The new Pro Master will be a new Van that takes the place of the Sprinter Van. The Pro Master will be front wheel drive and have the 3.6 pentastar engine and the 62TE transmission, It will also have a 3.0 inline 4 cylinder diesel and a manual/automatic transmission. The rear door opens to 360 degrees and you can use a forklift to load the vehicle in either sliding or rear door.

 

How come they don't use the 3.0 litre v6 diesel? Makes more power and torque than this 4 cyl version. Maybe they don't have a front drive tranny that can hold up to the torque?

 

The 3.0 V6 diesel is in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee's. I drove the 3.0 inline motor and it has plenty of power.

 

Yes, but still, looking at the hp/torque figures between the I4 and V6 of same displacement, the V6 would seem more practical as it make more power and torque? Unless the front drive transmissions cannot handle the torque output of the v6 diesel?

 

Some people actually use vans for work. Plumbers, cable installers, audio/video specialists -- they all need something to transport their supplies. Ram Trucks recently announced the minimum amount they'll need to pay for the ProMaster City: $24,125*.

Read the rest on the Dodge Forum homepage. >>

 

Somehow this vehicle is at odd with my perceived image of the Dodge/Ram Brand.
It seems a Fiat Fiorino on Steroids http://goo.gl/paVUEm
I would have named it Fiat ProMaster, or even better, Fiat Maestro!

 

People in America don't want to drive a "Fiat"


At least not here anyway.

 

Well Dodge has done it again! The ProMaster City is basically a station wagon on steroids and is useless for a van conversion for handicapped use. What a waste!

I am driving a 1995 Dodge B3500 Ram Wagon with 305,000 miles and the drive train is in excellent condition but the body is starting to rust out from under me.

The Sprinter was perfect for converting because there were no body modifications needed. Just add the chair lift, door opener, lock down (for the chair), 6 way power seat base for transferring and hand controls and hit the road. The only draw back was the initial price of the vehicle and then another $10K to $13K depending for the conversion.

Of course there is the rub. Folks that bought a 'Dodge' Sprinter from their dealer and still drive them as they are great vehicles can't get service where they purchased the vehicle because Dodge in her greater wisdom cut off their dealers after the split. Great way to do business fellows!

Don't get me wrong I have been driving Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge since I started driving and my family since the late 40's has had over 60, there were 5 boys in my family plus my parents it used to look like a dealership here at Christmas.

Come on Chrysler Group LSD, get your act together and find a true replacement for the old Ram Wagons. Boy do I love the 5.9Ltr V8 Magnum, and I can only imagine how it would be even better with the 7 or even the 9 speed transmission. Gas mileage would or I should say may be a huge improvement over the older 3spdw/od.

Here ends my rant.

 

As much as I wish they would not have given us another badge engineered Van, at least unlike the Sprinter, there is something on it that makes it truly a Dodge (I do not recognize this stupid Ram division nonsense, it is and always will be Dodge in my eyes). This at least has a Chrysler powertrain in it. Time will tell about this strategy, the biggest sign will be if the GM vans maintain their popularity or if Dodge, Ford, Dumbler, and other players gain the market from them. My position is they should have kept the old school bodies but offered modern powertrains. For instance, instead of bringing over their ugly Euro division's junk, if Ford would have offered the current powertrain for the F-series, they would have found big improvements in fuel economy due to using a 6-speed tranny, having a decent V6 for a change, and having a halfway competitive V8 with technological improvements. Yes, some will make the point that some fleets might be turned off by them not having the interchange capability they had in keeping the same model for ever, and while I will admit that they is some truth to that, what do you think that coming up with a completely different van will do to help remedy that?

In my view, Chrysler should do like Nissan and make one from the Dodge Ram 1500. This way they can have economies of scale on parts, have an update powertrain, and have an the best platform and interior for no extra cost. If Nissan can make one from the very dated Titan, why can't Dodge from an competitive truck?

 

My Day With the 2015 Ram ProMaster City





Several weeks ago, I learned I would eventually be getting my hands on the 2015 Ram ProMaster City van. In preparation for that day, I decided I would do my research and share the important numbers and dimensions it revealed with all of you, which I did in late November. I love facts and figures as much as the next guy, but I love to drive more. I recently got the chance to do just that in downtown Austin and the surrounding Hill Country.


Read the rest on the DodgeForum.com homepage. >>