While growing up in the Eighties, I was fed a delicious diet of some of the best TV shows the US had to offer. My favourites being the Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider and The Fall Guy, each featuring a unique vehicle that was as popular as the actors in the lead roles.
The Duke boys tore up Hazzard county in an orange 1969 Dodge Charger, packing a Hemi, called the General Lee. That seemingly uncatchable Charger triggered my love affair with huge V8s.
Then, along came Michael Knight and his wise-cracking sidekick, KITT, a modified 1982 Trans Am.
Controlled by artificial intelligence and loaded to the hilt with technology, KITT taught me something else — cars ought to have personality.
Completing my car education was The Fall Guy, starring Lee Majors playing a Hollywood stuntman, moonlighting as a bounty hunter.
This classic show featured a rugged, tan coloured 1981 GMC Sierra pickup truck, complete with huge lettered tyres, an eagle sticker on the bonnet and a long, wobbly antenna. This truck had presence, and tons of it.
I own a third generation Trans Am, like KITT, and have driven a 1969 Charger, like the General but a pickup was missing from my portfolio. So, you can imagine how excited I was when Amit dangled the keys of the macho new Dodge Ram 1500, in its top of the line Laramie trim, in front of my flabbergasted face. My very own Fall Guy truck for the weekend! I was intent on catching criminals and driving it on two wheels just like Colt Seavers did in the TV show, until I was rudely awoken from my child-like dream.
"Don't put a scratch on it!" warned Benjamin. I'd do no such thing to this beautiful beast. Treating it with the utmost respect was my plan, and maybe taking it for a quick blast of off-road action. That was the first place I wanted to go to put the Ram's new 5.7-litre V8 Hemi, first-in-segment coil-spring multi-link suspension and four-wheel drive capabilities to the test.
Jump in
It doesn't matter if it's been sitting out in the sun all day and burning hot inside. A push of the remote engine start button from the key fob and it roars into life, thoughtfully switching on the AC too so there's a nice, cool interior waiting for you. Let's get one thing straight. This thing is massive. I was still mesmerised by the sheer size of this bold, powerful looking monster, adorned in a lovely shade of gold. Baffled, my first thought was, "How am I going to drive this?," before realising just getting into the driver's seat was going to be an even bigger challenge.
There is chrome everywhere. From the exhaust tips and 20in wheels to the monstrously sized front grille. "Look at me!," is what this Ram is shouting. And you can't help but love its extroverted personality. The redesigned aluminium bonnet features a large bulge giving it an aggressive look. It's as if this Ram is ready to charge through anything that gets in its way. The front and rear bumpers wrap neatly around the body. They're chrome, of course.
I notice the badges are three-dimensional, rather than sticky decals. They are designed to stand out, and that they do. Best of all is the badge on the tailgate which, I am reliably informed, is 250 per cent larger than the previous badge. Size means everything to this Dodge. I clamber into the roomy, luxurious, two-tone interior, the seats finished in perforated leather with plenty of soft touch materials on the dash which contrast nicely with the rugged exterior. Once seated, you don't realise you are in such a brutal machine.
In fact, it's a very refined place to be in. And it has more compartments than you can count. There's a ‘store in the floor' storage bin with removable liners that are big enough to accommodate the contents of most kitchen cupboards. Then, there's an enormous centre console and loads of other convenient storage locations throughout. These include two, yes two glove boxes, map pockets in the door panels and pockets between each of the front seats.
Best of all is the RamBox bed, with lockable fender compartments. At 1,737mm long, it's big enough to sleep in! It can carry a considerable amount of cargo while the integrated tie downs, which slide along rails inside the box, make it easy to keep things in the bed. It has a total of 38 storage locations — nearly twice as many as the 2009 model Ram.
Be Cool
Many cars these days are fitted with cooling seats, but they never seem to actually work. No problems in here, press the magic button and your bottom could suffer from frost bite — it's that good. The AC also makes light work of cooling the interior — quite impressive given the amount of room it must cover.
The cabin features a surround-sound audio system, first time in a Ram, and it rocks. I plug my USB in and crank up the volume. There really is no better sound in the world than that of a Hemi revving at redline coupled with AC/DC blasting out of the speakers.
It also has a MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System with a 30Gb hard drive and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system to keep the kids happy. It's as safe as houses, with more than 30 safety features, including standard four-wheel anti-lock brakes, an electronic stability programme with hill start assist and air bags in every corner. It also has a back-up camera, parking sensors and adjustable pedals.
I'm driving with the windows down and sunroof open just to grab an earful of that rumbling V8. And it's performing as good as it's growling with 380bhp and 548Nm of torque at my disposal. It has a shockingly quick 0-100kph time of just 6.1 seconds while the five-speed auto is swapping those oily cogs with minimal fuss ensuring smooth gear shifts every time.
On the rough, this thing grips like its life depends on it. No matter how hard I push it, the Ram keeps coming back for more. It's so powerful that if it could come with a winch big enough, it could probably pull the moon out from the sky.
The Hemi features Dodge's multiple displacement system which deactivates four of the engine's cylinders when they're not needed, saving both fuel and the planet.
Verdict
With its body-on-frame construction, the Ram jiggles over road bumps but its rear coil-spring suspension, in place of traditional leaf springs, helps eliminate the harsh ride associated with full-size trucks.
However, I find the steering far too light and it lacks any sort of feel or conviction. It feels like I'm turning it for days to get it to move in any direction other than straight. But I don't mind that, especially not when it has a towing capability of 4,127kg. This tireless workhorse is designed to dig in deep and work extremely hard, not wiggle around worrying about taking corners.
Actually, I found that it does something even better than graft hard all day. Keep it polished and park it where it can be seen because this is one big, beautiful show off and it loves being in the limelight.
Spec me up!
The top-of-the-line Laramie trim comes with 20in chrome wheels, power-folding mirrors, driver memory seats, heated steering wheel, remote engine start, wood grain interior trim and an upgraded audio system.
Specs and rating
Model Ram 1500 Laramie
Engine 5.7-litre V8 Hemi
Transmission Five-speed auto, RWD/AWD
Max power 380bhp @ 5,600rpm
Max torque 548Nm @ 4,000rpm
Top speed NA
0-100kph 6.1sec
Price Dh176,900
Plus Big, fast and lots of presence
Minus Steering could be sharper
