Ram’s upcoming direct rival for the top-selling Ford Ranger was officially confirmed for release in 2028 two weeks ago, and now the first technical details of the “all-new midsize truck” have been revealed, courtesy of MoparInsiders.
According to the well-connected US website, Ram’s smaller dual-cab 4×4 ute – which may look a bit like the car-based Ram Rampage compact dual-cab sold in South America and pictured here – will be based on a unique new ladder-frame platform.
That’s despite the fact it will be built alongside the Jeep Gladiator, at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, rather than at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois as previously expected, under a $US13 billion (A$19.7bn) investment recently announced by Stellantis for its US manufacturing operations.
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Specifically, the all-new Ram – which could be badged as the Dakota – will be assembled at Toledo North, not South, as many had expected. The Gladiator is produced in the South side of the complex, while the North side will produce the all-new Ford Ranger rival alongside the Wrangler.
According to MoparInsiders, the decision to base the long-awaited sub-Ram 1500 pickup on a bespoke body-on-frame (BoF) platform developed specifically for this application – rather than employ an existing Ram or Jeep chassis architecture – was made to “help differentiate it from Jeep’s off-road-focused model while still delivering rugged strength and versatility”.
And the Ram brand’s first mid-size dual-cab since the 2011 Dakota – which wasn’t sold outside North America – will reportedly also arrive sooner than announced.
MoparInsiders says its sources close to the United Auto Workers (UAW) have confirmed that pilot production is slated to begin in March 2027, ahead of a full launch as a 2028 model year vehicle.
They say Stellantis expects to sell up to 100,000 units annually, which will require the addition of a third shift at the plant – a move that’s projected to create over 900 new jobs – with Stellantis planning to recall laid-off workers before hiring externally.
North America’s top-selling mid-size pickup, the Toyota Tacoma, notched up more than 130,000 sales in the first half of 2025 – a significant increase following its redesign last year – putting it well ahead of the Chevrolet Colorado and the Australian-developed Ranger.
But with a $400 million investment in the Toledo Assembly Complex, and an annual production target of 100,000 vehicles, Stellantis clearly has high hopes for its new ‘global metric-tonne pickup’, as it was officially dubbed previously.
That indicates the ‘Dakota’ will be built in both left- and right-hand drive formats for worldwide consumption, and although it’s yet to be confirmed for Australia, senior Ram executives have previously indicated it would be made available here – whether it’s locally converted to RHD alongside the larger Ram 1500 or not.
“We would love a mid-size Ram for Australia, but so far one has not been offered to us,” said Ram Trucks Australia’s Group PR Manager Joshua Dowling this month.
“We certainly cannot speak on behalf of the US factory, but if a mid-size Ram was made available to us, we would have both hands in the air requesting that vehicle. We think a mid-sized Ram pickup would work really well in Australia. It would be a great addition to our lineup.”
Details including its name, powertrain options, and trim levels remain unknown at this stage, but Ram’s first direct rival for some of the world’s (and Australia’s) most popular dual-cabs could be powered by a range of hybrid and electric powertrains already offered by Stellantis in the US.
The last Dakota was available with V6 and V8 petrol engines, and in the US the Wrangler and Gladiator are offered with turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V6 petrol engines (and a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the former).
However, the two Jeeps no longer feature diesel engines, still the most popular powertrain among utes sold in Australia.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa recently said Ram’s new mid-size pickup will not only look great, but be competitive in the large and lucrative market segment.
“Two weeks ago I was in our design centre in Detroit and I saw the car itself – not only the sketches and the design but the clay model – and it’s just beautiful,” he said.
“And all the specs that we are imagining in the product briefing are very good in the segment, so that’s why 2027 we’ll have a very strong Ram offer in that segment,” he added – before Ram officially announced a 2028 launch earlier this month.
Ram has competed in this segment before, but has never had a full-fledged global model.
The aforementioned Dakota was a North American model, while rebadged Mitsubishi Triton and Changan F70 utes sold as the Ram 1200 were only offered in select Middle Eastern and Latin American markets.
Earlier this year, Ram revealed an updated version of its Changan F70-based ute for Latin America, with the virtually production-ready concept wearing the Dakota Nightfall nameplate.
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