Ram named Truck of Texas (again!)
Ram and Jeep cleaned up at the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo, held at the Star Hill Ranch in the Texas Hill Country near Austin, taking more than half the prizes awarded, including the Truck of Texas.
The new Kia Telluride was named the SUV of Texas and also claimed the mid-size SUV honors.
The two-day event, conducted by the Texas Auto Writers Association, included 56 working automotive journalists and 54 trucks, utilities, and commercial vans. The writers drove the trucks on both on-road and off-road courses of varying degrees of difficulty.
Ram was the big winner, collecting five vehicle-category trophies, including the coveted title of “Truck of Texas” for a second consecutive year. With the Jeep Gladiator’s win in the Compact Truck category, FCA made a clean sweep of the truck honors.
Ram added three Technology category trophies to its haul, bringing FCA’s total to 11 of the 21 titles.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon remained the Off-Road Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas. This is a distinction it has held for years; at least since the DaimlerChrysler days.
The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk claimed the honors in the Subcompact SUV category.
Victories at the Texas Truck Rodeo have added significance because Texas is the largest market for light trucks in the United States and is one of the largest in the world for non-commercial light trucks.
Texas Truck Rodeo Winners
Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500 Rebel
SUV of Texas: 2020 Kia Telluride SX
Subcompact SUV of Texas: 2019 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
Compact SUV of Texas: 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road
Mid-Size SUV of Texas: 2020 KiaTelluride SX
Full-Size SUV: 2020 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro
Compact Luxury SUV of Texas: 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec SH-AWD
Mid-Size Luxury SUV of Texas: 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription
Full-Size Luxury SUV of Texas: 2020 Lexus GX 460 Luxury
Mid-Size Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland
Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500 Rebel
Heavy Duty Pickup Truck of Texas: 2019 RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn
Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500 Limited
Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas: 2019 RAM 2500 Power Wagon
Commercial Vehicle of Texas: 2019 Mercedes Sprinter Passenger 4×4
Off-Road SUV of Texas: 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Best Infotainment System: RAM Uconnect System & Touchscreen Display
Best Powertrain: RAM EcoDiesel
Best Towing: RAM Rear Air Suspension
Best Safety Feature: Toyota Safety Sense P
Best Driver Assist System: Toyota Panoramic View & Multi-Terrain Monitor
Bill Cawthon was born in the Motor City and grew up with Chrysler. His Dad was a graduate of Chrysler Institute and started his career in road test back in the days when it meant testing the cars on actual public roads. Bill spent many weekends on the plant floor at the old Dodge Main in Hamtramck. He’s been writing about cars and Mopars for about 20 years and also writes about the business side of auto industry for an international industry publication. Bill lives near Houston, Texas and is an active member of the Texas Auto Writers Association.