Spurred by the success of Ford’s Transit Connect and the various versions of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ram tapped its Fiat partner for a couple of commercial vans of its own. Both the big ProMaster and smaller ProMaster City were already being sold overseas when they adopted Ram badges a couple of years ago. Notable is that both are front-wheel drive, both are of unibody construction, and both are also offered in chassis-cab configurations “over there”; yet only the ProMaster’s has been sent stateside … so far.
Test Drive: 2014 Ram 2500 ProMaster Cargo
ProMaster
Only detail changes have been made to this big hauler for 2017. Chrysler’s Uconnect 3.0 is now available on all models, a wide rear axle is standard on all chassis cab and cutaway models, upfit interface connectors and rear-speaker wiring is standard on all models, those with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel get an electronic parking brake, and you can no longer get the turbodiesel with the 118-inch wheelbase.
As before, the ProMaster is offered in a dizzying array of capacities and body styles. There are 1500, 2500, and 3500 (1/2-, ¾-, and 1-ton, respectively) versions on 118-, 136-, or 159-inch wheelbase chassis. Body styles include low- and high-roof cargo vans, high-roof window vans, chassis cabs, and chassis-cab cutaways. Engines choices comprise a 280-horsepower 3.6-liter gas V6 and a 174-horsepower 3.0-liter turbodiesel four.
ProMaster City
The “little” ProMaster receives little for 2017 – unless you count inside rear-door reflectors (seen when the doors are open) and brighter shifter illumination as big changes. ProMaster City is offered as a 2-seat cargo van and as a (much less popular) 5-seat passenger van, both powered by a 178-horsepower 2.4-liter four.
