[See image gallery at www.autoguide.com]
We’ve already seen spy shots of the upcoming 2020 Ram HD but eagle-eyed photographers have now captured the Power Wagon testing.
The current Power Wagon is bursting at the seams with machismo, so this new-for-2020 model will likely make stop signs pregnant simply by driving past them. The trim trades some outright towing and hauling prowess for off-road cred, loaded up with 33-inch all-terrain tires and winch integrated right into the front bumper.
These shots make it clear the next Power Wagon will remain available as a four-door Crew Cab model, hopefully with the new Ram 1500’s moonshot interior baked into the package. Clearance lights are visible on the truck shown here by way of suspiciously bulging roof camo, while the front bumper cutout suggests a winch will be in the offing for this new truck as well.
In a small detail, the truck’s steel radio antenna is missing. A sliding rear window, backup camera, and cutouts in the camo for a RamBox are present and accounted for.
Eight-lug hubs remain, as do familiar wheels styled to look like industrial gears, wrapped up with an aggressive set of Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs. It’s tough to get a good look underneath but Ram isn’t in the business of going backwards. Existing Power Wagons employ locking front and rear diffs, Bilstein shocks, an electronically disconnecting sway bar. We see no reason why these features won’t continue.
SEE ALSO: 2019 Ram 1500 Video, The 10 Things to Know
The rear pumpkin on this test mule looks sufficiently beefy and likely holds a set of 4.10 gears. In fact, the whole rear suspension appears very familiar, right down to the number of bolts on the diff cover. Right now, Power Wagon equipment is also available on a Tradesman model, a model marketed towards buyers who, unlike your author, don’t feel the need to obnoxiously broadcast their vehicle using bold grilles and loud colors. We’ll see if this trend continues in 2020.
A quick peek at the exhaust routing on this test mule reveals a setup mirroring today’s equipment, making it a logical assumption that Ram’s 6.4-liter V8 will continue as the truck’s power mill. In a never-ending quest for superiority, expect a slight output bump from the existing 410hp and 429lb-ft ratings.
As for appearance, the mule’s headlights seem to be a bit narrower and higher than the current truck’s, leading one to believe a style similar to the new Ram 1500 is being prepared for the HD. The buffeting camo on this truck’s nose seems to indicate it’ll have a R A M billboard on its snout rather than a gunsight grille, a longtime styling flourish that is rapidly vacating the Ram lineup. A small cutout on the grille’s camo indicates the presence of a forward-facing camera, something that would be a great addition to this truck given its off-road mission.
Look for the 2020 Ram Power Wagon to bow at either this year’s State Fair of Texas in September or at the North American International Auto Show in January.
A version of this story originally appeared on Off-Road.com.
The post 2020 Ram Power Wagon Steps Out For the Camera appeared first on AutoGuide.com.
