Drivers of pickup trucks have a certain air of ruggedness attached to them, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy the finer things. Premium pickup trucks are hot in the market, with many people looking for a vehicle with the unmatched capability of a pickup with the sophistication they desire. Ram has heeded that call with the reveal of the 2015 Ram Laramie Limited.
The new trim makes the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 feel more opulent and less Grand Ole Opry, differing from the southwestern theme of the Laramie Longhorn edition pickup.
Most prominent of the exterior changes is an all new grille that eschews the crosshair-like traditional grille for bold “RAM” lettering surrounded by billet port horizontal lines. 2500 and 3500 versions of the Laramie Limited will have front and rear chrome bumpers as standard, with chrome accents along the side to match. Around the back, the distinct tailgate mirrors the front, making no subtle statement that this is a Ram vehicle, with bright chrome “RAM” badging prominently displayed.
Quad headlamps include a halogen projector system with fifteen amber LEDs for the indicators integrated in each. A Ribbed inner lens softens the glow, so the headlight graphics can be appreciated when seen.
The mission to civilize the rugged pickup is best illustrated with the interior details. To start, the interiors of all Laramie Limiteds are outfitted in all-black leather. Seats are adorned with pinstriped stitching and contrasting leather piping, with the front seat sporting a messenger-bag-style pouch on the back. Real argento wood, Liquid graphite, and Berber carpeting accent the dark cabin.
This trim doesn’t take away from the core capability of the Ram pickup. The Laramie trim may say “limited,” but it doesn’t prevent you from getting your choice of cab, wheelbase, or wheel-drive preference. The 2500 and 3500 offer a choice of 5.7-liter or 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engines, with a 6.4-liter diesel engine also available. For the 1500, the 5.7-liter V8 is available along side a 3.0-liter Ecodiesel six-cylinder, which boasts a 29 mpg fuel economy rating.
Interested pickup enthusiasts looking to swank things up won’t have to wait too long: The Laramie Limited will be available in the second quarter of this year while the 2500 and 3500 models will be offered in the third quarter as 2016 model year vehicles.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.