Much has been said about the new look on the 2015 Ram Laramie Limited, especially regarding the grille and tailgate. You don't have to go any further than our reader comments from our video or first-look story to see the emphatic reactions.
Astute readers will note that the Laramie Limited look is strategically similar to the special-edition Ram Rebel revealed at the North American International Auto Show; it has its own unique grille and massive block lettering on the back of the tailgate. But some might argue that the two models are significantly different in tone and execution, as noted by those who made reference to the large black-out lettering versus large chrome lettering.
According to Automotive News, the reason for this dramatic shift at Ram could be quite simple. Writer Larry P. Vellequette reasons that Ram is trying to create more distance from its Dodge roots, due in large part because many people — including dealers — still refer to the pickup truck lineup as Dodge Ram. Ram separated from Dodge six years ago to allow both brands to more clearly define and execute their product lineups. We think that's been working out pretty well, especially for Ram.
The problem comes when many faithful Ram followers — some call it the Ram Nation — take this significant change in a visual direction as a decision to walk away from the brand's crosshair heritage and ram's head imagery.
Whether this is the first shot in a Ram design revolution or just a small direction adjustment, Vellequette says only time will tell. In the meantime it seems pretty clear there are many Ram fans who are willing to be patient and flexible about different types of front grille designs, but are ready to push back against the idea that tailgate letter size matters. They believe that by overstating the obvious Ram is attempting to compensate for other shortcomings. No wonder that's not sitting well with the Ram Nation.
Cars.com images by Evan Sears
