- Ram has confirmed it’s planning to launch a midsize truck again
- Production will take place at the now-idled Belvidere, Illinois plant
- There’s every chance in the world the new pickup will be called “Dakota”
Following reports from south of the border wherein the newly-minted head of Ram, new-old boss Tim Kuniskis, expressed a sincere yen for having a mid-size pickup truck in his brand’s portfolio, news is surfacing that such a program will actually go ahead much sooner rather than later. And, it’ll revive a recently shuttered Jeep plant in the American mid-west.
According to a leaked memo obtained by Reuters, said to have been part of a meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Stellantis chairman John Elkann, the new midsizer will be produced in Belvidere, Illinois and see the return of nearly 1,500 jobs. That facility was mothballed ever since Jeep foolishly and prematurely took the Cherokee out behind the barn to be shot, likely a decision pushed by the former CEO of Stellantis, Clueless Carlos Tavares, in favour of some new electric thing.
Readers with long memories will recall Stellantis made commitments about the Belvidere plant to the United Auto Workers during union negotiations in 2023. At the time, roughly US$1.5 billion was promised as an investment in the place, pointing to the production of “midsize trucks” by the 2027 calendar year. This latest news dovetails nicely with those details, though the UAW recently filed unfair-labour-practice charges against Stellantis for dragging its feet on the issue and not offering many details.
Talking heads are speculating the forthcoming truck will offer a variety of powertrains, including internal-combustion and a plug-in hybrid. While the presidential memo didn’t mention specific brands, it’s a safe bet any forthcoming midsize truck from the house of Stellantis will be a Ram. Why? Look at remarks made just earlier this month by that brand’s top dog. “I’m not telling you that I am going to have it in six months,” said Kuniskis in an interview just a few days ago. “I desperately want it, and there is a market for it.”
In addition to needing such a rig to go up against trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger in terms of size, there is also currently a price void in Ram showrooms, now the old-school Classic 1500 has shuffled off this mortal coil. A new Ram Dakota would fit the bill nicely.
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