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2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks – What to Expect

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2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn

A new generation of 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks is on its way to market. Before they arrive, here is what you need to know thanks to photos from Truck Trend and our own insight into the market.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram 2500 Limited

Exterior Styling

Ram has pulled the covers off their new lineup of trucks and you can see all the new styling.

Basically, the new exterior styling consists of new grilles and LED headlights borrowed from the 2019 Ram 1500. It looks like each trim will have its own signature grille.

We can also expect more aluminum. It is pretty reasonable Ram will use the lighter-weight metal on anything that swings (doors, tailgates, Ram box lids, etc…)

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon

Finally, it doesn’t look like the cabin will grow larger like 1500 and instead it will be a mostly carry-over cabin from the previous generation.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram HD interior

Interior Styling

We can see from spy photos, the new Ram HD interior will likely mirror the Ram 1500 once again. The mega 12-inch screen will be offered and all the upgraded styling from the current interior trims seems like they will be carried over.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram HD interior front

It is also likely the rear seats will mirror the 1500 with the slide and recline feature as well as the heated and cooled option.

Finally, expect a large improvement in the number of USB plugs, bed plugs and safety as well as driver technology aids added to this truck.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram HD Bighorn

Engine Options

It is widely speculated there will be no real changes to the current lineup of engines offered in the heavy-duty trucks. The 5.7L Hemi V-8 will stay as the standard engine and there is a chance the hybrid eTorque is added for base Tradesman trucks.

The 6.4L Hemi will be standard on the Power Wagon and available on other models.

Also, the 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel I-6 will still be offered, but you can expect Ram engineers to improve on the 385 HP and 930 lb-ft of torque to best the new Ford HD trucks output. Ram and Ford are in a dogfight over the “best in class” distinction.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram HD Bighorn rear

Transmissions

Like engines, there isn’t a lot of news to be said on this front right now and it is expected the 6-speed manual transmission will be still offered as well as a 6-speed automatic.

However, there is a chance for an 8-speed transmission to be a surprise considering everyone is putting additional geared transmission into their trucks. For example, Ford is largely expected to put a 10-speed transmission in their new 2020 Super Duty trucks and it isn’t too unreasonable to think Ram will improve on their offerings.

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks - What to Expect

2020 Ram 3500 regular cab dually

Pricing and Availability

The new 2020 Ram HD trucks will be unveiled in January at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich. At this unveiling, we will likely get the official news on availability with pricing likely still be determined.

If we were betting on this, it would seem likely Ram will try to once again shock the automotive world and have the new HD trucks ready for sale in the spring as opposed to a traditional fall dealer lot date.

It would make sense they would build the new 2020 alongside the 2019 just as they did with the 1500 and slowly transition over. Most of the first 2020 models would then be crew cab with high trim levels allowing for Ram to turn the most profit off the bat before bringing the lower trim and regular cab models to market. It is feasible then regular cab customers may have to wait until the end of 2019 or early 2020 to get a new truck.

Pricing would likely be within $1k of the 2019 price for most trucks with the higher trim levels commanding a higher amount to cover the larger infotainment screen and upgraded features.

Here are all the photos we found:

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Tim Esterdahl

Automotive Journalist Tim Esterdahl has been a lover of trucks and SUVs for years. He has covered the industry since 2011 and has pieces in many national magazines and newspapers. In his spare time, he is often found tinkering on his '62 C10 pickup, playing golf, going hunting and hanging out with his wife and kids in Nebraska.

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