Ram will launch a new body-on-frame midsize truck in North America by 2027.
The model will fill the gap left by the discontinued 1500 Classic under $40K CAD.
Production location is undecided; Belvidere, Toledo, and Warren Truck are under consideration.
We’ve been talking and speculating about it for years, and finally, it seems, we’ve got dates. Stellantis will officially launch a new midsize Ram pickup in 2027. CEO Antonio Filosa confirmed the timeline recently, marking the company’s first public commitment to the project since the Dodge Dakota was discontinued in 2011.
The upcoming model is expected to serve as an entry point to the Ram lineup following the discontinuation of the highly profitable and popular Ram 1500 Classic in 2024. Rising full-size truck prices have left a notable gap in the market, with no Ram option available below the $60,000 CAD threshold.
During the conference, Filosa revealed he had recently reviewed a full clay model of the truck at the company’s Detroit design centre. “Two weeks ago, it was in our design center in Detroit, and I saw the [truck] itself, not only the sketches and designs but the clay model,” he said. He also invited investors to preview the vehicle under restricted conditions.
2008 Dodge Dakota | Photo: DodgeIndustry sources, including MoparInsiders.com, have confirmed that the vehicle will use a traditional body-on-frame platform. The choice aligns Ram with competitors such as the Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, and Toyota Tacoma, distancing the project from earlier speculation that it might adopt a unibody layout like Stellantis’ STLA Large platform.
Final production plans have not yet been announced. Stellantis initially indicated that the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, currently idle, could be a possible site. However, alternative options include the Toledo facility, which builds the Jeep Gladiator, or Warren Truck, which has spare capacity for body-on-frame production.
2008 Dodge Dakota | Photo: DodgeA separate midsize truck, also branded as the Dakota, is planned for South America and will be manufactured in Argentina. That vehicle, based on a unibody design shared with the Fiat Titano, will not be offered in the North American market. The U.S. and Canada-bound truck will be a distinct, larger model built specifically for regional consumer expectations.
Ram long ago, in hindsight, exited the midsize space at the wrong time, when the Dakota was phased out due to pricing overlap with the full-size 1500. Stellantis appears set to avoid the same issue by targeting the new truck at budget-conscious consumers and positioning it competitively. The Ford Ranger currently starts at $42,500 CDN, with high-spec models like the Raptor approaching $85,000, creating room for a new entrant. A Ram Dakota RHO, anyone?
