Aznom Automotive has come up with a doozy of a creation. Using a Ram 1500 as a base vehicle, the Italian coachbuilder has transformed what is a capable pickup truck into something straight out of the Black Mirror. The creation still wears the face of a Ram 1500, but the vehicle’s profile is anything but a pickup. Instead, it’s been transformed into a cross between a pickup and a sedan, a “pick-dan” for lack of a better — and far more sensible — term. The monstrosity carries the name Atulux, which literally stands for “All-Terrain Utility Luxury.” Best have a strong stomach for this one because, in addition to looking the way it does, it also costs more than $250,000, or roughly the equivalent of a fleet of actual Ram 1500s.

Exterior

If you’re wondering what the Mercedes-Maybach Vision Luxury Concept could look like if it was actually rolling around the streets of the world, look no further than the Aznom Autolux. For reasons that remain unclear to all of us, the Italian coachbuilder thought it would be a good idea to turn the Ram 1500, which, by the way, is arguably one of the most capable pickups in the land, into an extended four-seater sedan that looks like it was rendered by an artist still recovering from a New Year’s Eve hangover.

Somehow, the design of the Autolux was approved by people who actually thought the vehicle had any aesthetic saving grace to it. These “approvals” used the vehicle into production where the first order of business was recalibrating its mechanicals to fit the company’s designs goals for the Ram 1500. If that’s the purpose, then, by all means, no one’s complaining. It’s the actual design of the Autolux that’s making people reach for their vomit bags.

In the front, you can see, clear as day, the fascia of the Ram 1500. That’s great. Probably the best thing Autolux did in the exterior is to keep the 1500’s face instead of adding visuals — a mustache, perhaps? — that would make even Stevie Wonder scream in horror. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there. The mutated pickup-sedan loses any aesthetic semblance. The Ram 1500’s pickup profile is gone because the Italian coachbuilder wanted to turn it into a sedan. Except it didn’t. Do you see any hints of a sedan in the vehicle’s overall look? Really, if you can find even a vestige of it, then you’re probably the most glass-half-full person in the world. Unfortunately, even that doesn’t save this square-shaped monstrosity from looking like the first-ever vehicle that makes the Mitsuoka Orochi look presentable by comparison.

Interior

If I’m being too harsh on the Aznom Autolux, it’s only because the Italian company wasted what is, admittedly, a hell of an interior. A big part of the Autolux’s selling point is to give occupants the feeling of riding in a cabin wrapped in a cocoon of luxury. The seats, for example, are slathered in Nubuck leather, which is so fancy I had to look up what it actually means. Turns out, Nubuck is a top-grain cattle leather with a velvet-like surface. It already sounds so fancy!

If Nubuck isn’t up to your standards, Aznom says that the vehicle’s interior trim specification can be customized depending on what kind of leather, wood, and finishes you want. Who knows, the Italian coachbuilder could have Bocote wood, which happens to be the most expensive type of wood in the world $32.99 per feet. I know this because I searched “most expensive type of wood” on Google and it never fails me. In any event, I wouldn’t be surprised if Aznom has access to Bocote wood because, well, why wouldn’t it?

Move beyond the chunks of wood and all the animal hide and you’ll arrive at some of the Autolux’s other interior features. If you need a wake-up call, a pop-up Nespresso machine can be found in the center console because why not, right? There’s also a champagne cooler, a refrigerator, two crystal whiskey decanters, and a 1,200-watt, 10-speaker stereo system because. Space is also a non-issue so anybody, especially those in the back, can stretch their legs to their heart’s content.

It’s not hard to get used to this kind of lifestyle, right? It’s just too bad that as much as you want to be seen inside this creation, you’ll be hiding your face the moment you step out of it.

Drivetrain

By itself, the Atulux is a capable ride with some muscle behind it. The bad news is that whatever functions the Ram 1500 had when it was still a pickup have been eschewed in favor of Nubuck wood, Nespresso machines, and fancy decanters.

Granted, Aznom didn’t reveal information about the Atulux’s towing capacity, but you don’t need to be a genius to realize that this morphed version of the Ram 1500 isn’t as capable anymore in that department as, say, a standard 1500 that can tow as much as 12,750 pounds. If anything, the Atulux might be too bourgeois to get its hands dirty on menial tasks and all-around manual labor.

Final Thoughts

I don’t suppose Aznom can design something a bit better-looking than the Atulux? This laboratory experiment is a perfect example of a split personality vehicle. On the one hand, the exterior looks ghastly. On the other hand, the interior looks incredible. It’s hard to say if I hate the exterior more than I love the interior, but in times like that, it might be better to err on the side of caution and try to see the whole vehicle for what it’s worth as a whole. And as much as I dig what Aznom did to the Atulux’s interior, I can’t promise that I won’t faint by the sight of the exterior before I even get the chance to climb on board the cabin. In moments like that, I’ll probably just pass and move on to whatever cooky creation this business has in store for all of us.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12.