The Ram Truck Brand has announced that it will be launching a new Ram 1500 model aimed at first time buyers and owners who are looking for a vehicle with performance and style that they can customize and make their own.  Although the Ram 1500 model has been developed, it’s yet to be officially named.  Thus, the code name “Adventurer” has been dubbed for this new beauty.

The Ram Tradesman, unveiled Feb. 9th, at the Chicago Auto Show,  is a value-priced, HEMI-powered Ram 1500 regular cab truck that appeals to a cost-conscious, new-vehicle buyer who doesn’t want to give up performance and capability.  The unnamed new Ram 1500, like the Ram Tradesman, offers buyers a standard HEMI V8 engine with its 20 mpg rating for the same price competitors are charging for their V6 engines.

According to Ram Truck President and CEO Fred Diaz, “we know we have the formula right.  Now we just need a great name that promotes pride of ownership.  This new Ram model will be an attractive alternative for a younger or first-time buyer looking for performance at an affordable price.  Case in point, it will have more horsepower and a lower base price than our competitors’ entry-level performance cars with the added benefit of versatility and capability.”

Ram Truck executives were initially going to introduce the new model later in the 2011 calendar year, however an overwhelming response to the Ram Tradesman bumped things up.  “This is going to be a great-looking, sports truck. A buyer will be able to drive off in a new HEMI-powered Ram Truck with money left over for other things, like Mopar accessories. There’s nothing in the market – and that includes other trucks, as well as cars — that can compete with this truck’s blend of style, exhilarating performance and value,” Said Diaz.

In addition to the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque, the “Adventurer” will comel oaded with features that emphasize its high performance character.  It will have a racy, monochromatic paint scheme,  a body-colored grille with black honeycomb inserts, body-colored front fascia and body-colored rear fascia with chrome-tipped dual exhausts.   It will also have fog lamps and 20-inch aluminum wheels with locking lug nuts, a locking tailgate, cargo lamp, rear-bumper step pad, 6″ x 9″ side-view mirrors and rear wheel-well liners.

Standard features also include a 160-amp alternator, 26-gallon fuel tank, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp maintenance-free battery, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars, power rack-and-pinion steering, halogen headlamps, heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and a full-size spare tire.

Inside, the new truck will get a heavy-duty vinyl 40/20/40 split-bench seat, and you’ll have the choice of vinyl or carpeted floor covering.  Other features include air conditioning, an instrument cluster with tachometer and 120-mph speedometer, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, four-spoke tilt steering wheel, six-speaker media center with CD and MP3 player, as well as audio jack input for mobile devices, automatic headlamps, behind-the-seat storage bins, driver and passenger assist handles, power accessory delay, rear dome lamp, rear-view day/night mirror, tinted glass windows, tip start and variable intermittent windshield wipers.

Important safety features will include advanced multistage front air bags, supplemental front curtain and side air bags, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, height-adjust shoulder belts, sentry key theft deterrent system and tire pressure monitoring warning lamp.

It will be available in Bright Silver Metallic, Bright White, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl, Deep Water Blue Pearl, Flame Red, Hunter Green Pearl and Mineral Gray Metallic.

MSRP for the new “Adventurer” will start at $23,830, including $975 destination charge and will arrive in Ram Truck dealerships in the second quarter of 2011.