Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/759228
30 commercial carrier journal | december 2016 Ramming forward ProMaster poised for big-time push BY JASON CANNON T he commercial van market has undergone a Euro-invasion unlike anything since e Ed Sul- livan Show ushered Beatlemania stateside in the 1960s. Ram's ProMaster, inspired mostly by its sibling Fiat Ducato, is coming off a banner year thanks to the U.S. Postal Service, which recently received the last of a 9,000-unit order – only to request 3,000 more. e unibody ProMaster, available in 14 different configurations, was launched in 2013 as a 2014 model and has helped Ram seize upwards of 15 percent market share since the Ram Commercial brand was born in 2012. ProMaster comes standard with a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 engine that kicks out 280 hp and is matched to a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 3-liter four-cylinder EcoDiesel that features 174 hp is available as an option and is matched to a 6-speed automated man- ual transmission. Dave Sowers, Ram Commercial's head of marketing, said the availability of an AMT on the diesel was designed to help commercial customers recruit drivers. "By making an automated manual, you get the best of both worlds," he said. "A vehicle that just about any driver can operate, and you still maintain that effi- ciency and durability." New for 2017, the ProMaster diesel powertrain gets an electric parking brake. "If you stop the vehicle, shut it off and get out and forget to set the parking brake, it will set it automatically, and you don't have to worry about the vehicle in that case," Sowers said. I was able to test a 2017 ProMaster over the course of several days, motoring more than 270 miles on both highway and city streets. My test unit featured the stock gas powertrain that is prominent across the Chrysler, Ram and Dodge brands. I found the engine nimble at highway speeds, and traction and handling were tight. An optional AMT isn't the only thing included on ProMaster aimed at making driving easier; ProMaster is the only Class 2 commercial van that doesn't feature rear-wheel drive. "Front-wheel drive is a better, more predictable package for inexperienced drivers," Sowers said. "Most of these guys that drive these things are hired for another skill." I may or may not qualify as an inexpe- rienced driver, but predictable is an accu- rate way to describe the handling, high- lighted by responsive steering. Making the van easier to drive is just one of the benefits of the front- wheel-drive setup. ere are fewer parts from front to back, allowing for a lower load floor and bigger doors that can fit a standard-size pallet. For customers in the market for a chas- sis cab, front-wheel drive gives upfitters more room to work. "It's much easier to upfit," Sowers said. "We have lower frame rails in the back so you can get your upfit closer to the T E S T D R I V E : 2 0 1 7 R A M P R O M A S T E R C A R G O V A N Ram's unibody ProMaster, available in 14 different configurations, was inspired mostly by its sibling Fiat Ducato. ProMaster comes standard with a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 engine that kicks out 280 hp. Predictable is an accurate way to de- scribe ProMaster's handling, highlighted by responsive steering.