New US-Built Midsize Ram Pickup And Dodge Durango Confirmed
Ram is going big on small trucks.
The automaker has confirmed with the United Auto Workers that it plans to build a new midsize pickup at its currently idled Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, the union said on Wednesday.
The plan was originally outlined in the most recent contract signed with the UAW in 2023, but it had fallen into limbo until the resignation of Carlos Tavares as CEO of Ram’s parent company Stellantis last December.
Ram has not had a midsize pickup offering in its U.S. since the Dakota was discontinued in 2011. Details on the new truck have not been released, but Ram’s sibling company Jeep currently builds the midsize Jeep Gladiator, which borrows some Ram engineering. A Ram spokeswoman told the Detroit Free Press that the new truck is scheduled to launch in 2027.
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The move comes after Stellantis Chairman John Elkann met with President Trump to discuss new investments in U.S. manufacturing. Ram also brought back retired brand CEO Tim Kuniskis last December to head up the division again and he has said he would love to have a midsize truck in the lineup.
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Stellantis is also moving forward with a next-generation Dodge Durago SUV that will be built at the Detroit Assembly Complex, where the Jeep Grand Cherokee is produced today. The current Durango and last-generation Grand Cherokee shared a platform, so the move suggests the same strategy is being followed.
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Dodge has extended the current Durango’s production several times, including V8-powered models that were previously set to be discontinued in 2024. The Durango is available this year with the choice of a 3.6-liter V6, 5.7-liter V8 or 710 hp Hellcat supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
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