Ram ute: Ford Ranger rival confirmed for 2027, on Australian wishlist
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Watch out, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux: Ram has confirmed it will build a mid-size ute in the United States in 2027, and the Australian division has expressed interest.
Ram has confirmed it will launch a model smaller than the 1500 in the United States, with the mid-size Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux rival on the wish list for Australia.
The long-discussed and yet-to-be-named model is expected to be a revival of the Dodge Dakota – also sold as the Ram Dakota – available in the US between 1986 and 2011 before Ram shifted to focus on its larger 1500, 2500 and 3500.
Automotive News reports Stellantis chairman John Elkann recently met with United States President Donald Trump to discuss its US manufacturing plans.
MORE: Ram 1500 REV long-range: World's largest electric vehicle battery axed – report
Elkann confirmed the "mid-size truck" will be built at the Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant, which has been idle since February 2023 when the Jeep Cherokee family SUV ended production.
While Stellantis did not announce when it will start building the model, the United Auto Workers union said the Belvidere Assembly Plant would reopen in 2027 to manufacture the mid-size ute.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor1 at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show earlier this month he wants "a mid-size truck so bad" to sit in a similar price position to the now-discontinued Ram 1500 Classic.
MORE: Ram 1500 V8 reaches end of the line in Australia as final example built
"Everything is more expensive. Trucks are way more expensive – bread goes up, you still got to eat, right? Trucks go up, you start looking for alternatives," said Kuniskis.
"I used to have a price point alternative with the Ram [1500] Classic. I don’t have that anymore."
Kuniskis returned to Ram as its global CEO in December 2024 after a six-month retirement, a week after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned earlier than expected.
In December 2024 – when former Ram CEO Christine Feuell told Motor Trend the model "will be brought to market" – Ram Trucks Australia managing director Jeff Barber said it was on the "wishlist" for Australia.
MORE: Ram confirms smaller, sub-1500 HiLux ute rival is on Australian wish list
"A mid-size ute is on our wish list for Ram in Australia," Barber told Drive.
"It has been on our radar for years and we think it would be a good fit for Australia."
It remains unknown if the Ram mid-size pick-up will have a body-on-frame architecture like a Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux or if it will be unibody similar to the Ram Rampage available in South America, which shares a platform with the current Jeep Compass.
It is also unclear if it will support right-hand drive from the factory – like the Wrangler-based Jeep Gladiator built in the US – or if it would need to be converted to right-hand drive in Australia, like Ram's larger vehicles.
If it is a body-on-frame vehicle, the STLA Frame architecture, which will debut in the electric Ram 1500 REV and Ram 1500 Ramcharger range-extender plug-in hybrid, could be a likely candidate for the smaller model.
Stellantis says STLA Frame has a minimum length of 5488 millimetres, a minimum width of 2062mm and a minimum wheelbase of 3143mm, with the support for petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains.
These dimensions are about 200mm longer than a Ranger but with a similar width and wheelbase.
The post Ram ute: Ford Ranger rival confirmed for 2027, on Australian wishlist appeared first on Drive.
