2019 Ram 1500’s Interior Tech Is Just as Awesome as the Truck

Huge infotainment screen & 19-speaker sound system wow crowds at NAIAS. So, we had to see — and hear — what the buzz is all about.

The exterior styling of the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 has been the most talked-about aspect of the recently revealed star of the Detroit Auto Show, but many prospective buyers are raving over the new infotainment technology, and for good reason.

The new Ram features a 12-inch touchscreen and a 19-speaker, 900-watt Harman Kardon sound system, giving FCA’s half-ton truck the biggest control screen and the most high-powered sound system in the pickup segment.

All of the 2019 truck’s technological advancements helped the new Ram 1500 stand out from the heated truck competition on the show floor of NAIAS 2018. This was no small feat considering the fact that every top automaker from Ford to Chevy was in Detroit showing of their hot new releases, too.

Can the 2019 Ram 1500’s state-of-the-art technological advancements keep the truck on top, even with new competition from the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and powertrain updates to the mighty Ford F-150? We take a close look at these class-leading features to see what the buzz is all about.

12-Inch UConnect System

The centerpiece of the 2019 Ram 1500 cabin is the new 12-inch UConnect touchscreen interface. UConnect puts controls to pretty much everything inside of the vehicle in one easy-to-use touchscreen. We have spent countless hours driving FCA vehicles with the current 8.4-inch UConnect system, and the big on-screen buttons make the controls remarkably user-friendly for the driver. Whether you are changing the radio station, turning on the heated seats or zooming in on the navigation map, the UConnect system makes on-the-fly adjustments smooth and easy.

The 12-inch screen in the Ram 1500 allows the driver to see the nav map in stunning detail, but more importantly, it can display two different modes at the same time. 

The 12-inch screen in the 2019 Ram 1500 is basically two of the current 8.4-inch screens, one stacked on top of the other. This allows the driver to see the navigation map in huge, stunning detail, but more importantly, this larger screen can display two different modes at the same time. Ram drivers will now be able to have two menus open, so they will be able to keep the navigation map up while scrolling through Sirius satellite radio stations or dialing in the climate controls. This is the biggest infotainment screen in the truck segment and one of the largest in the U.S. auto industry, rivaling the systems of some of the world’s most expensive luxury brands like Tesla.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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