When the Ram brand split away from Dodge in 2009, the definitions of those brands were clear. Ram would sell trucks and work vans, while Dodge would sell everything else. At the time, this made sense. [Ed Note: I strongly disagree. The Ram brand is wack. -DT]. But even back then, the world was thirsty for more crossovers and SUVs, so I suspected it was only a matter of time before Ram began building them too.
But it never happened. In the 16 years since Ram broke away from Dodge, we’ve only ever seen trucks and Promaster vans. There were a few years last decade when Ram also sold a cargo version of Dodge’s minivan, which was just a normal Caravan without rear seats or rear windows and a flat load floor.
My point is, a Ram SUV makes sense, and it’s long overdue. And now, it’s finally becoming a reality, according to CEO Antonio Filosa, who spoke with Wall Street analysts in a briefing yesterday, which Automotive News listened in on:
The Michigan-made SUV and a midsize pickup slated to enter production that same year in Ohio will give Ram a “much more comprehensive product range,” Antonio Filosa, CEO of parent company Stellantis, said during an Oct. 30 briefing with Wall Street analysts.
Stellantis announced the SUV this month as part of a $13 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing over the next four years, without initially saying which of its brands would market and sell the vehicle.
The SUV, to be assembled in Warren, Mich., will be offered with two powertrain options: gasoline-only and range-extended hybrid. The midsize pickup will be built in Toledo, Ohio.
I reported on this announcement a couple of weeks ago. Stellantis confirmed back then that it would build a new SUV at the plant in Warren, but didn’t say which brand would get it. Now, we know it’ll be Ram.
That plant currently builds the Grand Wagoneer, which means this new Ram SUV should share that SUV’s platform. What it’ll be called is anyone’s guess. There is some history to pull from with the Mexican-market Ramcharger, but that name has already been reserved for the brand’s extended-range EV 1500 pickup. So Ram will have to come up with something else.
A Ram SUV isn’t all that Filosa revealed during this briefing. He also confirmed that Ram would be bringing two SRT-badged models to the brand. From Autonews:
In addition to the Ram SUV, Filosa highlighted the Hemi V-8’s return to the 1500 pickup this summer, plans to unveil two Street and Racing Technology models, and a sub-$50,000 version of the 1500 that debuted in the third quarter.
The two Ram products from Stellantis’ revived SRT performance division are expected to be announced in the next three months. The vehicles, which Filosa said will have “utterly distinct value propositions,” will be the first of several new SRT vehicles arriving by 2030.
“We are building the most comprehensive, the most innovative, the most passionate Ram ever,” Filosa said on the analyst call.
One of those vehicles will very likely be a new 1500 TRX, seeing as how Filosa already confirmed that truck’s return back in July. As a refresher, the TRX was the big daddy of America’s performance trucks, combining a heavy-duty off-road suspension with a Hellcat-derived supercharged V8 engine making 702 horsepower. It was dropped in 2024 in favor of the Hurricane straight-six-powered RHO, as a part of Stellantis’s push away from Hemis. With the departure of CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this year, that mindset was dropped, and the Hemi returned to the 1500 earlier this year. So the TRX will return as well.
As for the other SRT-branded model, I have two theories: Ram could SRT-ify its upcoming mid-size truck to compete against vehicles like the Ranger Raptor. That truck would likely get a version of the RHO’s straight-six, just to differentiate it from the TRX. Ram could also give the SRT treatment to the full-size SUV mentioned above. Given the popularity of the high-performance SUV segment, I wouldn’t put it past the brand.
Either way, it seems like big things are happening at Ram.
Top graphic images: Stellantis; Ebay seller
CDJR needs to stop pretending they are now above shameless rebadging.
Notice how I did not say “Stellantis” as they will give us the automotive equivalent of a Spaghetti Western time and time again.
Rebadge the new Durango and Cherokee across the board, turn the new Dodge coupe into a Chrysler 300 and bring back the Grand Caravan using Voyager bones.
It’s not rocket science.
David Tracy is correct, RAM as a brand is wack. I still call them Dodge Ram trucks. I don’t care if people correct me.
And here I was thinking you meant they put a 36″ ram logo on the front grill….
Stellantis basically proves everyone’s point that separating Dodge and Ram was bullshit by having Ram build SUVs. Why the hell ain’t I an executive director at an automaker yet.
Because you must have already failed as an executive 5 other places to be considered.
I can fail miserably if they would just give me a chance.
How can so many others fail their way upwards? I am constantly trying, but with no positive outcomes.
Kind of disappointed this story isn’t about putting the largest possible RAM badge on the front of a vehicle, as implied by the first photo….
Stellantis split Dodge in half while letting Chrysler die on the vine.
Corporate strategies are difficult to comprehend
(assuming it’s not what it appears to be: just ordinary incompetence).
Wasn’t that done before there was a Stellantis? I always thought it was done so they could sell one or the other.
Pretty sure you’re right that the Dodge split was done before Stellantis ownership, but Chris is right, Stellantis sure has let Chrysler die on the vine.
I sure don’t deny that. I was just in France and could not get over how all they would need to do is slap Chrysler logos on every DS model and they would have a really nice lineup of cars….
What is the difference between a Ram suv on the Wagoneer platform and the Wagoneer?? Really don’t understand the product planners in Auburn Hills. Why not get some product out that will actually sell, like something to compete with the Trax??
The biggest issue at the moment is tariffs. Stellantis has vehicles is their portfolio that could work but they would all need to be imported.
I really doubt GM is making any money on the Trax at the moment but they sell enough high margin BoF trucks / SUVs to offset the losses for now.
Hopefully they change the looks a bit so people will actually buy them?
Man, I was positive the story would be, “Stellantis is finally giving up on the Ram brand and folding their trucks all back into Dodge.” Lol, missed it!
Make RAM Dodge Again
Renaming Dodge trucks as RAM is how to Edsel things up.
Good point. That action diminished the Dodge brand to near zero, with the Charger/Challenger doing their things and the Durango being built without much change. Now there’s not really a good customer awareness about the Dodge brand to build things for new market segments.
Spot on!
I casually mentioned to my wife the other day about Ram trucks not being Dodge and how stupid that was (she’s not into cars) and she had no idea that that had ever happened. What a stupid idea that was.
I guess if you look at ram as GMC it makes sense but then dodge should probably look like something like Chevy and it all falls apart other then police cars. Maybe there is logic for a full size body on frame SUV to ram while the cuv and cross over goes to dodge. That probably puts jeep back into premium or luxury category that really doesn’t make a ton of sense and buyers revolt from cost.
The problem that is that neither GMC nor Buick makes sense in the USA today.
There was an argument for them 15 years ago when GM came out of bankruptcy because most Buick / GMC dealers are paired and Buick had a fresh lineup of vehicle from Opel that were not shared with the other brands. So if you kept Buick then it make a bit of sense to keep the GMC brand around to give those dealers some trucks and SUVs.
Today everything Buick and GMC have is a brand engineered product. The only thing unique is the Hummer EV and that sells by the dozens.
A GMC is a Chevy with more chrome for about 10% more. Ford manages to hit the same price points with model trims instead of a whole extra brand.
That’s the one advantage cdjr has as far multiple brands with all brands typically at a single location. Ram belongs under dodge but they don’t have much incentive put them back together.
GM or their dealers consolidated a little where there was obvious overlap but they probably need to do what Ford did when they got rid of mercury and have the dealers buy each other out and consolidate.
Some of the newer gm dealers have been able to have the whole line sans cadillac at one location. I’m not sure cadillac warrants it’s own location either but maybe a separate building or area to be more fancy or something.
Stellantis does the advantage that most of their dealers carry all their US brands. So they can mix and match brands to get a full lineup like they are doing today. It allows they to starve Chrysler and Dodge of product and just do the bare minimum required to fulfill the franchise agreement.
However, that approach also makes the idea of badge engineering 2- 3 versions of the same SUV a bad idea. Instead of one model competing with another of the company’s brands at a dealer across town you have them side by side on the same lot.
Similar to if GM tried to sell Silverados and Sierras side by side or the Trax next to the Envista
Gm already does it. There are several Chevy Buick Gmc dealers. It seems to be the new norm when they open a new one. It’s probably not the most logical. It’s gotten a little better with only the traverse, enclave, Acadia, and xt6 being basically the same SUV sold in all 4 lineups. But seems to be the norm. Ford sells expeditions, navigators and explorers, and aviators next to each other too.
If there was a Toyota lexas dealer or Nissian infiniti or Honda Acura dealer it would be the same thing.
It makes sense to have a base brand and a luxury brand. That is what Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Acura do. Two brands are all that is needed.
The old Chrysler understood they had too many brands and killed off Plymouth and Eagle. Ford killed Mercury. GM killed 4 brands in the bankruptcy.
It seems Stellantis is the only one that hasn’t got the message as they only sold 1.3 million car last year but have 8 US brands.
They only logic I’ve ever heard to explain fca or stalantius is the Europeans are chasing vag and their endless brands. Not that it’s winning solution anymore either but they have always been more in the European market mindset then they should be in the US. Stalantius was supposed to be meeting with Chinese companies to sell some brands but who knows with their track record they will probably just create more JPs to further complicate things. It’s only going to get worse until something catastrophic happens and the Europeans calling the shots admit defeat in the American market.
It makes a little more sense in Europe because most of the brands that have been collected were at one time country specific brands that still have a following in that country.
Here in the USA? – I just don’t see it.
It’s pretty simple really, GMC is luxury Chevy trucks/suvs, Buick is luxury chevy CUVs. Yes there’s overlap on specific models. GMC is aimed specifically at men, Buick women. 71% of new GMC buyers are male. Buick is 56% female.
It’s nothing more than marketing.
I saw a full size jeep today that was all pink.
I can’t really describe the experience without a therapist and model cars
Complete with the “silly boys jeeps are for girls” sticker pink oversized powder coated rims with stretched street tires a fuzzy pink steering wheel and seat covers I’m sure. It’s a haunting thing to see. I think you see them more because of the contrast of band aid beige and black Audi’s they are always next to.
It looked pretty normal past the shade of pink.
It was parked next to a pasture where they were moving those huge round bales, so may have been working?
Didn’t see if it was driven by a female.
It came past me later on our effectively one lane road followed by a truck pulling a trailer full of at least three of those huge hay rolls.
Interesting trying to get past that!
I have seen a kitted out and muddy jeep covered in chick centric stickers.
I may live in the highest per capita jeep town around.
Wish I had the Jeep franchise here!
Mostly jeeps here are polished and waxed, and trucks are muddy, but there are exceptions.
My farm is in an area that has started to cater towards off-roaders and ATVs. I see a lot of those sticker on muddy jeeps too. I’ve seen several TJ’s that have probably been repaired and painted different pinks they aren’t terrible looking. They tend to be used off-road. Sounds like farm girl did something like that to the one you saw. I rather see them then the “black widow” dealer install package that I can’t get my head around or the people that buy them. They look like the most useless dealer upcharged packages available. The slightly modified pink TJ’s seem much more capable. The pink mall crawler jk and jl you see in parking lots compared to the “black widow” they have their own style so there is that.
This looked like a new paint job.
One part of the roof seemed a slightly different shade.
Five door jeep, I think.
I can’t name the models.
Didn’t see any stickers.
It did not have low profile tires.
There are a lot of ATVs and some vehicles I can’t name.
It rains a lot and you can get stuck, so I now have a 4wd project truck.
Not pretty, but it has all the off-road options, I think.
Dude! the answers are right in front of you.
1) The Ramcharger name was already dropped from the new range extended pickup. It’s possible that this was done because they plan to use it on the new SUV. Also, dropping the base Wagoneer sets up the Ram as the new base model while elevating the Wagoneer to only the luxury model.
2) The Dude concept (see what I did in the beginning there?) spells out one of the SRT models for the brand. I have a feeling that it could come with the 392, Hellcat, or even both.
3) Now this is just speculation, but I could see the new mid-size Ram not competing with the Ranger Raptor, but instead think Dakota R/T or Shelby Dakota lineage. Adding the 5.7L and optional 392 Hemi as performance variants of the truck, but street-based performance rather than off-road. In other words, a Dakota R/T and a Dakota SRT, for lack of better naming at the moment. Even better, I hope they go with Lil’ Dude. 😀
Alright comment section, it’s a Friday afternoon and everyone seems a wee bit feisty. Time to probably take a moment and reflect a little.
I think we can probably draw a line somewhere reasonable, above the line, cool or certainly worth the argument, and below the line.
Making fun of Stellantis (I mean, yeah that has to be ok)
Wishing Stellantis would do (_____) – sure
General opinions on the separation of brand, etc. – sure
Thoughtful commentary on how the vehicles in question are being used – ok
___________________________________________________________
Blanket hatred towards owners of certain types of vehicles based on stereotypes
Penis-vehicular size correlation jokes
I am very much guilty of raising the temperature from time to time. I think most people are. But I think it’s important to allow people to say what they want, and give them an opportunity to engage, and potentially back down when they’re maybe a little too… spicy. I get that some people want The Autopian to be a forum of people only giving high fives, but that would be a little boring and probably not all that valuable. But I also know that NOBODY here wants the comment section to turn into a cesspool of name-calling and general malaise. I’m sure we can strike that balance.
love
I have given you all my word that I will try to stop with the truck wiener jokes…that being generalized dick jokes are 100% fair game and vital to the dialogue on this beloved site.
If we purged all of the dick jokes on this site, there’d be like, 6 Torch articles left remaining. Maybe one or two anthropomorphic train blogs? But I can’t even promise that.
Thanks for keeping things positive! one thing we can all agree on is making fun of Stellantis.
Based on this comment, I’m not going to waste my time reading the other two pages of comments. So, despite the lack of context, I’m going to agree with you on trying to keep things civil. I enjoy the relative lack of trolling in the comments section on this site.