Like the Ram pick-up truck but wanted something a bit smaller? Like the size of a Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux? Well, according to Ram’s United States boss so do they, and a ute similar in size to the Ranger or Hilux could be coming.
The revelation comes after US publication Motor Trend had Ram CEO Chris Feuell confirm that a new truck “will be brought to market”, but what really grabbed our attention was Feuell’s throwaway line that “ we will be surprised” by the platform.
What this means is anybody’s educated guess and yes it might mean this smaller pick-up might not use a ladder frame chassis as our off-road utes such as the Ranger and HiLux use making them great off-road but poorer on road.
Not happy with leaving it at that, CarsGuide reached out to Ram Trucks Australia to find out if the baby Ram would come to Australia and if so when and how much would it cost, given that it might have to be converted from left-hand drive to right.
"A mid-size ute is on our wish list for Ram in Australia," said Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber.
"It has been on our radar for years and we think it would be a great fit for Australia."
So there you have it - sounds like Ram trucks Australia wants one as much as anybody else. This makes sense, a smaller more affordable pick-up for Ram would allow the brand to properly play in the Australian ute market, which is fiercely competitive (given that the best-selling cars here are nearly all utes) and also highly lucrative for car companies.
How lucrative would be part of the business case for Ram, which would take into account the cost of re-manufacturing the ute in right hand drive just for Australia and maybe a few countries. The added cost may be deemed more than Aussies might pay compared to a Ranger that can be had from just over $50K in double-cab guise.
That said sales of the Ram 1500 have always been very healthy even with a list price of about $140,000. With 2690 Ram 1500s sold so far this year the popularity of the brand can’t be doubted and consumers might just fork out more for a baby version if it were to make it Down Under.
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