Would Dodge and Ram Reunite? Ram CEO Responds to Ongoing Debate

• Ram CEO says brand merger with Dodge wouldn’t impact consumer perception or excitement.

• Public still uses “Dodge Ram” despite 17-year separation of the two brands.

• Ram and Dodge continue diverging product strategies under Stellantis despite shared showroom presence.

Canadians love pickups. The proof is in new-vehicle sales every year, where the likes of the Ford F-150, GM trucks, and Ram 1500 nearly always make the Top 5 best-sellers in the land and account for more than 350,000 sales, or so. Questions are regularly fired at us about which truck to consider and, interestingly, despite Dodge and Ram splitting way back in 2009, nearly half of enquiring shoppers still refer to the Ram 1500 as the Dodge Ram…

Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has addressed this long-standing question from buyers, enthusiasts, and the media about whether Dodge and Ram could ever reunite into a single brand, stating that while a merger is technically feasible, it likely wouldn’t make a major difference in the eyes of most consumers.

Speaking during an interview at the recent Detroit Auto Show, Kuniskis acknowledged that the connection between the two brands remains strong in the public’s perception, despite their official split more than 15 years ago.

“I screw up all the time,” he said, referencing the persistent habit of referring to Ram vehicles as “Dodge Ram.” He added that the naming confusion isn’t seen as problematic internally. “Everybody does. The whole world loves Dodge Ram.”

Dodge and Ram were officially separated by the former Chrysler Group under CEO Sergio Marchionne. At the time, Dodge was repositioned as a car and performance brand, while Ram became a dedicated truck and commercial vehicle brand. The decision was made to better align marketing and product development with target demographics.

Since the split, the two brands have followed diverging paths. Ram has grown into one of North America’s highest-volume truck brands. Dodge, with a narrower performance-focused lineup, has done equally well for itself.

Despite the brand divergence, customers continue to associate Ram with Dodge. The crossover in public perception has led to recurring discussions among enthusiasts about whether the two brands should be recombined.

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When asked whether reunifying Dodge and Ram could help from a marketing standpoint, Kuniskis said such a move would likely go unnoticed. He emphasized that brand structure matters less to customers than product decisions, such as bringing back popular models or offering high-performance options. Although Kuniskis did not rule out a future brand merger, he noted that it is not a current priority.

For now, the two brands remain separate, even as consumers continue to blur the line between them.

Source: MoparInsiders