape. As the longest-lasting truck in Texas, there are literally millions of Ram pickups still on the roads.”

On sale in the fourth quarter, the ’17 Ram 1500 Lone Star Silver Edition is decked out with an upscale grille with a chrome surround and mesh inserts centered with a milled-aluminum Lone Star badge, bright beltline moldings, chrome exterior mirrors, chrome wheel-to-wheel side steps, polished 20-in. wheels and front tow hooks.

Texas gets an exclusive Ram Lone Star Silver Edition.

The Lone Star Silver Edition is available on Ram 1500 4x2 and 4x4 Crew Cab models, short- or long-bed configurations, with a choice of 3.6L Pentastar V-6, 5.7L Hemi V-8 or 3.0L EcoDiesel powertrains.

The Lone Star Silver Edition package adds $900 to the Ram 1500 starting price of $40,315 (including $1,320 destination charge).

Ram also unveils the 1500 Night Package, a $395 customized-look special edition from the factory. The package for the ’17 Ram 1500 Sport-based model adds black 20-in. aluminum wheels, a hex-pattern grille and badging as part of a monochromatic package of body-colored trim. A tailgate with blacked-out Ram lettering patterned after the Rebel completes the look.

An optional Mopar performance package adds a cat-back exhaust system, cold-air intake and black running boards. One intriguing option is an Active-Level Four-Corner Air Suspension System with multiple driver-selectable ride heights and load-leveling settings.

Other trim upgrades for the ’17 model year including black “RAM” tailgate letters in combination with Brilliant Black or Granite Crystal Metallic paint, a $195 option for Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 Limited pickups. Ram light- and heavy-duty Longhorn models also add chrome trim elements.

FCA says nearly 30 years of registration data shows Ram trucks are the longest-lasting trucks in Texas. Ram sells nearly two-and-a-half times as many pickups in Texas as it does in its next-highest volume state.

Ram light-duty pickup sales were up 5.5% through August to 299,988 units, according to WardsAuto data, second only to sizzling-hot Jeep sales in the FCA portfolio.

[email protected] @bobgritzinger