With winter on the horizon, Ram is gearing up for the season with a new special edition 1500 called the North Edition. The limited-run full-sized pickup is on the receiving end of a slew of upgrades, covering the exterior and interior, as well as the performance capabilities of the pickup. The Ram 1500 North Edition is already on the market. Prices start at $45,890, not including the $1,695 destination fee.

What Makes the 2019 Ram 1500 North Edition Special?

The Ram 1500 North Edition is a no-frills special edition pickup. While I would have preferred a little personality, it’s hard to expect anything of that sort from Ram. The good news is that the 1500 North Edition is worthy of your attention and, more importantly, your hard-earned Benjamins.

The former produces 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque while the latter produces 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. Obviously, you’re going to want the HEMI engine when you’re out and about on the snow, but the standard V-6 hybrid is surprisingly capable of punching above its own weight class, thanks to the extra, albeit temporary, shot of torque amounting to 90 pound-feet.

Engine choices aside, the 1500 North Edition comes with a lot of exclusive goodies. On the outside, Ram fitted the pickup with the usual array of cosmetic upgrades, including body-color bumpers, grille, mirrors, and door handles. The combination of all those elements gives the pickup a monochromatic look, which looks decent in the right color. You also get the option to choose a short bed or a long one depending on how much hauling you’re going to do in the winter.

Move to the interior, and you’ll be greeted by heated seats and an equally cozy warmed-up steering wheel. If you’re driving this hulking behemoth, you can take comfort knowing that your seat comes with a 12-way power adjustment and 4-way lumbar support. Up front, there’s an 8.4-inch infotainment system that includes SiriusXM Travel Link Weather, a must-have application that allows you to keep track of weather conditions. And just because the 1500 North Edition is a special edition model, the package isn’t complete without some trusty floor mats, which, in this case, are Mopar all-weather varieties. At least you can take comfort knowing that these mats can protect the cabin floor from snow, ice, and whatever dirt your shoes bring in.

We’ve gone through the exterior and interior upgrades. Now comes the main event. To help in that regard, the full-size pickup rides on a set of Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires that boast a rating of severe snow service. Traction is also important during winter so the 1500 North Edition features standard four-wheel drive and a selectable low-range ratio to go with the ability to lock the rear axle in moments that it needs to. In the event that the pickup needs to help a fellow traveler, tow hooks should get them -- or you -- out of sticky situations. The pickup is also equipped with front and rear parking sensors, heated mirrors that prevent it from getting covered in ice, and a remote starter that lets you warm up your truck before you embark on your journeys.

The Ram 1500 North Edition is a lot like the Chevrolet Silverado Off-Road Concept that the Bowtie showed off at the 2018 SEMA Auto Show. Silverado admittedly has more features, but both models come with the requisite suspension lift kits that are very important for their specific purposes. The big difference between the two is that you can get the Ram 1500 North Edition now. On the other hand, the Silverado Off-Road Concept isn’t available as-is, but you can buy a production Silverado and configure it, so you get all the bells and whistles on the concept. Seems like a lot of hard work, though, at least compared to simply paying anywhere from $45,890 for the Ram 1500 North Edition.

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.