Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association Names Mopar '16 Ram Rebel "Best Off-road Vehicle" at 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Driving Experience

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Oct 28, 2016, 03:42 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Winners chosen from a field that includes every significant new car and truck introduced in the last year
Nearly 40 vehicles evaluated and voted on by the members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press
Mopar '16 Ram Rebel features upgrades including 17-inch satin black wheels, black front bumper skid plate, wheel flares, serialized badge and special Mopar graphics

The Mopar '16 Ram Rebel was named "Best Off-road Vehicle" by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) at this year's Rocky Mountain Driving Experience.

Taking place in the mountains of Colorado, 2016 marks the 10th annual Rocky Mountain Vehicle of the Year awards. More than 30 journalists evaluated nearly 40 vehicles at Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colo., over the course of two days.

The goal is to recognize vehicles that are all new or significantly revised for the 2016 model year. In order to be eligible for the award, vehicles must be in the Rocky Mountain regional press fleet and available for RMAP members to test.

"For the second consecutive year, RMAP journalists have selected the Ram Rebel because of its combination of off-road capability, power and comfort," said David Muramoto, RMAP President. "That's what made it a winner."

RMAP represents automotive journalists from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. RMAP's main goal is to promote an information exchange between automakers and journalists and to help consumers make informed decisions about their transportation needs.

The Mopar '16 Ram Rebel is based on the Ram 1500 4x4 Rebel Crew Cab and marks the first limited-edition Mopar-modified vehicle designed for the truck segment. Only 500 units will be sold. Upgraded features include a skid plate to guard the power steering box and a black front bumper skid plate is substituted for the standard billet silver color. Seventeen-inch satin black wheels tie in with the blacked out front for added continuity and visual appeal. An aluminum dual bezel sport performance hood embellished with a matte-black hood graphic and off-road wheel flares bulge out to add both style and substance. Rounding out Custom Shop content is a serialized Mopar '16 glove box badge and a set of stainless-steel door sill guards, with the front sill guards embossed with the Ram logo. Two color options will be available: Flame Red/Brilliant Black two-tone or Brilliant Black monotone.

About Rocky Mountain Automotive Press
The Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) is a professional association created to enhance the standing of the media we represent, facilitate the exchange of information between auto manufacturers and our members, and ultimately to raise the level of the service we provide our readers, listeners and viewers. RMAP has members from Colorado, Nebraska, California, Iowa, Montana, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arizona. For more information, contact: Aaron Turpen, Vice President, RMAP, at [email protected]

About Mopar Brand
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked in 1937 with the launch of an antifreeze product, but it truly made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era. From Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, the brand soon expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Today, Mopar is the service, parts and customer-care brand of FCA US LLC and distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 25 customer contact centers globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for FCA brands.

Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles. This offers a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.

About Ram 1500 Rebel
The Ram 1500 Rebel brings a one-of-a-kind off-road design to the full-size truck segment, offering customers a custom truck with capability.

Equipped with factory lift, 33-inch tires, Bilstein shocks, skid plates, tow hooks and other off-road-ready features, Rebel drops right into a core segment of the truck market with unique design cues and can-do attitude backed by Ram Truck engineering. Ram 1500 Rebel also takes advantage of exclusive air suspension in order to offer increased ride height.

New front grille design and "RAM" branding offer a new styling signature for Ram Truck. Rebel is also distinguished by unique interior colors and materials, including Radar Red and Black seats with tire tread-matching patterns.

The Ram 1500 Rebel is available in three short wheelbase Crew Cab configurations with a standard 4x4/3.6-liter Pentastar V-6/TorqueFlite 8 combination, delivering 305 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque; a 4x2 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with variable valve timing, fuel-saver technology and 395 horsepower/410 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission 4x2; or HEMI-powered 4x4.

About Ram Truck Brand
Since its launch as a stand-alone division in 2009, the Ram Truck brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with America's longest-lasting line of pickups.

Creating a distinct identity for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and the features they find valuable. Whether focusing on a family that uses a Ram 1500 day-in and day-out, a hard-working Ram 3500 Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its Ram ProMaster commercial van every day for deliveries, Ram has the truck market covered.

In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability. Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities.

Ram continues to beat the competition in the most sought-after titles:

Longest-lasting line of pickups
Best-in-class ride and handling with exclusive link coil rear and auto-level air suspensions
Best-in-class fuel economy and longest range with exclusive EcoDiesel – 29 mpg and 754 miles with Ram 1500
Best-in-class gas towing -- 16,320 pounds with Ram 2500
Highest snow plow rating -- Ram 2500 and 3500
Most interior space with Ram Mega Cab
Most capable fullsize off-road pickup -- Ram Power Wagon

Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

Follow Ram and FCA US news and video on:
FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com
Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com
Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com
Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com
FCA360: www.fca360.com
Ram Trucks brand: www.ramtrucks.com
Ram Zone blog: www.ramzone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RamTrucks and https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/RamTrucks and www.flickr.com/ChryslerGroup
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ramtrucks and www.pinterest.com/FCAcorporate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramtrucks and www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RamTrucks and www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/RamTrucks and www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo