Heavy duty truck manufacturers are locked in heated battle to take (and retain) the crown in torque and towing capacities. Ram charged out the gate in this current generation thanks to its high-output 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel. Torque increased to an impressive 1,000 lb-ft, while towing capacity for 2019 and 2020 models stood at 35,100 pounds. Now, though, the 2021 Ram Heavy Duty trucks offer even more capability, Ram announced Tuesday.
Power figures for the 6.7-liter straight-six Cummins remains the same, at 400 horsepower. However, higher boost and fuel flow in the injection system on 2021 models boosts the torque to 1,075 lb-ft. That figure puts it back out in front of Ford’s 1,050 lb-ft, 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel. It’s now even farther ahead of GM, as well, as the 6.6-liter Duramax tops out at 910 lb-ft.
Ram also takes the gooseneck towing crown (for now)
Ford’s latest Super Duty also pulled in front with its 37,000-pound gooseneck towing capacity. That’s a staggering enough figure, but Ram clearly needed to beat that as well. On that front, Ram managed to increase their HD trucks’ towing capacity by 2,000 pounds. Now, the max rating stands at 37,100 pounds — just 100 pounds ahead of Ford. That change comes down to a revised gooseneck hitch design, working in tandem with the new generation truck’s upgraded frame, including fully-boxed rails and a rear-axle crossmember, to handle that considerable weight. GM, for its part, claims a 36,000 pound towing capacity with its appropriately-equipped heavy duty models.
2021 Ram HD trucks keep the same 23,000 pound conventional towing capacity as before. The Ford F-450 manages 24,200 pounds in bumper pull towing, so the Blue Oval retains its lead there. GM trucks including the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500HD can pull up to 20,000 pounds in conventional towing, when properly configured.
New year, new tech
As before, the 2021 Ram HD lineup does keep the 12-inch Uconnect 4C Nav system as an option (or standard equipment on higher trims). New for this year, though, is a digital rear-view mirror, letting the driver switch between a camera-fed output or a standard mirror.
2021 Ram HD models are available to configure on their official site now. These trucks are rolling will begin rolling off the assembly line this month, and will hit dealers shortly after.
