2018 Ram ProMaster Review

Overview:

There are plenty of ways to serve the business community through vehicles. And this market is certainly the most grasping entity than another workforce in the world. Well, the businesses need every type of vehicle. They need sedans, hatchbacks, panel vans, pickup trucks and cargo vans. The passenger vans are evenly the required for a lot of business.

The Ram ProMaster is equally serving the business needs of North America. At the Chicago Auto Show of 2013, the Ram ProMaster was revealed for the first time. No special effort was required to build this van. Only the badges and few cosmetic changes were to be made to bring it into North America. It is actually the rebadged version of the Fiat Ducato. The Fiat does not really have an impressive response in this market. And being patriotic, we prefer to purchase the TAA or totally American products.

Well, there is nothing much different between the Fiat van and the Ram van. The only thing that differs is the powertrain. The Ram brought in the GMs favorite Pentastar engine, replacing the conventional drivetrain of Ducato.

The ProMaster is the upscale model with a basic version of the ProMaster City. The cheapest price tag worn by ProMaster is of $26,695. The model line includes Cargo Van, Window Van, Chassis Cab and Cutaway Van. There used to be a passenger van as well. But it has been discontinued in 2017.

All of these are the separate versions of the ProMaster rather than being in a hierarchy. This vehicle is available in various different sections of the society. It is working as a crew cab, a pickup van and even as the ambulance. As per the record, a number of ProMasters have been converted into the ambulances.

Specifications:

Engine	Transmission	HP	Torque
3.0 – 3.6 L	6 – speed automatic	155 – 280 hp	260 lb – ft
0 – 62 MPH	Top Speed	Body Style	MPG
8.1s	99 mph	Van	12 city/ 16 highway

Performance:

The North American businesses have different requirements. They do not really fit in with the European spec vehicles or the vehicles produced for the Asian markets. We have our own configurations based on our needs.

Ram sensed it properly and modified the drivetrain of ProMaster to meet the US requirements. Here this van is offered with 3.6 L V6 24-valves Pentastar engine. It is a front-wheel-drive engine with the power ratings of 280 horses and 260 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain is mated to the 6-speed automatic transmission.

The gasoline Pentastar is the standard drivetrain offered with every model of the ProMaster. In addition to that, the 3.0 L inline-4 cylinder JTD diesel engine is optionally available. It is a 16-valve engine with 155 hp of power. And it gets the 6-speed manually automated transmission.

The base version does not get the option for the diesel drivetrain. It is only available for the upscale models. And all these drivetrains are configured to run on front-wheels only. Well, there is no AWD available for this van.

The ProMaster is stated to give 14 mpg as combined fuel mileage. But in our combined urban and extra urban tests, the ProMaster delivered 13 mpg. Well, the AWD would not have harmed the fuel mileage. But the cost effect could have been more drastic.

The Pentastar showed some sporty performance during our tests. It rolled from 0-62 mph in 8.1 good seconds. But it could not top 100 mph. Still, it is enough for a heavy duty commercial vehicle. As racing is not their job.

While the handling was a bit rough as compared to its competitors. The city driving was fine, but on the highways, we felt a bit stiffness while steering.

Exterior:

The ProMaster has the similar design as that of the Fiat Ducato. But there is just a slight difference in the cosmetics.

Well, the ProMaster is available with three wheelbases. The base Cargo van gets the 118-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 195.4-inches. The next is the 136-inch wheelbase with 213.1-inch of overall length. It is available for three trim levels. The 159-inch wheelbase comes with two different lengths. The standard is the 236-inches while the extended is 250.5-inches.

Besides this all, the appearance is pretty simple. The 16-inch steel wheels, halogen lamps and the flat rear is standard on all trims. While the 16-inch alloy rims are optional. Along with that, the fog lamps are even optional for this van.

Interior:

The interior includes the basic ingredients. The ProMaster comes with the cloth bucket seats and carbon fiber accent. Further, there are plenty of options available such as the gray interior seats, heated seats, and vinyl bucket seats.

The cargo feature includes cargo nets, partition window, and wood composite floor. In addition to that, there is plenty of convenience options available for this van as well. Like the glove box, leather-wrapped steering wheel and documents holder.

The cargo panel has a lot of precision for transporting products. It is sustainable to every type of material and almost every dimension. The logistic businesses could get a lot of conveniences using this kind of cargo van.

Features:

The 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system is available for the Ram ProMaster. Well, it is mainly a multimedia system with radio support and the media hub. Further, GPS navigation is also available for this system. Well, the ProMaster even gets options for the Uconnect version 3.0 and 5.0.

This is all the ProMaster has for its driver and passengers.

Safety:

Safety is quite important for the commercial vehicles. And the ProMaster gets a good notch on safety equipment. Like it has advanced airbag system, traction control, and the speed limiter. Along with that, the ProMaster comes with the roll mitigation system and stability control. The driving assistive features include hill start assist, parking sensors, tire pressure monitoring and the traction control.

Along with the safety, the ProMaster even gets a number of handy security features. Like it has security alarm feature that can alert the owner if someone is trying to hurt the ride.

Competitors:

The Nissan NV is the very next option available if you are not looking for something like ProMaster. Well, it has cool performing abilities, nice cargo equipping capabilities and a rigid structure. But the NV is more like an armored van.

Well, the ProMaster is doing a fine job with its decent drivetrain and fine features. And the price tag is even quite economical.