With copies of the 2019 Ram 1500 trickling into dealer showrooms, Ram engineers are hard at work getting its heavy-duty brother ready for its time in the limelight.

Spies caught a look at what is surely the 2020 RAM HD Regular Cab with an 8 foot box. The current RAM HDs have been on sale since the dawn of time, bursting onto the market in 2010 and receiving a minor facelift in 2014 by way of lights, grille, and an updated interior. Styling of the new HD trucks is expected to fall in line with the recently debuted 1500, a machine that ditched its trademark gunsight grille. These spy photos seem to give the illusion of an old-school grille but any attempts at confirming that are foiled by the truck’s camouflage.

Other exterior styling cues will likely run parallel to the 1500, except in a ‘roided-out fashion. Big towing mirrors of the flip-up variety are on this truck, along with fog lights and tow hooks hammered into the front bumper. Eight-lug hubs continue as expected. This pre-production model is wearing Firestone Transforce A/T rubber.

Inside, expect the HD to copy the 1500 with well-thought design and upscale materials. Infotainment should come in the form of Uconnect 4 with an 8.4-inch screen on models Laramie and lower, reserving the massive portrait-oriented 12-inch jumbotron for Longhorn and Limited trims.

Also See: Ram Rebel TRX Confirmed for Production

Currently, the Ram HD is available in a trio of power teams. A 383 horsepower 5.7L V8 HEMI, a 410 horsepower 6.4L V8, and a 6.7L turbo diesel inline-six. The oil burner is itself available in three tunes: 350hp/660lb-ft, 370hp/800lb-ft, and 385hp/930 lb-ft. The 5.7L and 6.4L are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission, while the three versions of 6.7L can be paired to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

This is a trend your author dearly hopes continues into the new truck, as there are few sights more superb than a loaded-up Longhorn dualie with a baseball bat manual shifter sticking out of the floor. Other HD truck manufacturers have long forsaken three pedal operation.

It is fully expected the 6.7L diesel will get a power bump in hopes of one-upping the F-Series and Silverado, which currently feature more horsepower and similar torque. Surely one of the Detroit Three will be the first to crest 1000lb-ft of torque.

The next Ram HD is slated to move its production location from Hecho en Mexico to Warren, Michigan. That change is slated for calendar year 2020, just in time for production to ramp up for the next generation heavy duty’s seen here.

Expect an official debut either at this year’s State Fair of Texas or at the Detroit Auto Show in January.