mmarshall

I hope this is not a repost......I did not see it on a quick search.

Anyhow, it looks like a long-awaited compact/mid-size truck from Stellantis may be on the way back. Dodge/Ram, after decades of selling smaller trucks both of domestic and rebadged Mitsubishi design (D50, Dodge 50, Dakota, etc...), got out and left that market to Ford, Chevy/GMC, Toyota, and Nissan some years ago. In fact, Ford also got out of it for a while in the U.S. market, dropping the old utilitarian Ranger/Mazda B-series trucks for some years before bringing back a somewhat dated Australian-designed Ranger, and recently an all-new Ranger. The Toyota Tacoma has been a sales success for many years, as has been the BOF Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon and the new Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, which aren't really BOF trucks but truck-styled crossovers.

So, finally, it looks like Stellantis and Ram are getting back into this market, although it is less clear what the actual designation will be. Different sources cite different names, such as Ram Dakota, Ram 1200, Ram 50, Ram Rampage, etc.....

A Rampage is already on sale in Brazil.

And, IMO, the best news of all is that it may be also built here, with UAW jobs.

https://www.carhp.com/news/everythin...out-the-so-far

https://www.caranddriver.com/ram/rampage

SW17LS

Very smart move for Ram

TangoRed

UAW labor building the future midsize pickup ain’t a maybe, it’s in their contract for the Belvidere, IL plant. Production is supposed to start in 2027.

I don’t think it’s going to be the Rampage though. 2027 is too far in the future for it to be the same truck.

LexBob2

This will be good for jobs in the Belvidere and Rockford areas.

mmarshall

Good. The more UAW jobs, the better. No more of this China and Mexico crap.

I wish Buick would build more of their vehicles here in UAW plants, but at least my Encore GX was built with Korean Unionized labor.

SW17LS

Do we have to make this discussion about the UAW also?

mmarshall

Well, IMO, yes and no. I agree that it should not be the sole topic of discussion here (the thread, of course, is about a truck). But trucks don't build themselves......people and robots do it. And it will be a badly-needed boost for UAW jobs in the U.S.

Fizzboy7

This is a good move and long overdue. However, it's way too far off to be relevant. By the time it arrives, everyone else will have something more fresh. Quite short-sided.

TangoRed

How can it be short sighted and the competition be more fresh when you don’t even know what the 2027 product will be?

SW17LS

Lets go with no. Don’t get this discussion closed too.

LexBob2

I agree completely.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

Why does it look like a wish.com ranger? Also it's a stellantis product everyone knows my stance on there junk.....it's junk lol

FrankReynoldsCPA

So this wouldn't be a mid-size truck, it would be a compact, competing with the Maverick and Santa Cruz.

mmarshall

The way trucks are marketed today, whether BOF or crossover, it can be difficult to tell compact from mid-sized ones. And some "mid-sized" trucks have grown almost as large as full-sized ones.

FrankReynoldsCPA

In this case you can tell because the Rampage shares a platform with the Jeep Compass which is a compact crossover, similar to how the Maverick shares a platform with the Escape and the Santa Cruz shares a platform with the Tucson.

The Ridgeline is a mid-size unibody truck that shares a platform with Honda's midsize crossovers.

I have no doubt that if RAM were to start selling a mid-size RAM branded pickup in the US, it would be adapted from the Jeep Gladiator's platform(likely with an independent front suspension rather than the Jeep's solid front axle).