The 2021 Ram 1500 was named the Truck of Texas by Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Nov. 5. The announcement was made in a live virtual ceremony held in conjunction with the Houston Auto Show. The Texas Truck Rodeo’s digital awards presentation took place after the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo Oct. 5-6.
“The SUV and truck market in Texas is strong, and narrow margins between the vehicles confirmed just how competitive this market is this year,” said TAWA President Kristin Shaw. “TAWA was the first journalist group to drive Ram’s new 1500 TRX. Its impressive 702-hp 6.2L HEMI along with undeniable capability on and off road convinced our journalists to rank the Ram 1500 number one in the Truck of Texas category.”
Dodge Durango Named SUV of Texas
Photo: Dodge
The 2021 Dodge Durango was named SUV of Texas. Other winners included the 2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road as Compact SUV of Texas; and the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon as Off-Road SUV of Texas. The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat won the title of Full Size SUV of Texas, and the 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy won Mid-size SUV of Texas.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender 110SE was named Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas, and the 2021 Ram 1500 Ltd Longhorn 10th Anniversary Edition won Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX was named Full-size Pickup Truck of Texas.
The 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave edition was named Mid-size Pickup Truck of Texas; and the Heavy Duty Truck of Texas was the 2020 Ram 2500 Laramie Night Edition. The Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas was the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX.
Photo: 2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road courtesy Toyota
Additional awards went to FCA UConnect for Best Infotainment system, and FAC 6.2 liter Supercharged HEMI V8 for best powertrain. Nissan Pro Pilot Assist with Navi-link won Best Safety or Driver Assist system. Ram Heavy Duty 360 Surround View camera won Best Towing Assist system.
TAWA made program changes this year, adding safety protocols like face masks, sanitizing vehicles between drives, and creating a two-wave event to limit the number of journalists present at one time.
Shaw said, “This year has brought a lot of challenges to the automotive industry, and we are grateful for the partnership of our journalist and OEM members to provide an opportunity to have access to vehicles, network, and create content that is vital to our livelihoods and shared passion. Over the course of two days, journalists had an opportunity to drive more than three dozen vehicles and evaluate them thoroughly.”
Texas Auto Writers Association
Photo: Jeep Gladiator Mojave courtesy of Jeep
Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) was founded in 1985 by automotive journalists to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. They created an automotive event unique to Texas, the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1992, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Spring Branch, and Dripping Springs. For the past two years, the Texas Truck Rodeo was held at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave. For more information, please visit texasautowriters.org.
