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@HuskerMustang! Are there any specific design changes you wish Ram made on the REV?
I'll wait for final judgement on the production model until more pictures and details come out.
I was initially torn on the concept truck design. I'm old school...ish. I have a classic mustang. Grew up going to car shows and working on a ranch in the summers.
I like tactile nobs for volume/temp/etc. so I don't have to deal with a touch screen and scrolling menus while driving. So in that case, I like the more traditional infotainment setup from the updated "production" model pics. I also like my gauges/speedometer/etc. in a dash cluster in front of me, not Tesla Model 3 style where its only in the center infotainment screen. The heads up display with the concept could have been interesting, but again, I'm good with the traditional approach here, it's just not very innovative or "evolutionary." Production model 1: Concept model: 0
However, I did like the front end of the concept truck design and its aerodynamic appearance. The body lines on the fenders and hood were great. It gave an aggressive, almost muscle car vibe. The front grill design was also killer on the concept model. I also liked the smooth look of the door handles. That's become a very EV thing to do. If you didn't want to go full recessed, that's fine, but having them stick way out like traditional ones keeps the ICE look and drag. Also, not very EV-y. A safe play if you don't want to push away traditionalists. Point on appearance for the overall front 2/3 of the truck goes to the concept model. The production one is just ICE-light.
Wasn't a big fan of what looked like super wide box sides on the concept. I guess these were probably due to the storage areas. Maybe could have gotten used to that. I feel like storing things in the box sides is an interesting concept but eats up bed space for hauling. Talking about the bed, the concept bed looked short since the cab was so big. Maybe it wasn't really if the front end was shorter without an engine bay? However, the bed extender option was a convenient fix for that. Hauling full sheets of plywood would have been a piece of cake. The full pass through for long 2x4s was awesome too. The production model doesn't appear as of yet to have that or the midgate feature so unsure about hauling and bed variations. TBD.
Also, too soon to judge the interior. I LOVED the concept idea of ditching carpet. Honestly, who needs carpet in a truck? You either wear it out or get WeatherTech floor liners to protect it anyway. Point concept truck.
Wasn't thrilled about the suicide doors so not upset about those leaving. Maybe I would have loved them? Unsure. Point: Toss up?
The rest of the interior fashion design (ambient lighting, apple leather, stitching, seat design, steering wheel shape/design, etc.) and spaciousness was all super nice on the concept. The seat tracks for easy removal and infinite adjustability was a neat idea. Too early to judge the production model since we don't have interior pics yet. I could do with or without the jump seats. Unsure if I'd ever need or use them. I say that now, but who knows. Maybe they'd come in handy time to time. I'd definitely want interior accent color options or to match the truck paint combo. If I go for a red truck, the orange highlights inside might clash. However, black and red could be slick! Or black and silver...just some options.
However, like I said, I am a fan of a more traditional dash with instrument cluster. So depending on which interior features you're talking about, both models get pros and cons there.
The rear end seemed super square on the concept. I did appreciate that the cab didn't slant into the bed as bad as the EV Silverado. If I wanted an Avalanche, I'd get one.
I hope the various ride heights/modes are all still around. While commuting, I'd go for range and efficiency over being 2-3 feet off the ground trying to clear ruts in pastures or mountain trails while camping. Plus, I'm shorter so I don't want a ladder to climb into my truck.
Lots of thoughts...The concept was definitely different and was a bit much for those that wanted their truck to look like a traditional truck. It was a bit much for me initially as well. However, it was slowly growing on me...for like two weeks or however long before the "production" version was introduced and brought us back to the Ford Lightning, Dodge edition. The safe, ICE version, with a handful of tweaks and a frunk. To truly be Evolutionary, I feel like there needed to be a bit more distinction between what was and what is coming. There hasn't been a big design change for Dodge Rams in quite a few years. This could have been their chance. I also understand that people don't like change so playing it safe is probably the smarter business decision. It's not like ICE versions are going away any time soon so they could have had both.
ALL OF THAT SAID, it's too soon to judge the production EV model in its entirety. The model we had a month ago was drastically different and who knows what small (or big) changes may happen between now and production a couple years from now. Also, we still have limited pictures of what all this new "production" model really has inside or out...so now we anxiously wait for more info and more pictures in the months to come.
With trucks seemingly only getting bigger and bigger, one thing that is required...it still better fit in my garage!
