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. 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
The post Ram Is Finally Doing The Thing It Should’ve Done Years Ago appeared first on The Autopian.
