2015 Ram Promaster City Review

The 2015 Ram ProMaster City joins a small group of compact workhorse vans, offering impressive cargo and payload ratings, plus versatility that threatens to outmatch its rivals.

While the United States is well known for its pickup truck culture, the rest of the world has been using compact- and medium-size cargo vans to haul equipment for decades. Now, many of these vans are making their way to our shores and the latest of these smaller, more efficient haulers is the 2015 Ram ProMaster City.

Available in a five-passenger "wagon" version or a two-passenger cargo van, the ProMaster City is a smaller sibling to the Ram ProMaster full-size van that debuted for 2014. Just like its bigger brother, the ProMaster City is based on a successful Fiat van from Europe (in this case, the Doblo). The relatively petite exterior dimensions of the ProMaster City allow it to squeeze into tiny city parking spots or maneuver in traffic much more easily than a full-size van. A standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine produces 178 horsepower and earns an EPA-estimated 29 mpg on the highway. A properly equipped ProMaster City has a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds, and payload tops out at nearly 1,900 pounds. Both are class-leading numbers.

As a passenger vehicle, the 2015 Ram ProMaster City Wagon could be viewed as an affordable five-seat alternative to the typical family crossover, but the driving experience is considerably less refined and you won't have access to as many safety and convenience features. Really, the ProMaster City is best when used as a cargo van. Whether you're a florist needing to make local deliveries or a fleet operator wanting something with better fuel economy than a pickup truck or large van, it is a pretty good option.

The 2015 Ram ProMaster City isn't the only small van to offer this combination of versatility and limited size, though. The 2015 Ford Transit Connect is another small van worth considering, and it's nicer to drive than the Ram. The Ford can also be equipped with seven-passenger seating and has available options like leather upholstery. The 2015 Nissan NV200 and the Chevrolet City Express are mechanically similar to each other and are competitively priced, but they can't tow or haul quite as much as the Ram. There's also the minivan-based 2015 Ram CV Tradesman to consider if you need a bit more overall interior volume. But if you're looking for a maneuverable, versatile and reasonably priced option for your small business, the ProMaster City is definitely worth a look.

The 2015 Ram ProMaster City comes in two body styles: Wagon and Cargo van. The Wagon is a five-passenger vehicle, while the Cargo van has just two front seats and is set up for hauling. There are two trim levels for each body style: base and SLT for the Wagon, and Tradesman and Tradesman SLT for the Cargo van.

Standard equipment on the base/Tradesman vans includes 16-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, power front windows, cloth upholstery, air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a front overhead storage bin, a 60/40-split folding rear seat (Wagon only) and a four-speaker stereo with USB/iPod connectivity.

For the Wagon SLT and Cargo van Tradesman SLT trim levels, all of the above equipment comes standard along with body-color mirrors and bumpers, power heated mirrors, privacy glass, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, driver lumbar adjustment, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, premium cloth upholstery, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, voice commands and a Uconnect 5-inch touchscreen.

Available option packages include the Popular Equipment group (second-row power windows, a six-speaker stereo, heated front seats), the Rear Back-Up Camera group (rear parking sensors and a rearview camera), the Lights and Wheels group (16-inch alloy wheels and foglights) and a Trailer Tow group with a Class III hitch. Other ProMaster City options include roof rails, cargo partitions for the Cargo van, a rear window defroster and wiper/washer, remote start and satellite radio.

The 2015 Ram ProMaster City is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 178 hp and 174 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The EPA's estimated fuel economy for the ProMaster City is 24 mpg combined (21 city/29 highway). That is similar to rivals like the Nissan NV200 and Ford Transit Connect.

Payload capacity is rated at 1,883 pounds (Cargo van) and, when properly equipped, maximum towing capacity for the ProMaster City is 2,000 pounds. The Ford Transit Connect can tow as much as the ProMaster City, but the Ford's payload capacity tops out around 1,700 pounds. The Nissan NV200 and Chevy City Express have an even lower payload maximum of about 1,500 pounds.

Standard safety equipment on the 2015 Ram ProMaster City includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag, hill-start assist, trailer sway control and rollover mitigation. A rearview camera and rear parking sensors are optional.

An independent multilink rear suspension and a relatively low ride height should give the 2015 Ram ProMaster City van a comfortable ride quality and enhance the tall van's handling and stability. While we haven't tested the ProMaster City yet, the 2.4-liter four cylinder engine is likely to be one of the peppier engines in the segment, with top-of-class horsepower and torque. The Ram's relatively short wheelbase will also likely contribute to a nimble and easily maneuverable driving experience around town.

Par for the course in this class, the Ram ProMaster City has an interior that is designed with versatility and usability in mind. From the driver seat, the cabin design is simple, with a limited number of buttons and knobs, and the availability of Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system is a plus. We've come to enjoy the Uconnect interface in a number of other applications thanks to crisp graphics and quick touchscreen responses, though a few features are buried a bit too deep in the menu structure.

For cargo capacity, the Cargo version of the Ram ProMaster City definitely leads its class. It boasts 131.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats, which is about 3 cubes more than the Transit Connect and 9 cubes more than the NV200. In the five-passenger configuration, the ProMaster City has 74.1 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 101.7 cubes with the rear seats folded.

A 51.8-inch roof height and slightly more than 48 inches between the wheelwells (enough to load a full-size pallet) promises exceptional versatility for delivery services and mobile workshops.

The 2015 ProMaster City should also make quick work of loading and unloading cargo with its sliding side doors, 60/40-split rear doors (the smaller of the two doors opens curbside) and a 21.5-inch rear step-in height. Both doors default to a 90-degree opening, but can swing a full 180 degrees once you release a hinge latch. The passenger version even offers second-row seating that folds and tumbles forward.