RAM Dakota for Oz – one way or another

UPDATED 10/11/2022 1:00pm: This article was updated to include the fantastic new RAM 'Dakota' renders you see here courtesy of KDesign.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 24/10/2022: The quality and cost-effectiveness of local left- to right-hand drive conversions has effectively killed off the need for factory-built right-hand drive full-size utes sourced from the US.

And the same canny Australian engineering and production quality could ensure RAM delivers its first Toyota HiLux competitor Down Under – even if it isn’t built in RHD ex-factory.

That’s the takeout from RAM’s Australian experience and production expansion plans.

Speaking exclusively to carsales ahead of confirmation that RAM Trucks Australia and partner Walkinshaw Automotive will substantially increase its local manufacturing footprint, RAM Trucks International chief, Bob Graczyk said the quality and relative cost effectiveness of local RAM pick-up conversions has offset the need to package protect future generations of full-size trucks for factory right-hand drive.

“We will always, every new generation, take a look at it. But, the [full-size pick-up] volume would have to be pretty substantial to do a right-hand drive and so sometimes it just doesn’t make business sense,” the RAM international boss opined.

“I think there’s going to be cases where we’re always going to need a partner to help us to reach certain markets. And you know, this has been such a great experience for us in RAM in what we’ve been able to do – we have the confidence that we can do this going forward, if necessary too.

“I don’t see that we’re going to package-protect for a right-hand-drive in everything and so there will always be a need for this kind of a set-up,” Graczyk explained.

Graczyk praised RAM Trucks Australia and Walkinshaw Automotive’s operations in Australia, where Ford and potentially Toyota will effectively mirror RAM’s local RHD production blueprint – and applauded the feedback from RAM’s home base.

“[The factory is] One thousand percent supportive. We have full confidence in the Melbourne manufacturing organisation here to protect our brand and protect our truck.

“If there was any reason why there might be any concern, first of all, I know that Melbourne would stop it because that’s just who they are. And secondly, we would stop it as well.

“I was just in our plant in Sterling Heights [Michigan, USA] about two weeks ago. The truck that’s coming off the line here in Australia is as good, or better, than what’s coming out of our main plant.”

RAM Trucks Australia is targeting production of 12,000 full-size pick-ups locally in the mid-term and says its local customer base is already over 17,000 units. In 2022, the brand is targeting more than 7000 deliveries and closing in on 8000.

That’s an impressive number but pales against the top-sellers in the traditional mid-size one-tonne segment dominated by the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

But RAM has a smaller new global ‘metric-ton’ dual-cab pick-up – potentially called the RAM Dakota – on the way and it will be a direct rival for the HiLux and Ranger.

Graczyk was guarded on the subject of Dakota and whether it would be produced in right-hand drive either ex-factory or via a local conversion program like the big RAMs.

But as a former FCA Australia executive he has solid knowledge of the potential upsides of such a model Down Under, where utes are the single most popular new vehicle type.

“Every new product we take a look at and we say, ‘Does it make sense to do it in right-hand-drive or not?’,” said Graczyk.

“And you know, if there is a mid-size pick-up truck coming down the line for RAM, we’ll definitely take a look to see if it makes sense for us to do it as right-hand drive or for us to do it the other way.

“But I’m certain that any new truck that comes out from RAM, if it’s only left-hand drive, we will consider it,” said Graczyk, responding to the direct query around the possibility of an Australian market entry via local conversion with: “Absolutely. Absolutely. Yep.”

The RAM Trucks International boss is also clear-cut on the future of the partnership with Ateco Group – the Australian company behind RAM Trucks Australia and the importer of Renault, LDV and Maserati vehicles.

“When we started with Ateco, we saw an opportunity to get into the RAM business. We weren’t doing it ourselves from the plant, so we looked for another way to do it, and we’ve partnered with them. And this has evolved over the last seven or eight years, and we have no intention of changing that,” Graczyk explained.

“We love the relationship that we have with Ateco. And we think it’s going to be... a partnership for a long, long time.

“It’s a win-win. In fact, it’s more of a win-win-win: it’s a win for RAM as the factory, it’s a win for Ateco and it’s a win for our customers,” Graczyk stated.

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