Recognizing the importance of vans in the commercial vehicle space, Ram Commercial has enhanced the safety profile of its popular ProMaster van with a new digital rear-view camera, crosswind assist, and more.
The 2021 model van debuted at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
“Ram Commercial was formed in 2014, and our full-size van customers have enjoyed Ram’s benchmark durability ever since,” Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand, said. “Ram Commercial continues to focus solely on trucks and commercial vehicles, allowing us to deliver confidence for hard-working people every day, no matter their line of work.”
The 2021 model’s digital rear-view mirror option replaces the traditional mirror. A 9.2-inch LCD monitor, the mirror displays video in real time from a rear-facing camera and can be turned off to revert back to a traditional reflective mirror. The digital rear-view mirror is available on all ProMaster models.
“Frequently your rearward vision is blocked by cargo walls or cargo,” Dave Sowers, head of Ram commercial marketing, said at a press conference on Wednesday. “[With this], you get the full view behind you without the obstructions.”
Crosswind assist is now as standard equipment on all 2021 Ram ProMaster models and helps the driver keep the vehicle stable, even when wind gusts attempt to push the vehicle off course.
“We know [safety] is a growing focus for the commercial customer,” Sowers said.
Blind spot monitoring with cross-path detection is an available option and warns the driver when vehicles enter the vehicle’s blind spot. It is available on ProMaster Cargo versions only.
“The blind spots on commercial vehicles can be quite large, so this is an important feature,” Sowers said.
Cross-path detection provides a perpendicular look at the vehicle’s surroundings. Braking is applied when the system detects an object in the vehicle’s path.
Forward collision warning with emergency brake assist is an available option on all ProMaster variants. It applies partial braking to mitigate the collision and increase the driver’s time to react to the impending collision.
Designed for those that also use the ProMaster as a mobile office, ambient/courtesy lights enhance lower interior lighting with LEDs.
Sowers said improving the safety profile is important as ProMaster vans become more popular in the e-commerce delivery space.
“The home delivery business is here to stay,” Sowers said. “The segment we play in was up 8% last year in a flat market.”
The 2021 ProMaster comes in cargo lengths from 8 to 13 feet, two roof heights and two widths. There are also different wheelbase configurations and the ProMaster features the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine paired with a proven six-speed automatic transmission. All ProMaster models come with a front-wheel-drive system.
Mike Koval, director of product marketing for Ram Brand, said van sales were up 15% in 2019, and total Ram Brand sales rose 18%. Ram sold 703,000 units in the U.S.