That starts with engine choices. Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, with output of 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and a Fiat-sourced 3.0-liter diesel, with 174 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, will be offered.
Both engines will be matched to a 6-speed automated transmission from Fiat’s commercial division. Ram commercial vans chief engineer Brad Pugh said diesel-powered versions will return highway miles-per-gallon fuel economy in the mid to high 20s.
Every ProMaster features a front-wheel-drive layout, which Bob Hegbloom, director of the Ram Trucks brand, said cuts down on the vehicles’ weight and helps boost the van’s payload capacity because of the absence of components such as the rear differential and driveshaft.
The front-drive layout also contributes to the vans’ low step-in height, Chrysler said. The company did not comment on whether an all-wheel-drive version might be offered later.
The cargo van will be available with 118-, 136- and 159-inch wheelbases, with four body lengths and two roof heights. Models with the 188-inch wheelbase will have a 36-foot turn angle, Ram representatives said. The chassis cab and cutaway versions offer only the 136-inch and 159-inch wheelbases.
