The ace shooters at KGP Photography were able to capture images of the 2019 Ram 1500 testing in the wild free of its thick, plastic camouflage. Wearing only black and white swirl, the all-new pickup betrays a few details, helping us learn a bit more about the Ram that’ll hit dealers by the end of next year.

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Foremost, although the photos don’t show it, our spy photographer visually confirmed that the Ram 1500 will retain its crosshairs grille for 2019. The grille design, which has been a Ram signature since 1985, will be bookended by all-new headlights that corroborate the lighting signature that was leaked by an attendee of a private Ram dealer meeting several months ago.

These aggressive headlamps look like they may take some inspiration from the Ram brand’s sibling Dodge, a curious move given the division has been trying to establish its own identity since it was officially spun off for 2011. However, the lamps do the trick of updating the Ram’s mini-Kenworth styling for a new decade. They also look like they may be vented, suggesting a stout cooling system capable of handling a turbocharged engine: Is Ram still considering a turbocharged I-4 base engine and Pentastar V-6 to replace the Hemi, perhaps a few years after the truck’s launch?

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Around back, we also get a peek at the 2019 1500 pickup’s taillights, which are more deeply sculpted than they were before. A broad, flat-red center section suggests Ram will update the truck with blind spot monitoring and active parking assist features, helping it compete with technology leaders like the Ford F-150. Here’s hoping that blind spot tech is capable of taking the length of a trailer into account, as on the Blue Oval.

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Of note, we do have to eat some crow, as it doesn’t appear that the upcoming Ram will offer a Mega Cab option on 1500 models. The unwrapped test vehicle is obviously a crew cab, and its dimensions look identical to those of earlier test mules, which we erroneously heralded as the return of the light-duty Mega Cab. The cab itself looks to be totally redesigned, with a slightly enlarged greenhouse and a massive infotainment screen visible in the photos.

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Other images in the gallery betray that Ram is sticking with stamped steel for its bedsides and bed floor. The new pickup’s cargo box contours look very similar to the current model, with a few extra gussets stamped into the metal for added strength. But as they say, don’t fix what ain’t broke, and since we’ve never heard Ram owners complain of any egregious bed damage, the 2019 1500 should work just fine.

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We’ll likely see the 2019 Ram 1500 in full at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in January. Till then, tell us what you’d like to see Ram do with its new volume-seller.

Source: KGP Photography

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