The Dodge/Ram Dakota left production in 2011. Since then, the mid-size pickup segment has gained in popularity, but Stellantis hasn’t been able to join in on the fun. Finally, though, Ram is working on a new mid-sizer, and as part of a $13 billion investment in the US, the automaker confirmed that the pickup would begin production in 2028.
Better late than never.
Stellantis confirmed that it would build the mid-size pickup at its Toledo, Ohio, plant, where it currently makes the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. This seems to confirm that the new pickup will be body-on-frame, and not a more lifestyle-oriented unibody offering like the Honda Ridgeline or Hyundai Santa Cruz. Ram is going after the heart of the segment—the Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma.
The automaker initially planned to make this mid-size pickup at the recently shuttered Belvidere, Illinois, plant. Instead, Stellantis will reopen the plant in 2027 to build the new Jeep Cherokee and Compass, the latter of which wasn’t initially confirmed for America. Stellantis also announced today that it will build a new large internal-combustion and range-extended EV SUV in Warren, Michigan, and that it will start building a new Durango in Detroit in 2029.
Photo by: Dodge
“This investment in the US—the single largest in the Company’s history – will drive our growth, strengthen our manufacturing footprint and bring more American jobs to the states we call home,” said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa in a statement. “As we begin our next 100 years, we are putting the customer at the center of our strategy, expanding our vehicle offerings, and giving them the freedom to choose the products they want and love.”
It’s all part of Filosa’s plan to undo years of mistakes at Stellantis. Under his predecessor, Carlos Tavares, Stellantis canceled customer-favorite V-8 models, launched lackluster EVs, and failed in moving Jeep upmarket. He’s seemingly making all the right moves, and the reintroduction of the Ram 1500 V-8 and the coming Cherokee and Compass are great, immediate steps.
But the fact that the mid-size pickup isn’t coming until 2028 and the new Durango is even further away just shows how behind this company is. It’s a long road ahead.
