Ram’s Ranger, HiLux rival a ‘great fit’ for Australia… if it comes
Despite its success in the full-sized American pickup market in Australia, Ram has yet to expand to the heart of the ute segment locally.
US pickup specialist Ram has made itself a happy home in Australia, with its full-sized 1500 holding the title of the best-selling vehicle in its segment for more than half a decade.
It was long the only option available but has continued to fight off challenges from the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, all the while establishing the Ram brand in Australia.
But unlike Ford and Toyota, Ram doesn’t have an offering in the mid-sized pickup segment, best known here as dual-cab utes, a segment which dominates the market, as the Ranger and HiLux lead the sales charts in most months.
Rumours of a mid-sized Ram pickup have circulated for years, and while it has launched region-specific models such as the Rampage and Dakota (the latter based on the Chinese Changan F70) in South America, it’s yet to officially launch one in North America.
According to Ram’s Australian division, when that happens it’ll be eager and ready to add it to the local lineup.
“We have had our hand up for a mid-size pickup from the moment the rumours began years ago,” a Ram Trucks Australia spokesperson told Australian media.
“At the moment, there is not one available to us. If one were to become available to us, we would absolutely have our hand up for that.
“We think a mid-size Ram would be a great fit for the Ram Trucks Australia portfolio. We have the dealer network, we know the customers, we know it will look great alongside our full-size pickups. But what you've seen reported so far overseas are region specific models.”
The most likely candidate for Australia is the Ram Dakota, set to launch in the US in 2028 where it’ll take on the local market Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado.
Ram hasn’t had a contender in the North American ‘mid-sized’ pickup segment for the first time since 2011, with the Dakota having previously been in production as a Ram and Dodge from 1989.
Like most of its similarly sized rivals, it’s expected the Ram Dakota will be powered by a four-cylinder or V6 engine, with a hybrid powertrain to potentially find its way into the mix too.
However, it’s almost certain the Dakota won’t break ranks and be fitted with a V8 engine, a move which would see it eat into sales of the 1500.
The Dakota will be based on a body-on-frame platform, something which underpins the Wrangler and Gladiator made in the same Toledo, Ohio facility, suggesting the new model could be related to the Jeeps - though it could also move to an all new architecture.
If the new Ram ute was based on the Jeep Gladiator, engine options include a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 petrol, and a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, though the latter was dropped from the lineup in late 2023 due to poor demand globally.
Given the success of the 1500 locally – which has to be converted from left- to right-hand drive in Melbourne – Ram may have to build the new model in right-hand drive from the factory to give it a chance against its Thailand-sourced rivals in Australia.
