2019 Ram 1500: 4 Ways Laramie Longhorn Loads Up on Luxury

CARS.COM — For the past several years, Ram pickup trucks have had my favorite interiors in the business and it looks like that will continue with the introduction of the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500, which we first got a look at in January in Detroit. The 2019 Ram 1500 was the winner of our Best in Show Award for the 2018 North American International Auto Show, and it earned my vote in large part on the strength of its interior, which features fantastic materials, styling and a new 12-inch touchscreen in the center console.

Related: 2018 Detroit Auto Show: Best in Show

In Detroit, the most upscale trim of the Ram 1500 present was the Laramie, which pushed into luxury truck territory on its own. But the folks at Ram seem to think that wasn’t enough, so they’ve upped the luxury quotient further just a few weeks later with the introduction of the all-new, no-compromise Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition at the 2018 Houston Auto Show.

The Laramie Longhorn looks to take things to yet another level, with even better materials, standout interior styling details and some unique exterior flourishes. Ram says that in the Laramie Longhorn, what you see is what you get: all the leather, wood and metal accents are authentic.

Here are four ways that the Laramie Longhorn pushes into true luxury territory:

1. Leather-Wrapped Everything

The Laramie Longhorn will feature a hand-wrapped, full-grain leather dashboard, which Ram says is a segment-exclusive feature. Furthering the truck’s luxury credentials, the craftsman-like leather will also wrap the top of the windowsills and on the door panels, as well, usually an area in which non-luxury vehicles will opt for cheaper materials. There are also several unique “alligator skin pattern” leather accents on the seats and doors for some textural contrast.

2. Real Barn Wood Accents

That wood-trim you see on the glove box, door and steering wheel comes from real barn wood. Ram didn’t say whose barn was razed to get it, but it’s a nice, rustic touch that reminds you that you’re still in a big truck. And that big Laramie Longhorn logo you see on the glove box? That’s actually burned into the wood, and mirrors the metal logo found on top of the center-console storage bin.

3. Chrome Dome

Up front, the truck is awash in chrome accents, with a chrome grille, header, headlight surrounds, tow hooks and bumper. The side steps, wheel flares and the rear logo are also covered in the shiny stuff. The available 20- and 22-inch wheels are offered in a variety of finishes, including (you guessed it) chrome.

4. Big Screen

Luxury buyers at this point expect solid technology offerings in the cabin, and the Ram 1500 delivers. Though the gigantic 12-inch touchscreen isn’t an exclusive feature to the Laramie Longhorn, its presence burnishes the luxury cred for several trim levels. The screen allows for split-screen or single-screen operation, and for 2019 it has been brought closer to the driver so it’s easier to reach. In my testing of the screen at the Detroit auto show, I found it to be responsive and quick to react to inputs, with good resolution in both split- and single-screen modes.

Pickup truck interiors have come a long way in the past few years and the Laramie Longhorn is the natural evolution of that change to fit buyers who want capability and class in the same package. The Laramie Longhorn will be offered in crew-cab configuration only, with the choice of three engines (a 3.6-liter V-6, a Hemi V-8 or the new eTorque Hemi V-8). Pricing information is not yet available, but our guess is that it will start well beyond $50,000.

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