It was a running gag around the Driving offices that the Tesla Cybertruck would be a constant fixture on this list until the sun went supernova — but then this past year, that company finally pulled up its stainless-steel socks and started deliveries on the angular metal block. Looks like we have a wedge-shaped hole in our pickup preview this year.
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Not to worry. With a vast number of truck-loving gearheads on staff who enjoy wheeling over rough terrain as much as they do hooking up a trailer for some serious hauling, there’s no shortage of bed-liner brutes we hope to sample this coming annum. Let’s go.
2026 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 REV and Ramcharger
2027 Scout Terra
2027 Ford Project T3
2025 Kia Tasman
2027 Ram Dakota
2025 Jeep Gladiator 4xe
2026 VinFast VF Wild
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Pour one out for the mighty TRX, a truck which roared its way into our hearts with a monster V8 engine and long-travel suspension. We know; our own Derek McNaughton already laid hands on the RHO just a few weeks ago, and ably rendered a verdict. But there are a raft of other truck-lovers on staff who are eager to sample the 14 inches of rear-axle travel, 35-inch tires, and high-output straight-six Hurricane engine, which cranks out 540 horses.
2025 Ram 1500 REV and Ramcharger
Sticking with Ram and trucks from the brand we haven’t driven yet, the electrified duo of 1500 REV and 1500 Ramcharger are two rigs which promise to pique our interest next year — especially the latter. That’s the truck which will combine a gasoline-powered V6 engine with a stout liquid-cooled 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack, paired with a 130-kilowatt generator. The combo should be good for over 650 horsepower and a total driving range of over 1,000 km (620 miles) on a full tank of fuel.
As for the all-electric 1500 REV, that one will go toe-to-toe with trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning and GMC Sierra EV. But we think the Ramcharger will be the pick of the litter, with its innovative powertrain that seemingly combines the best of both worlds. The introduction of these trucks has recently been pushed out to 2025, meaning we hope to get a turn at them some time that year.
2027 Scout Terra
Acting as a new branch of the sprawling Volkswagen Group, the Scout brand will sell a pickup truck with rugged chops — words not always associated with an EV. It will have a body-on-frame construction, solid rear axle, mechanical lockers, and even a disconnecting sway bar on some trims. Interestingly, the brand also promises a range-extender which works as a gasoline-powered generator to recharge the EV battery to permit long-legged range between charges or fill-ups.
The aim is to sell this rig under the ol’ Harvester name, a stroke of marketing genius which reaches into the brand’s deep bag of history.
2027 Ford Project T3
You know a vehicle is still a few months (years?) down the road when it’s referred to under a project name. Still, there’s every reason to believe Ford is working feverishly on Project T3, a second-generation EV truck being developed in tandem with the all-new assembly plant down in the state of Tennessee.
The “T3” is short for “Trust the Truck”, a nickname which apparently stuck during development and at least reinforces the brand’s commitment to what may or may not be an eventual replacement for the F-150 Lightning. While the company said earlier this year that it was aiming to bring the T3 to market some time in 2025, in late August it “retimed” that launch to the back half of ’27. We’re still hoping to see a prototype of some sort within the next 12 months.
2025 Kia Tasman
This one’s a bit further afield, but stranger things have been known to happen. Earlier this year, the Kia brand officially launched its Tasman pickup truck, complete with body-on-frame construction and a face only a mother could slug. Its designers call it a “fresh approach to aesthetics,” which is certainly one way of phrasing it.
An overall length of 213 inches (5,410 mm) would put the Tasman right in the thick of things in the North American market against similarly sized competitors, as would its towing capacity of 7,700 pounds. The truck will launch in its home market of Korea before rolling out to Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Could it come to Canada? It’s not likely, but not impossible, either.
2027 Ram Dakota or Rampage
Perhaps this is the vehicle that’ll take the place of the Cybertruck as a perennial entrant on this upcoming-trucks list. Ever since the Dakota shuffled off this mortal coil ages ago, Mopar fans (and dealers) have been clamouring for something to go up against trucks like the Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado, and Toyota Tacoma. Even the Maverick, for that matter, given that pickup’s towering sales numbers.
With the current shakeup at Stellantis requiring all of its focus, we’re not sure that’s going to happen any time soon — but we can continue to be a voice in the wind for such a truck so long as we have a platform.
Speaking of platforms, a Dakota-slash-Rampage could spring forth from the new STLA Medium or Large bones, increasing the chances of this truck happening in our lifetimes, since it seems the company won’t (or can’t, because of regulations) import the Maverick-like trucks it currently markets in Mexico and South America.
2025 Jeep Gladiator 4xe
Following a refresh this model year which understandably copied much of its homework from the similar Jeep Wrangler, the Gladiator is set to also crib that model’s electrified powertrain in 2025. Powertrain options were weird in 2024, perhaps the result of supply-chain issues or behind-the-scenes corporate drama, but the upcoming model year promises to be more flush with choice — including the plug-in hybrid 4xe guts.
We expect power to be in the neighbourhood of 375 horses and 470 lb-ft of torque if the Wrangler 4xe is any indication, though structural differences could result in a larger battery or other alterations.
2026 VinFast VF Wild
We honestly do not expect to see this all-electric truck from the Vietnamese manufacturer roaming the Canadian countryside any time soon, but the brand did have a presence at this year’s Canadian International Auto Show, and there was a VF Wild on display at its booth.
Mum’s the word on specs like power, battery size, range – you know, the important stuff – but it certainly gets the look right if the prototype which was shown in Toronto is any indication. In terms of size, it is a tad longer than the Ford Maverick, but much smaller in length than full-size EV trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T.
Bonus: 2025 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty
We started this post with Ram, so we might as well bookend with the brand, as well. But this isn’t a throwaway addition in search of extra word count. According to those in the know, next year’s 2025 Ram Heavy Duty trucks will allegedly see a bump in power, with 430 horses and 1,075 lb-ft of torque across the board instead of having regular- and high-output configurations.
More power is always a good thing in our books, and, with the expected styling massage this year, we are looking forward to jumping behind the wheel.
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