(June 27, 2014) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Ram is taking dead aim on the all-new Ford Transit Connect with the 2015 Ram ProMaster City, Ram’s newest addition to its commercial vehicle lineup that contributes to the expanding, purpose-built, van segment with a number of best-in-class, functional elements tied directly to commercial customer demand.
 
Joining the larger and highly capable Ram ProMaster and popular Ram C/V as a Class 1 van offering, the 2015 Ram ProMaster City will compete with compact commercial and passenger vans with "best-in-class attributes in the areas that count: payload capacity, cargo area, performance and fuel economy."


 
“As businesses strive for lower costs, the demand for a smaller, more efficient van has increased and Ram Commercial is answering the bell with the all-new ProMaster City,” said Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Ram Truck Brand. “Years ago, the selection of delivery and cargo vehicles was limited and those offerings didn’t focus on cost of ownership. Today all of that has changed with the recent introduction of the full-size Ram ProMaster, and the now the Ram ProMaster City.”
 
Ram Truck is tapping into Fiat Professional, one of the largest producers of commercial vehicles in the world, backed by more than 110 years of experience. That knowledge has helped Ram Truck enter new segments and expand its product line.
 
Based on the successful Fiat Doblò, a two-time International Van of the Year winner with more than 1.3 million units sold, the Ram ProMaster City will incorporate familiar Ram Truck design elements and offer features, systems and powertrains preferred by North American customers. The 2015 Ram ProMaster City is the brand’s second shared collaboration with Fiat Professional. The 2014 Ram ProMaster full-size van was the first.
 
Whether the job is delivering packages, organizing and hauling the tools of a professional tradesman or carting the band’s gear to the next gig, the Ram ProMaster City van is designed and engineered to tackle big jobs with best-in-class cargo area, payload capacity and standard fuel economy. It does so while delivering versatile functionality, durability and superior ride and handling.
 
The Ram ProMaster City shares its basic design with the highly successful, two-time International Van of the Year Fiat Doblò, which is sold around the world. Now in its third generation, the Fiat Doblò is the preferred workhorse for business and commercial uses, a status gained via its ideal size for crowded urban environments and a host of thoughtful and innovative features.
 
Starting with a winning template, Ram Truck engineers subjected the front-wheel-drive van to the full spectrum of severe-duty use expected of commercial vehicles in North America. The lessons from millions of combined development miles make the 2015 Ram ProMaster City more robust, durable, functional, comfortable and cost effective for any use.
 
The new van will be offered in two-seat Tradesman cargo van and five-seat passenger Wagon configurations.
 
The foundation of the 2015 Ram ProMaster City is a steel unibody design. The unibody architecture helps minimize curb weight, a key contributor to the ProMaster City’s best-in-class payload capability of 1,883 pounds. A best-in-class wheelbase of 122.4 inches offers impressive ride and handling while creating the space needed for the largest cargo area in the segment.
 
The truck's hard-working credentials start with a 48.4-inch span between the rear wheel wells, the widest in the class. Construction tradesmen know that 48 inches is a common dimension for building materials and loaded pallets — yet those materials rarely measure exactly 48 inches. The width between the ProMaster City’s wheel wells provides an extra margin of capacity so that building materials and pallets can be loaded quickly and easily, without concern over whether the load fits.
 
Above the wheel wells, the ProMaster City’s nearly vertical side panels give it a best-in-class width of 60.4 inches. Combined with an interior roof height of 51.8 inches, the result is best-in-class volume of 131.7 cubic feet for the cargo van version of the ProMaster City. The vertical side panels are upfitter-friendly and simplify the attachment of shelves or storage racks for specialized commercial use.
 
The floor of the ProMaster City cargo van measures 87.2 inches in length and is fitted with six standard equipment D-ring tie downs to secure cargo in place.
 
Each side of the Ram ProMaster City is fitted with a sliding door with a 26-inch opening to access the cargo compartment. The roof of the truck is prepped for load rails or roof racks, available through Mopar with a weight capacity of 154 pounds.
 
Ram Truck is known industry-wide for being the most upfitter-friendly brand in the truck market. The Ram ProMaster City continues the tradition and features a variety of available upfit systems through Mopar. Adding to the design for adaptability, virtually all primary vehicle systems are packaged forward of the cargo area, leaving the box open to creativity.
 
The Ram ProMaster City’s powertrain combines MultiAir2 engine technology and an exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission to deliver best-in-class performance and best-in-class combined fuel efficiency powered by the 2.4-liter Tigershark I-4. The engine generates 178 horsepower at 6,400 rpm, while its peak torque —174 lb.-ft. at 3,900 rpm — is greater than any standard-equipment engine in the ProMaster City’s segment.
 
The centerpiece of the all-new ProMaster City’s powertrain is its segment-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission. The ProMaster City is the first commercial van ever to feature a nine-speed automatic, and one of the first vehicles to be so equipped in automotive history.
 
The transmission delivers the right response at the right time. Its 4.70 first-gear ratio delivers the kind of acceleration required of nimble delivery vans: 0-to-30 mph in an estimated 3.7 seconds and 0-to-60 mph in an estimated 9.8 seconds.