Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Ram Promaster City
01. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Borrows Its Platform From Fiat
Like the full-size Ram Promaster,
the 2015 Ram Promaster City compact van makes use of a Fiat platform -
specifically, the Fiat Doblo, a van with a long history of reliable
service in Europe. Of course, the Ram Promaster City hasn't been
imported lock, stock, and barrel from Italy, as there have been several
concessions made to the differences between the two markets. Most
notable is the strengthening of the vehicle's suspension system to deal
with potholes and other road insults, a process that involved thickening
the steel used underneath the Promaster City's chassis.
02. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Gains Style Points Over Its Big Brother
While the larger Promaster might
not win any beauty contests due to the design restrictions imposed by
the marriage of Fiat and Ram styling cues, the 2015 Ram Promaster City
presents much more cohesive visuals. This is due to the fact that Fiat
was in the middle of refreshing the Doblo at the same time Ram elected
to go ahead with the Promaster City project. As a result, Ram stylists
were given the opportunity to sculpt and shape the van's lighting and
face, creating a distinctive brand-friendly look that doesn't feel
tacked-on.
03. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Offers A Single Wheelbase
The 2015 Ram Promaster City is
offered in a single wheelbase that measures 122.4 inches. This places
the Ram Promaster City ahead of the Nissan NV200 (115.2 inches) and both
the short and long-wheelbase editions of the Ford Transit Connect
(104.8 inches and 120.6 inches, respectively). That wheelbase advantage
doesn't mean that the Promaster City is unwieldy as the van's overall
length checks in at 187.5 inches, which is within two inches of each of
its competitors and which makes it easy to steer through urban traffic.
The Ram's width shows as 72.1 inches, and it stands 74 inches tall.
04. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Starts Out In Panel Form
Most commercial customers will be
interested in the 2015 Ram Promaster City Cargo, a panel version of the
van that is dedicated to hauling whatever tradesman or delivery services
might be tasked with. There's 131.7 cubic feet of total storage space
available underneath the Ram Promaster City's roof, and the cargo area
has been organized to present maximum versatility to upfitters: the
van's wheel wells are 48.4 inches apart, and the cargo area itself
measures 87.2 inches long and 60.4 inches at its widest point. The Ram
can haul up to 1,883 lbs, and it's also been given a maximum tow rating
of 3,500 lbs to go with its gross vehicle weight rating of 5,395 lbs.
Access to the cargo area is achieved via a pair of sliding side doors,
along with rear 60/40 split clamshell doors that can open 180-degrees.
05. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Also Comes As A Passenger Wagon
In an attempt to lure
budget-conscious family shoppers into its showrooms, as well as satisfy
the needs of taxi and airport shuttle fleets, the 2015 Ram Promaster
City can be had as a passenger wagon. The passenger version of the Ram
Promaster City installs a three-seat bench to the rear of the first two
positions, giving the vehicle five passenger capacity. Unfortunately,
the positioning of the bench isn't ideal, and as a result it's harder to
get up inside the Ram as compared to a traditional minivan and legroom
is far from generous. On the plus side there's still ample space
between the seatback and the rear doors for hauling luggage and other
items, which helps to enhance the practicality of the passenger model.
06. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Delivers Four-Cylinder Power
All versions of the 2015 Ram
Promaster City, whether cargo or passenger, come with the same
2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Also known as the 'Tigershark' within
Chrysler, and available under the hood of such luminaries as the Dodge
Dart and the Chrysler 200, in the Ram Promaster City the four-cylinder
unit offers up 178 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. This places the
Ram ahead of its NV200 rival when it comes to output, and it's also
better than all but the turbocharged EcoBoost editions of the Ford
Transit Connect. Interestingly, the 2.4-liter mill is the only part of
the van that isn't assembled in Europe - Ram builds the Tigershark motor
in the United States and then ships it overseas to be dropped between
the Promaster City's front fenders.
07. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Debuts A Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission
The nine-speed automatic
transmission that is standard equipment with the 2015 Ram Promaster City
is the first for the Ram brand. Available in both Chrysler and Jeep
products as of last year, deciding to use the nine-speed gearbox allowed
Ram to tune the Promaster City's performance to better balance
efficiency with hauling power. Specifically, the van comes with a 3.73
final gear ratio and a wide spread of cogs that begins with a 4.70 first
gear and ends with 0.58 and 0.48 ratios in eight and ninth gear. The
additional cogs don't add any extra weight to the Promaster City
package, either, as Ram claims that the nine-speed box is 30 lbs lighter
than a traditional six-speed transmission.
08. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Is Class-Leading At The Fuel Pump
One of the major reasons fleet
buyers and retail customers alike select a compact van over a full-size
hauler is to take advantage of the better fuel mileage offered by the
smaller model. The 2015 Ram Promaster City posts 21-mpg in stop and go
driving along with 29-mpg during highway cruising for a total combined
fuel efficiency rating of 24-mpg. This means that the Promaster City
matches the efficiency of the short-wheelbase Transit Connect and beats
that of the long-wheelbase unit in non-EcoBoost form, and it also puts
the Ram van ahead of the less-powerful Nissan NV200.
09. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Comes With Basic, But Respectable Equipment
Despite its available passenger
configuration no one expects a cargo can like the 2015 Ram Promaster
City to be swimming in luxuries and convenience features. Still, the
Ram Promaster City provides a decent level of equipment, with standard
gear for both the base cargo and passenger wagons including air
conditioning, power door locks, power windows, tilt and telescoping
steering, 16-inch rims, keyless entry, and the Uconnect infotainment
system. Move up to the SLT trim of either and you can benefit from
niceties such as power adjustable folding side mirrors, nicer upholstery
on the van's cloth seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a more
advanced version of Uconnect, and access to options like 16-inch alloy
rims and power windows for the second row (even in cargo van models).
10. The 2015 Ram Promaster City Is Affordable
The 2015 Ram Promaster City has
been given a starting MSRP of $23,130 for cargo versions, and $24,130
for passenger wagons. You'll pay roughly $1,500 more for the
better-equipped SLT editions of either vans, plus a $995 delivery charge
across the board. This pricing places the Ram Promaster City above
most of its rivals, with about $2,400 between the base cargo version and
an entry-level Nissan NV200, and a $1,135 difference when considering
the Chevrolet City Express (which is a rebadged NV200). The
long-wheelbase version of the Ford Transit Connect is actually slightly
more expensive than the Promaster City, which indicates that Ram knows
the market well for its first ever compact hauler.