Ram

From the first choice of families looking for a torquey, flexible engine to make short work of towing and overtaking, to an endangered species. The V8's fortunes have changed dramatically over the years. Following the news Chrysler Australia has called last drinks on the 300 SRT in Australia, CarAdvice commenter, Michael, put it to us:

Introducing an entirely new nameplate to an established – and, some would argue, saturated – Australian new-car market carries an inherent risk. With a multitude of choices already on offer, any new model needs to offer a compelling package to take on the already established nameplates within a segment.

UPDATE: The new RAM 2500 Heavy Duty, unveiled in January 2019 and originally expected to hit Australia "sometime" in 2020, is now expected to arrive in either late 2020 or early 2021. News of the model's coming was announced on Ram Trucks Australia's Facebook page in May, but the company has yet to issue a press release.

An increasing number of Australians are planning epic road trips on home soil because of travel restrictions overseas, according to the latest new-car sales data which has unearthed an unexpected trend. Sales of heavy-duty four-wheel-drives and towing vehicles – such as the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series, Nissan Patrol, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – have either surged or remained relatively strong in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

The current generation Chevrolet Silverado 2500 pick-up from the US – powered by a 6.6-litre V8 turbo diesel with an epic output of 332kW/1234Nm and a 5890kg towing capacity – has almost sold out in Australia. Only approximately 100 examples remain in dealer stock nationally after about 1200 were remanufactured in right-hand-drive to factory standards by Holden Special Vehicles in its Melbourne facility from June 2018.