Posted by Mark Williams | February 10, 2016

Probably the best way to describe the changes to the refreshed 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon being showcased at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show is to say it's a Ram 1500 Rebel on steroids. Click here to see our video.

Borrowing heavily from the front grille and tailgate of the Rebel, the new Power Wagon will continue to offer all the same extreme off-road mechanical capability of the 2016 model, but now it has a brand-new look.

Model-year 2017 Power Wagons will have the swooping blacked-out front grille with silver Ram lettering on the grille, similar to the Rebel, with a completely black bumper and skid plate (which will house a winch that can handle 12,000 pounds) as well as smoked bezel projector headlights and taillights. The tailgate also will feature oversized Ram lettering with the Power Wagon name below. Vertical black stripes down the midsection of the pickup repeat the truck's name just behind the cab as well. The black graphic package on the hood, sides and tailgate is standard for white, blue, silver, red and granite Power Wagons, while black trucks will get a silver graphic treatment.

All Power Wagons will continue to offer front and rear locking 4.10:1 differentials in their live axles (9.25 inches in front, 11.5 inches in back), an anti-sway-bar disconnect system for the front end, 33-inch Goodyear DuraTrac All-Terrain tires and the Hemi 6.4-liter V-8. Power Wagons will continue to be offered exclusively in the four-door crew-cab configuration with a 6-foot 4-inch bed.

Inside, new Power Wagon echoes the Rebel with a blackout interior and seats that sport tire tread imprints on the seatbacks and bottoms; the treads match the Power Wagon's actual footprint. Additionally, a Ram's head is stitched into the headrest with the truck's name in the back bolsters.

For model-year 2017, the Power Wagon reduces the number of option packages from four to two, but it still offers popular stand-alone options: leather seats, a backup camera, an in-bed camera and a new tri-fold tonneau cover that works with or without the RamBox.

For the first time, Ram will offer a Tradesman for the Power Wagon that includes all of that model's important mechanicals and protection, but does not include any highlights in silver or black like the fully equipped Power Wagon. Ram also announced at the auto show a new Ram 2500 4x4 Off-road Package that includes a few of the same capability-first 4x4 features found on the Power Wagon without the higher price tag.

Pricing for the standard 2017 Power Wagon and Power Wagon Tradesman has not been announced, but dealerships will be able to start ordering the 2017 models this summer, likely for fall delivery.

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