Ram Finally Reveals Release Year & Powertrain Options For New Mid-Size Truck

It's no secret that Ram has wanted to expand their pickup truck footprint for some time now — in fact, we talked about that likelihood over a year ago. As full-size pickup trucks continue to add capability, size, and price, midsize trucks fill the space they leave behind. The Ram 1500, for example, is an upscale truck that offers a lot of capability, but there's plenty of room in the lineup for something smaller and less expensive. The Ram Rampage already proves that point abroad. Now, Ram has confirmed that a midsize truck that could fill that void in the United States is on the way.

According to a memo obtained by Automotive News "approximately 1,500 UAW-represented employees" will return to work at the now-idle Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois. The new midsize Ram truck, according to the United Autoworkers Union, will begin production in 2027. Ram representatives have since confirmed the details in the memo, although they've given precious few details about their plans for the upcoming truck. 

With several capable midsize pickup trucks available across several different brands, however, Ram will be facing tough competition. Trucks like Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, and even the Honda Ridgeline all offer competitive feature sets worth considering. Whatever form the new midsize Ram takes, it will have its work cut out for it.

When Car and Driver spoke to a Ram representative for confirmation of the new midsize Ram's production, the rep stated that the new truck would "take full advantage of our multi-energy strategy (ICE, PHEV, and BEV)." Translation? There will likely be at least three powertrain options for the truck, including internal combustion, a plug-in hybrid, and a full-electric version. Or, at the very least, they're considering all sources of power for the pickup and they haven't decided on which one to launch with first. There's no word on specifically which powertrains will be used.

At this point, facts start to run out about the new Ram truck, and the fun of speculation begins. For starters, we don't know what the new truck will be called, but there are plenty of names to choose from. The Dodge Dakota was discontinued over a decade ago, but Ram could resurrect the nameplate for this new project. Midsize trucks already in the Ram lineup abroad, trucks like the Ram 1200, could also lend their name to the new rig. The aforementioned Rampage is another name in the Stellantis lexicon that could be used as well. 

We also don't know if the new midsize Ram will be on an all-new platform, or based on something that already exists. Jeep and Ram are both part of the Stellantis family, so the midsize Gladiator could donate some parts, but we expect the new Ram to be a bit less off-road focused.