Ram Is Adding Its First SUV in 2028. Will We Finally Get a Real Ramcharger Revival?

You ought to know by now that Ram only does trucks. Well, it also does vans. And soon, it will add an SUV to the lineup, as Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa announced to a room of Wall Street analysts on Thursday morning.

This was first reported by Automotive News, which quoted Filosa as saying that the SUV and the promised midsize pickup will give Ram a “much more comprehensive product range.” The truck maker will draw on its relationships within Stellantis to bring this new model to market in 2028, as it’s expected to offer a gas-only engine option as well as an extended-range EV powertrain like the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Although it’s not a sure bet, it sounds like the Ram SUV will be a big three-row rather than a Dodge Durango equivalent. Ram’s midsize truck will be built in Toledo, Ohio, next to the Jeep Gladiator, whereas the newly announced family hauler will be assembled in Warren, Michigan.

If that is indeed the case, you can pretty much bet on it riding atop Stellantis’ STLA Frame platform. That’s a relatively flexible architecture that was originally developed to accommodate both internal-combustion-only powertrains as well as electrified ones. And while it would be just like Ram to put a Hemi V8 under the hood as a generator for the range-extended EV, it will almost definitely be a Pentastar V6 like the new Grand Wagoneer and Ram 1500 REV pickup.

Speaking of the electrified pickup, that was originally going to be called the Ramcharger, but the automaker pulled a switcharoo once it killed the battery-only model. If you’ll remember, Ram sold a Ramcharger SUV back in the day that was more of a Bronco and K5 Blazer competitor. It seems like now might be the time to bring that name back, though it would surely ruffle the feathers of traditional Mopar fans.

It’s all part of the auto manufacturing parent company’s sizable $13 billion investment in United States manufacturing through 2029. Filosa reportedly emphasized the domestic market’s importance to Ram and Stellantis at large, saying the U.S. “is a key priority for our success because when we are strong in the U.S., we are stronger and better as a company everywhere.”

Selling a big SUV in the U.S. is a perfectly logical decision given how much we love ’em as a country. The Chevy Tahoe is the full-size segment’s perennial best-seller, and last year, GM sold more than 105,000 of those suckers—and that’s not counting the 87,000 GMC Yukons that were delivered. Ford is proving with its new Expedition that people are interested in options without a Bowtie on the grille, so it only makes sense that Ram would join in next.

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