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
While this is probably what the Wagoneer should have been, this is definitely too little too late. So few people are going to buy this over the GM Triplets, the Ford Twins, the Toyota Sequoia, or Nissan Armada. The Wagoneer didn’t bomb because it was a Jeep, it bombed because it was made poorly and broke down a lot. Stellantis needs to break its reputation of building garbage before it comes out with anything new.
Ram is a truck. Period. I don’t even like Ram being a Promaster van. Ram trucks. Dodge is cars. Jeep is SUVs. Chrysler is “fancy” Sunday church cars (if ever again) and vans. SRT can noodle with each of them. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE.
They don’t need so many brands. Nobody cares these old-timey brands anymore. Dodge and Jeep. Done.
This makes to much sense. There is the problem of franchises and the fact that if they kill of a brand while remaining in business they have to buy back the franchises from dealers. That would cost billions but is still likely the way to go in the long term.
Give it the Hurricane six as the base motor, but give that levels of performance and power. I would even love to see an NA 3.0 option to be honest, but doubt that would happen. they will likely use the high strung 340ish 4 banger they have been trying to sell on the interwebs these past few weeks. This would better align with the Bronco, so it i likely the way they will go. but it would be very smart to Compete with the Braptor with an honest to god killer Hellcat V8, even if is just top dog halo versions. I also would like to see them pull the turbos off, and power an E-Rev version getting 35 ish MPG for the masses to latch on to.
The real question though is will they learn from the past and offer the thing with removable roof panels and doors. I had a 78 K5, I don’t know that I took the roof off more than a time or two and I hated that it did not come all the way off like the 74 and older versions. but it certainly swayed me away form Ramchargers and Traildusters because they did not offer it at all.
I also would like to see automakers keep NA engines in their hybrids. EPA Tier 4 will require DI gas turbos to have particulate filters – and I don’t want any more particulate filters in my life. Seems like a NA version of the inline 4/6 would be the natural replacement for the V6.
Let ‘em go full cringe:
Ram Jam — Black Betty Edition
Panda lamps!
Whoa black Betty
Ram ba lam
Whoa black Betty
Ram ba lam
Wagoneer had a child
Ram ba lam
The damn thing gone wild
Ram ba lam
Memphis has a Black Betty Lounge, right down the street from the Boom Boom Room!
Let’s hope new emissions standards don’t mess with this. If, assuming in 2028, a different person is in office.
PHEVs are where the segment is heading so they are actually a bit ahead of the curve. The inevitable Hemi version might disappear in a few years though.
Here’s to hoping the SUV is a subcompact with a giant supercharged hemi. Imagine the fun you could have with that.
Just give it to Chrysler FFS.
Most Dodge dealerships are already partnered with Ram or Chrysler or both. Keep RAM as a pickup-only brand. Give Chrysler the crossovers and SUVs that they need to survive. And Dodge would be a mix of muscle cars and SUVs.
No, RAM selling SUVs makes no sense as long as the Dodge brand sticks around and continues sells SUVs. This is a return to the old “badge engineering” that got the big 3 in trouble when they had too many brands for their market share but still wanted each brand to have a full line of vehicles. This is simple dilutes resources and increases manufacturing costs.
Spinning RAM into it’s own brand only made sense when the plan was to part out Chrysler and the trucks and Jeep were the only part of the company with value. It doesn’t make sense today if Stellantis is going to keep collecting brands.
What COULD make sense is to give each brand a niche and limited number of vehicles. Jeep is SUVs. RAM is trucks / vans. Dodge is muscle cars. Then a Dodge / Jeep / RAM dealer has a full line of vehicles and you aren’t wasting resources on vehicles that compete with each other.
What makes even more sense is to kill off the RAM brand and just start calling the trucks Dodge Rams again.
I agree 100% with everything you’ve said. Dodge/Ram/Jeep are all one dealer, why does each brand need their own version? Further, SRT is a Dodge brand and it’s diluted when you spread it out between brands.
competing with each other is the first issue, but the bigger issue is sharing investment money. when beholden to share holders the brands that drag down profits end up limiting investment approvals for all.
Seriously, even in the truckiest parts of the country in the truckiest industries and pastimes, everyone from young whippersnappers to old codgers still calls a Ram a Dodge.
“big things are happening at Ram”
That’s kinda their thing.
Actually I think approximately 99% of their customers have small things
Also correct.
Coming soon, THE DURAMGO.
Have you ever looked at a Wagoneer and thought to yourself “I wish it was bigger”?
I’m sure the vehicle and marketing won’t be cringy at all!
That thang got a hemi?
OWN THE SISSY LIBERAL PUSSIES AND ASSERT YOUR SKY HIGH TESTOSTERONE LEVELS WITH THE RED WHITE AND BLUE CANYONERO 392: JINGOISM LAUNCH EDITION! Center console gun safe available as a dealer installed accessory for $1776 and we’re introducing 392 month financing!!!!
Points for using jingoism.
They’re going to go for broke and just call it the Ram God Bless America and have a Lee Greenwood launch edition. All of the ads will be really bad AI
I hope the CGI Dodge brothers make a return
I would love the video portion of that ad to be that Canyonero towing an entire PRIDE parade.
In fact why not make RAM the official brand of PRIDE?
Wow!
Mocking human rights?
This is why Democrats vote GOP
The should make a compact, unibody CUV and call it the Ram Wether.
As someone who’s parent owned a sheep farm, I approve of this joke.
Let the brand deterioration continue with badge swapping.
I’m sure this’ll hurt Jeep more than help Stellantis overall.
Well if Dodge has a bad rep, then people will jump to buy a Ram. If Ram gets a bad rep, they’ll jump to Jeep, right? They wouldn’t go to a wholly different brand, right? Right?
Jeep/Dodge for the missus.
Ram for the mister.
Can’t dilute Ram’s letting women buy them.
I thought when they canceled the BEV REV they also said the EREV wouldn’t be the ramcharger. Did I hallucinate that?
No you didn’t.
Ram Canyonero????
Ramyonero
Mmmm…Ramyun
I really thought this was going to be Ram going away and rejoining Dodge. As is, this seems like yet another blow to Dodge. At this point I really don’t understand why Dodge and Chrysler exist.
Unfortunately Dodge and Chrysler don’t understand either.
There is that. I mean if Ram is going to make SUVs, then move the Durango there, the Charger’s reception makes Edsel look like a wild success, so just put the poor thing out of it’s misery, at which point we have what, just the Pacifica left right?
The ICE Chargers better be damn good because Dodge has nothing else in the pipeline…and no, DURR THEY ALL GOT HEMIS THAT GO BRRRRR HAHA FUCK YOU YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT-ing the Durango isn’t going to help.
It’s truly amazing how massively this company has missed every mark for so long at this point. They relied so much on the cachet from the Charger and Challenger, and never put any effort into anything else and it’s biting them so hard right now. Like the Durango was honestly a sweet car when it came out, even the new one when it was new, but that was 2011… I have 3 kids, including a teenager, and none were alive when this thing was launched. 15 years and still no replacement in sight. This body style is nearly old enough to drive, and it’ll probably be old enough to vote before a concept of the next gen is even shared.
Dodge exists to sell the Charger.
There is no reason for Chrysler to still exist but it would cost Stellantis billions to buy back the Chrysler franchises so they give them the Caravan to fulfill minimum franchise requirements.
(Yes I called it the Caravan. Renaming the iconic and original minivan the “Pacifica” was stupid)
I mean the Voyager name was pretty cool… they could go back to using that. I once had a 1999 Chrysler Grand Voyager and loved it.
They had plenty of options. Caravan, Voyager, Town & Country – all long standing names for their various badge engineered minivan.
I have to wonder who was the genius that decided to rename the van after a failed crossover that was put out of its misery before it even completed a full production cycle. Why not through out decades of brand identity.
Probably the same idiot who thought it was a good idea to rename the Ford Taurus to the Five Hundred a few years prior to that. Though Ford at least realized it was a terrible mistake and corrected course.
Speaking of bad names for Ford vehicles… let’s discuss the Ecosport and the Cmax.
That Cmax name always brings to mind visions of bowls of Kellogg’s “Smacks” cereal.
Still infinitely better than the Probe and Escort. But yes, Ford likes to pick weird names at best, often awkward ones.
I mean the Merkur XR4Ti could have just been called the “Ford Cosworth” in the states, right? Instead, they invented a new brand for a weird (but decent) small car that sold for way more than an Escort at the time.
And then they wondered why the plan didn’t work.
Ford (and GM and Chrysler, by proxy) were all complicit when informing the public that “there’s no replacement for displacement” and then sold vehicles side by side with much larger engines for much cheaper. Everyone laughed at the fact this expensive little car only had a 2.3L 4-cyl, despite the fact it had a turbo. They barely sold 12,000 units per model year. I wonder why?
I did have a chance to drive one in the early 90s and found it to be as fast and as responsive as a Mustang GT 5.0 of the era. It also handled unlike any other Ford in the USA at that time.
Adjusted for inflation, the cost of the 1985 base model at $16,300 would equate to about $49,000 in 2025 money. Yikes.
I believe the base version (Voyager in the US) is called the Grand Caravan in Canada, so you’re technically right, in a way
Before I read the article, I was really hoping they were going to produce a lighted ram attachment. That way the passenger could call out, “Ramming speed!” as the driver floors it down the aisle of the parking lot at Walmart.
Faber College Edition
There are light up ram logos.
I have never seen one on a vehicle though.
“At the time, this made sense”
No, it absolutely did not make sense. They should have just stayed Dodges like every other brand’s truck.
This is one of those ideas that some not so brilliant executive (or his marketing consultant brother-in-law) came up with and they just can’t let it go. As a matter of fact they are starting back up in Nascar with the Ram name.
I’m sorry, but the thing Ram should have done years ago is folded itself back into the Dodge brand.
Yeah, I guess the internal criteria is “does it have more than one model?” So the similar Wagoneer experiment ends, but not this one. But for some reason, there’s still a Chrylser; I’m assuming b/c there’s enough of us alive that remember it as the actual company?
I read the headline and got my hopes up for exactly that. Then came the article. Ah, cruel fate, how swiftly joy and sorrow alternate.
Bring back the sedans. This crap has gotten out of hand.
Oh good. Another massive fuckin SUV to avoid while driving.
The Wagoneer’s are already, somehow, the biggest thing on earth and now we have something else sharing that platform.
Nothing like a heavily subvented lease program to get America’s middle class rolling big!
Great. Now we give BWTSMWMTCE (Big White Trash Soccer Mom with Middle-Tier Credit Energy) another vehicle to inhabit and annoy the rest of us with.
It just rolls off the tongue, but it fits
I guess it’s okay so long as the name is used as a noun and not a verb.
Yes, it’s high time a Ramcharger and/or Durango SUV came back to the truck line.
But can we please do away with the excessive brand segmentation and put them back under the Dodge nameplate where they belong. There’s decades of brand equity there that Stellantis is still failing to acknowledge the reality of.
The RAM Bighorn?!
“the most passionate Ram ever”