For 2013, Chrysler turned its attention to the Ram 1500 pickup, adding a host of upgrades to improve the truck’s fuel economy. Notably, it gets a new engine/transmission combination, but the manufacturer also added an active suspension and a host of aerodynamic upgrades, which were spotlighted in a recent issue (Light & Medium Truck, Nov. 2012) and which are reviewed in this issue’s 2013 model-year roundup. Upgrades to the truck’s interior also are discussed in this issue.

Chrysler is joined by other manufacturers that are turning attention to interior appointments as a way to freshen existing lineups. Nissan and Toyota Motor Sales USA are making minor interior and trim changes to their full-size Titan and Tundra models, while Ford is augmenting a mid-cycle styling upgrade to the F-150 with the expansion of multimedia options.

The midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups from General Motors Co. are skipping the 2013 model year, but there are indications that the updated versions will arrive in the United States sometime in 2013. While Chevrolet is already selling the new Colorado globally, it has set no timeline for its U.S. introduction. GMC in September listed the next-generation Canyon as one of several new models that it will introduce, but also provided no timeline. The U.S. versions of the new Canyon and Colorado will be manufactured at a GM factory in Missouri.