Consumers often take for granted the high-tech features we get in our passenger vehicles. Things like backup cameras, adaptive cruise control and Apple CarPlay are a given. Now commercial vehicles are starting to offer more technology and higher levels of safety content. So, though the commercial version of the Ram ProMaster doesn’t get a complete overhaul for 2022, it does add some cool features.
If you find yourself in need of a commercial vehicle to transport goods, there are a lot of reasons why the Ram ProMaster should be on your list. Here are just five.
Depending on what you might need a cargo van for, we’re betting the Ram ProMaster can fit the bill. It has two different roof heights, three wheelbases and four vehicle lengths. This means cargo lengths come in 8-, 10-, 12- and 13.5-feet options.
New for 2022, the Ram ProMaster offers a Crew Van Package, which will carry up to three passengers in the second row. This will enable customers to carry both people and cargo at the same time – safely.
The 2022 ProMaster also features 12 floor tie-down rings with a 1,000-pound rating and five sidewall tie-down rings with a 550-pound rating. There are also partitions for passenger protection and numerous up-fitter solutions.
This telematics module is standard, providing vehicle tracking and driver behavior data. It can help companies improve route efficiency as well as perform real-time in-vehicle diagnostics. It also enables 50 service functions such as firmware over-the-air updates, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and Alexa.
All that safety tech you’ve come to expect on passenger cars makes its way to commercial vehicle with the Ram ProMaster. Standard safety includes forward collision warning, crosswind assist, backup camera with dynamic guidelines, drowsiness detection and post-collision braking. Available features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, front parking sensors, auto high beams, rear camera mirror and a 360-degree camera.
2022 Ram ProMaster 360-degree camera (Image courtesy of Stellantis North America)
In addition to the telematics module and safety tech, the commercial version of the Ram ProMaster gets a lot of connected features. So, that will include Uconnect 5, which adds things such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as 7- and 10-inch touchscreen displays, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth connectivity for two simultaneous phones, wireless charging, USB-A and USB-C ports, navigation and a 115-volt outlet.
OK, this one is a bit of a tease because we don’t have much more information than the fact that a battery electric version of the Ram ProMaster is coming in 2023. However, since Ford has already announced its E-Transit for 2022, we can surmise that the ProMaster BEV will have at least 126 miles of range, some kind of on-board generator and a price less than $45k.
Stellantis has some big EV plans over the next few years for its passenger vehicles, so it makes sense this will transfer into commercial. We’ll be very curious to see with this means for the commercial side of pickup trucks.
2022 Ram ProMaster 3500 Interior (Image courtesy of Stellantis North America)
The truck wars have been heating up as have the EV wars, and now it looks like the next front is commercial vehicles. Ford started it with the E-Transit, and if Ram is smart, they’ll bring it home with the ProMaster.
The gasoline version has all the customization commercial vehicles need with all the tech features discerning consumers have come to expect. Just like the Ford Transit. So, the true test will be what we see when the BEV version comes out for 2023.
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