In a trio of long-rumored moves, Ram today confirmed that it will launch a compact pickup, a midsize pickup under a legendary name, and the brand’s first non-truck product, a full-size SUV.
All three will appear in the U.S. market by 2030.
Ram brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told investors gathered for a presentation in Auburn Hills, Michigan, “We need to deliver the right products to the market, the right products for truck buyers in North America. We need to leverage the capital that we have earned with more products in more segments.”
To get there, the company will rely on three products we’ve long heard could come to the U.S. Here’s what we know:
Ram Dakota
Ram will resurrect the Dakota name for a midsize, body-on-frame pickup meant to compete with models like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger.
The Dakota name should sound familiar. The original Dakota was sold from 1987 through 2011, when Ram was part of the Dodge brand. It was, at times, the best-selling midsize truck in America, remembered for its distinctive crossed grille and semi-truck-like stepped headlights.
Ram reportedly showed a Dakota model to dealers as far back as 2023. Earlier reports have said it will come only in 4-door, short-bed layout, but Kuniskis did not confirm or deny those plans.
Ram Rampage
Ram has long sold a compact pickup in South America under the Rampage name. Rumors have suggested it could be U.S.-bound since mid-2023, when a new Rampage appeared in Brazil with taillights patterned after the American flag.
That truck recently made its European debut and may finally be coming stateside.
Ford has had a smash hit with its Maverick compact truck, and to date, only Hyundai has entered the market to match it. The Rampage would give buyers another compact pickup option.
The Euro-spec Rampage uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane 4-cylinder engine that Ram parent company Stellantis already uses in some Jeep products in the U.S.
We should note that the Rampage name may not make it to this market. Kuniskis promised a truck “based on” the model.
Ramcharger SUV
Kuniskis also teased the arrival of a Ram SUV, to be called the Ramcharger.
That name has a confusing history. It adorned a large sport utility vehicle sold by Dodge from 1974 to 1993. That model disappeared before Ram spun off as a truck-only brand. Ram briefly resurrected the name for a planned extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version of its 1500 pickup.
The company later renamed that vehicle to Ram REV after canceling a planned all-electric version. That frees up the Ramcharger name to return on what it used to be, a sport utility vehicle.
We know the least about the planned Ramcharger. A graphic shown to investors pictured it under a sheet, where its shape appeared full-size and perhaps based on the Dodge Durango.
