Ram has unveiled an Americanised version of the Fiat Doblo that will take on the Ford Transit Connect and Nissan NV200 (and Chevrolet City Express) in the small van market.
The Ram ProMaster City is available with just one engine choice: the 2.4-litre 4-cylinder Tigershark engine. This gas engine develops 178hp (133kW) and 174 lb-ft (236Nm) of torque, and is tied exclusively to a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Two variants of the ProMaster City will be sold in the US and Canada. The Tradesman Cargo features up-front seating only, with a commerce friendly rear. The Wagon variant has a second row of seats with 60/40 split, and the ability to fold and tumble forward.
The ProMaster City’s rear barn doors open to 90 degrees by default, but for extra large cargo can open up to 180 degrees if a catch is released.
Stability control is standard. Parking sensors, reversing camera, sat nav, Bluetooth phone connectivity and internet access are available on the ProMaster range.
Like the Ford Transit, the ProMaster City/Doblo features a unitary body. In the Ram’s case the van’s underpinnings are shared with the (Grande) Punto, Opel Corsa and Opel Meriva.
The ProMaster City will be built alongside its Fiat sibling at Fiat’s plant in Bursa, Turkey. To escape the “chicken tax” the cargo variants will be built in Turkey with seats and windows installed, which are then subsequently stripped at a Chrysler facility in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dimensions, load capacity
Wheelbase: 122.4-in (3,109mm)
Payload: 1,883 lb (854kg)
Cargo volume: 131.7 cubic feet (3,729L)
Max cargo width: 60.4-in (1,534mm)
Max cargo length: 87.2-in (2,215mm)
Distance between wheel wells: 48.4-in (1,229mm)
