Trio of trucks launched at the 2018 North American International Auto Show

DETROIT, Mich. — At a Midwest auto show in the middle of winter, you’d expect truck news. And the Detroit three didn’t disappoint. Ford, Ram and Chevrolet all made news for their pickup truck entries.

Ford makes the return to the midsize truck segment, and Ram and Chevrolet introduce all-new versions of their iconic full-size trucks.

Chevrolet Silverado

We got a sneak peek at the all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado a few weeks ago at the Chevy Trucks Centennial but got no details about actual production. We now know that the Silverado will be 450 pounds lighter than the previous generation, and that it will have six engine/transmission choices and eight different models.

The big news, however, is the new Silverado will have a Duramax 3.0-liter, inline 6-cylidner diesel engine. While Chevrolet hasn’t released any specs for the diesel, Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president for global product development, said he was confident it would beat its competitors fuel economy numbers.

Other engine options will include new 5.3- and 6.2-liter V-8 engines with a dynamic fuel management system.

Other items to note include best-in-class cargo volume, a higher-strength steel floor and 12 fixed tie downs. The 2019 Silverado will also be very connected with 4G LTE, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charging and OnStar safety and security features.

Silverado will go on sale this fall.

Ford Ranger

The midsize Ford Ranger left the U.S. market in 2011, which left a huge opportunity for Chevrolet and GMC to take over this segment. Now Ford is back in a big way and the highly anticipated Ranger returns as a 2019 model.

Equipped with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, Ranger is set to compete with other midsize trucks bearing a V-6 engine.

Ranger will have XL, XLT and Lariat trims and will be available in SuperCab and Super Crew configurations. Chrome and Sport appearance packages will be available as will an FX Off-Road package.

Ranger will have all the driver assist technology we’ve come to expect in today’s cars including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring. The Lariat trim will also include adaptive cruise control and pedestrian detection.

The connected car tech continues with Sync 3 and Ford+Alexa personal assistant functionality. Ranger will also have 4G LTE – a must-have for busy execs and families alike – that will connect up to 10 devices.

Audiophiles among us will also appreciate the available B&O Play premium audio system.

Ranger will go into production later this fall and hit dealers by the end of the year.

Ram 1500

Ram held the last of the pick-up truck press conferences at the Detroit Auto Show, revealing an all-new 1500 that aims to set new benchmarks for technology and durability.

The big news with the 1500 is the eTorque mild hybrid system, which will now come standard on the 3.6-liter V-6 and is available on the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. In addition to the huge fuel savings, eTorque will add up to 90 pound-feet of torque to the V-6 and 130 pound-feet to the V-8.

Ram is calling this the strongest 1500 ever, and the 2019 model come with a 98-percent high-strength steel frame. Maximum payload increases to 2,300 pounds and maximum trailer tow to 12,750 pounds.

The 2019 1500 will come equipped with the fourth-generation Uconnect system, and it will have available features such as a 12-inch reconfigurable infotainment screen, 4G WiFi hotspot, wireless charging and a 360-degree surround view camera.

The 1500 is also chockfull of available safety and security features including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, ParkSense and forward collision warning.

The all-new Ram 1500 will be in dealers starting this spring.