WASHINGTON — The smaller cargo van market went from almost nothing to a crowded field virtually overnight, and now with the help of a Fiat, Ram has a fuel-efficient choice with two different Promaster City offerings.
You can get a true two seat cargo van called the Tradesman, or choose the wagon version and get a second-row bench seat and still have a good-sized cargo area. I had each model for a week. This time, we’ll focus on the full-on cargo version. With prices starting around $24,000 and jumping to nearly $30,000 when loaded, these might not be cheapest small vans on the market.
Most noticeable is the styling. It’s been called “odd” and “strange,” and I didn’t ever have a problem finding it in a crowded parking lot. The front end looks like that of a normal small car; then, the tall van body creates a different look. You can get a Promaster City with side windows and have a true cargo van look, or choose to have windows like the tester on the side sliding doors. You save money without the glass. The Promaster City doesn’t look very large from the outside because it is a Fiat and sold throughout Europe.
This is a front wheel drive van, so the height for loading things is pretty low and easy. The rear doors open at 90 degrees so they won’t go flying away, and a simple lever allows them to open to 120 degrees. The rear doors open left first then the right door next – a difference from the usual American vans. The side doors are easy and light and slide back and forth with just a light touch.
The space inside is surprising. I was able to fit a full-size mattress and box spring easily between the wheel wells, with lots of room to spare. The Promaster City is larger inside than some of the competition. It’s not as large as the old Chevy Astro, but it’s not very far off.
A 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with nearly 180 hp and nine-speed transmission do a good job of moving the van around, even when it’s partially loaded. The pickup was decent for a van and the transmission works well. It didn’t hunt for gears or seem to get lost like transmissions in similar vehicles.
This is a van with no real carpeting or sound-deadening materials. You get more wind noise and that extra noise of driving a metal box, but it’s quieter than older vans. If you’re looking to upgrade the fleet to save money at the pump, it does well with fuel economy. It came in at 25.5 mpg in 300 miles of mixed driving – better than the 24 mpg the sticker says.
The Ram Promaster Tradesman SLT is a surprising cargo-swallowing machine with a smaller footprint for easy use in the city. Check back next Friday, when I review the wagon version, which has more creature comforts and technology.