Ram’s Toyota Tacoma Challenger Will “Surprise” Truck Fans

It’s been a while since Ram left the midsize truck market, with the Dodge Dakota last offered 14 years ago. However, the American brand is set to return to the segment, as confirmed by Ram brand CEO Christine Feuell in an interview with MotorTrend. Unlike previous speculations about Ram’s midsize contender, this is an outright declaration, with Feuell going on record saying that the new truck, which will slot below the Ram 1500, “will be brought to market.” Some details about the truck have been shared as well, though they left us with questions rather than answers.

We Will Be Surprised By The Choice Of Platform

The midsize truck market is currently led by the Toyota Tacoma and the Ford Ranger – both traditional body-on-frame pickups. However, it appears that Ram is taking a different route. At the expense of spilling the beans to MotorTrend, Feuell said that Ram went through many options for the platform. No details were shared, but the executive said that we would be surprised by the choice.

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The most obvious choice would be the STLA Frame platform, but Feuell’s statement would mean Ram is looking at a different angle. Of course, the automaker currently has two smaller truck offerings on other markets, namely the Ram Rampage, a compact unibody truck that’s more a rival to the Ford Maverick than the Ranger, and the Ram 1200, which is essentially just a rebadged Chinese ladder-frame truck for Mexico.

Not Going To Be A Niche Product

However, Ram could also develop an entirely new truck for the US market using the STLA Large platform that underpins the Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger Daytona. This platform supports both pure electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engines, so it is possible. However, going this route means Ram’s newest truck would be a unibody pickup, unlike the current front-runners in the midsize category.

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There are many questions left unanswered at this point, but we’ll likely know more details next year, including the nameplate to be used for the new pickup. Stellantis is quite busy right now, even pushing back the market launch of the electrified versions of Ram’s full-size offerings. One thing’s for sure, though – Feuell said that the company’s midsize contender must deliver performance and affordability, and that it will not be a niche product.

Source:
MotorTrend