To remain competitive in the US truck market, it is no longer enough to outperform competitors in terms of torque and towing capacity with gross engines. Winning against truck owners means that your dashboard screens must also be big.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has proven with its redesigned Ram 1500 pickup, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen inspired by Apple iPad in the center console. The big screen helped the truck chain to a second place, surpassing General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Silverado and taking 23% of the highly competitive large truck segment in the first quarter, Edmunds said.

Automakers "are really aiming inside the vehicle to try to differentiate themselves," said Kyle Davis, an analyst at IHS Markit. "Ram was already on the market when it comes to trucks for this type of show, but we expect others to catch up fairly quickly."

Traditional truck marketing typically involves playing the role of a masculinist in a vehicle, not elegant touch screens – a reflection of the bulk of buyers who are mostly men who want to transport trailers or construction materials.

But as Americans abandon mass passenger cars, trucks are becoming more integrated into everyday life, doubling the number of family carriers who are meeting their professional obligations and attracting more and more people. buyers. Car manufacturers also climbed into the high-end, driving up the van's record-breaking prices thanks to a luxurious legroom, premium leather and all the technology and connectivity of a sedan high-end in their ultra-stylish trucks.

Fiat Chrysler, which has struggled for years with quality problems with many US models, ranks in the top five with its multimedia information system and in the top three for its seamless integration with smartphones, according to Consumer Reports.

"They nearly knocked hard when designing the interior of this new truck, and this interior is without a doubt the benchmark in the industry right now," said Sung Moon, vice president. of the commercial development of Detroit Manufacturing Systems, a supplier that builds the dashboard of Ford Motor Co.'s bestseller F-150.

Jim Morrison, head of North America's Ram division, said the brand was not trying to capture the screen after Tesla Inc.'s 17-inch console screens. Fiat Chrysler's designers for the Ram 1500 simply wanted something big enough to handle all the tasks people take in their trucks – routes, listening to music, phone conversation, monitoring oil pressure and engine temperature – all without that drivers are too much forced with steering wheel controls.

"It was really a natural evolution that started with entertainment because people spend a lot of time in their trucks," said Morrison.

This year, 60% of the vehicles produced worldwide are equipped with a touch screen dashboard, compared to 32% in 2014, according to IHS Markit.

Ford, whose F-Series pickup truck has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for decades, is maintaining a comfortable lead this year, despite Fiat Chrysler's gains. Nevertheless, the Ram's screen caught the attention of the leaders.

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