RAM’s answer to Toyota HiLux still coming

RAM CEO Mike Koval has talked up the likelihood of a RAM-banded ute to rival the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger joining its line-up in the coming years, describing the global mid-sized pick-up segment as “the largest, biggest white-space opportunity for our brand” in a recent interview with Muscle Cars and Trucks.

Stopping short of making any announcements or confirmations, Koval said the formation of Stellantis had provided RAM with a plethora of different platforms to leverage for the creation of its first direct rival for the Ranger and HiLux – Australia’s best-selling vehicle for the past five years.

“I’m looking at other alternatives, and other opportunities that we currently have for sale in other markets,” he said.

“There are challenges with homologation and federalisation, it’s never easy.”

A ‘a metric-ton mid-size truck solution’ has been officially on the cards for RAM for several years now, with the primary hurdle – according to previous brand leadership – being the lack of a suitable platform.

Former global Jeep and RAM boss Mike Manley went on the record in 2019 as saying a mid-size RAM ute would have a markedly different roll to the Jeep Gladiator – work versus recreation – hence the two wouldn’t be sharing a platform.

Such a vehicle – potentially named the RAM Dakota – was previously planned for a 2023 launch in “every global market” as part of a five-year product strategy by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, but Stellantis supposedly poured cold water on the project early last year.

Six months, later, our sources indicated the program was not only alive and kicking, but that electrification and right-hand drive production would be major focus points of the development process.

When Koval says he’s looking abroad for “other opportunities”, the most obvious and likely contender is the RAM Dakota that was reportedly greenlit for production in Brazil earlier this year.

According to Brazilian media, the Latin Dakota will be underpinned by an enlarged version of the ‘Small Wide’ 4×4 monocoque platform used by some Jeep products, while some North American versions could be built around a traditional body-on-frame ladder chassis.

Power is anticipated to come courtesy of a 150kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel good for 151kW/449Nm – virtually the same unit that used to be offered in the local Jeep Wrangler.

Both engines will reportedly be linked to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Koval also revealed he was looking into the possibility of a small truck (presumably to rival the Ford Maverick) for the North American market, ala the Mexican RAM 700.

“As prices have crept up I think there’s opportunity in that small truck portion in the US market, and that’s where I’m looking to leverage part of our portfolio that may exist in other countries and potentially bringing something here,” he said.

“I would love to do that. I don’t have plans to do so yet.”

It’s highly unlikely a compact RAM pick-up will make it Down Under, but the mid-size RAM ute almost certainly would, given utes are the most popular new vehicle type in Australia, which is now one of the world’s biggest ute markets.

In fact, Australia is the world’s second largest market for the HiLux, Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Isuzu D-MAX (all following Thailand) and Volkswagen Amarok (following Argentina), and the biggest for the Mazda BT-50 and, soon, the new VW Amarok.

If RAM does launch a Ranger and HiLux rival here, odds are it will carry the ‘RAM 1200’ or ‘Ram Dakota’ nameplates.

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