(April 7, 2011) DALLAS — The Ram 1500 Express — originally announced Feb. 15 under the code name Adventurer — is a new Ram Truck model aimed squarely at first-time buyers and owners who are looking for a vehicle with performance and style that they can customize and make their own.

"We're excited about the addition of this new model to the Ram 1500 lineup," said Fred Diaz, Ram Truck president and CEO and head of national sales. "There's nothing that compares to the high-performance value represented by the Ram 1500 Express.

Ram 1500 Express combines great looks and MPG along with HEMI horsepower, torque, towing and payload, all at a fantastic price. It gives the youth or first-time truck buyer an opportunity to show off a great looking ride, with unsurpassed V8 entry-level capability, in a tremendous value-priced package."

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the new Ram 1500 Express will start at $23,830, including $975 destination charge.

Plans to launch the new Ram 1500 Express were pulled ahead after company executives saw a groundswell of support for the then-just-announced Ram Tradesman.

The new Ram 1500 Express offers buyers a standard HEMI V8 engine with a 20 mpg rating for the same price competitors are charging for their V6 engines.

Mopar has announced that it will have hundreds of accessories available for buyers who are looking to personalize their Ram 1500 Express.

"Given that the Ram 1500 Express is an aggressively priced truck, owners will have plenty left over to personalize and customize their ride," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand.  "For this truck, Mopar will offer more than 300 quality-tested accessories from which to choose."

In addition to the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque, Ram 1500 Express comes loaded with features that emphasize its high-performance character.

The first thing drivers will notice is the Ram 1500 Express' racy, monochromatic paint scheme. A body-colored grille with black honeycomb inserts, body-colored front fascia and body-colored rear fascia with chrome-tipped dual exhausts shout "high-performance." The new Ram model will also get fog lamps and 20-inch aluminum wheels with locking lug nuts. There's also a locking tailgate, cargo lamp, rear-bumper step pad, 6" x 9" side-view mirrors and rear wheel-well liners.

Standard features also include a 160-amp alternator, 26-gallon fuel tank, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp maintenance-free battery, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars, power rack-and-pinion steering, halogen headlamps, heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and a full-size spare tire.

It will arrive in Ram Truck dealerships this spring.