What Years Are 4th-Generation Dodge RAMs?

Dodge trucks date back nearly a century to when the company, founded by Michigan brothers John and Horace Dodge, produced a canopy truck. The last Dodge Brothers-designed pickup was built in 1929, one year after Walter Chrysler had bought the company. The Ram hood ornament first appeared in 1932, and the words "Dodge Ram" were used on the tailgate of the Ramcharger SUV in the mid-'70s. 

The Ram pickup line began production in 1981 and saw major updates for the 1994 and 2002 model years. The fourth generation debuted in 2009, and ran through 2018, and saw a major change to the brand. When the fourth generation debuted, Dodge split the Ram truck line off into its own brand. The fourth generation of Dodge Ram (then just Ram) trucks ran through 2018, and the fifth generation was already underway when Ram's parent company, Fiat Chrysler, merged with the Peugeot group to form Stellantis. 

The fourth-generation Dodge Ram 1500 got a new platform, although trim levels and the basic body design were carried over from the third generation. It was offered in standard and quad-cab versions, with three bed sizes ranging from 5.7 feet to eight feet. Initial engine offerings were a 215 horsepower, 3.7-liter V6, a 4.7-liter V8 that made 310 horses, and a 5.7-liter HEMI that cranked out 390 horsepower. The V6 gave way to the new 3.6-liter Pentastar engine in 2013, and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel replaced the 4.7-liter V8 from 2014 through 2017. The two new engines helped Ram trucks win Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award in 2013 and 2014. 2017 and later HEMI-powered Rams are coveted for their impressive output of 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. 

Chrysler's new owner, Fiat, began to refine the Ram's interior during the fourth generation, adding heated rear seats on quad-cab versions, a backup camera, and adjustable pedals. The body, chassis, and interior were tweaked for a mid-generation update in 2013, bringing a new eight-speed transmission and an update to the Uconnect infotainment system. The off-road-ready Ram 1500 Rebel hit dealerships in 2016, and two years later, the EcoDiesel engine returned to the option sheet. In later years, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-fi hotspot were also added as options. 

[Featured image by MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC-BY SA 4.0]