U.S.-based automaker Ram is renowned for its big and heavy trucks, but the company believes it could benefit from invading the segment of compact, lightweight pickups. According to CEO Mike Koval Jr., the market is constantly growing for these cars, and it would not be wise to miss out.
One only has to look at the current demand for the recent Ford Maverick to understand what is going on. Starting as low as $20,000, the unibody mini-pickup is on a multi-month backorder nationwide.
Mr. Koval did not specify what kind of platform the proposed new truck would use, but highlighted the various options Stellantis Group has at its disposal. Ram also maintains a limited offer of smaller trucks outside of the USA: one example would be the Ram 700 pictured here. Essentially a redesigned Fiat Strada for South America, it is marketed as a cheap and popular car and sells well. For the fastidious North American clientele, though, it would have to be significantly upgraded, implying serious development costs. Just whether Ram will go through with the idea remains to be seen.
Another option would be for the automaker to design a new mid-size pickup on the Jeep Gladiator chassis. Doing so could yield a utility vehicle smaller and more wallet-friendly than the current Ram 1500.