Ram 1500 is the First Pickup to Earn Top Safety Pick + Rating

The Ram 2020 models aren’t even available for purchase yet, but the truck maker already has plenty to celebrate before the new model year even begins. The 2020 Ram 1500 Crew Cab model upgraded with optional equipment was just awarded a Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This makes the 2020 Ram 1500 the very first full-size truck achieve such a score. After numerous rigorous tests and evaluations, the 2020 Ram 1500 was awarded the highest rating available.

The truck brand announced that the pickup earned “Good” ratings — the highest available — in all six crashworthiness tests. Sample tests include a very challenging passenger-side small overlap front test that rarely if ever is passed by pickups. Ram claims that its patented frame-rail construction is responsible for helping the pickup pass as it strategically manages impacts during frontal collisions. In order to move on to the next round, all pickups must earn a “Good” rating in all six crash tests. The IIHS also requires vehicles to earn an “Advanced” score or better in frontal-crash avoidance tests. Although the model tested featured optional advanced safety features, the 2020 Ram 1500 earned a “Superior” score.

There’s also an infamous headlight test, one that experts consider to be the most stringent test for any vehicle to pass when tested by the IIHS. Ram earned its “Good” rating in this category thanks in large part to the Ram engineers that tweaked the optional adaptive LED projector headlights prior to the test. Over the years many vehicles have come close to that Top Safety Pick + rating only to come tumbling down the ranks thanks to their less-than-stellar headlights. If a vehicle earns just an “Acceptable” rating in this category, well that’s enough to bump it down to Top Safety Pick only category. IIHS is strict with its ratings — its rubric makes vehicles not eligible for an award if they earn anything less than “acceptable” in any category.

The Top Safety Pick + rating is not a blanket statement for all 2020 Ram 1500 models. The IIHS deemed that only the crew cab model featuring active safety equipment and the optional LED lights package is eligible for a Top Safety Pick + rating. Other Ram 1500 trucks with different configurations do not qualify. The only other truck to earn a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS is the Honda Ridgeline. When compared to the Ram 1500, the Honda does not feature a body-on-frame platform, thus making the Ram 1500 the first pickup to earn a Top Safety Pick + rating.

It seems that Ram is showing no signs of stopping, its 2019 Ram 1500 model was ranked as MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year, while the revamped 2019 Heavy-Duty lineup helped the truck maker usurp Chevrolet’s No. two spot in terms of sales figures. Follow Miami Lakes Ram on social media to stay up to date as the 2020 Ram 1500 launches in the Fall (2019).

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