What is Ram news doing here? Well, it could potentially be something for Chevrolet and GMC to take note of in the near future.
Our sister publication focused on all things Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, FCÂ Authority, reports Ram chief Mike Manley is seriously interested in bringing a midsize, or even smaller pickup truck to life for the brand, but cited development costs for such a project for the cash-strapped automaker. Therefore, a unibody design could be in order.
With that in mind, the unibody, FWD-based Fiat Toro is currently sold in South America, and is easy to imagine such a vehicle tuned specifically for North America. The Toro pickup is roughly 10-inches smaller than the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, meaning it could enter a white space segment of a smaller, more urban friendly truck that is currently unavailable in this corner of the world. This exact type of vehicle is something we here at GMA feel needs to happen, and we rendered a pair of Chevrolet and GMC small trucks to expand on the thought.
Do you think a unibody pickup from Ram is an idea worth pursuing? Or is a midsize, body-on-frame truck like the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon a more sound business case?
Comments
Dodge had the Dakota truck many years ago. It can return as a light pickuo to compete with the Ford Ranger and the Chevy Colorado.
Oh Boy, a baby goat, just what I never wanted!
In the 1980’s my dad had a Dodge Ram pickup and that thing was tiny. You would never think it could be the predecessor of today’s Ram trucks. The current GM midsize trucks are big in size and I estimate they’re about 3/4 the size of Silverado and Sierra. Is the Touro the equivalent size of Colorado/Canyon? Ram is a pretty successful brand so something smaller could be successful.
I just don’t see high enough sales numbers in the US for a small uni-body truck. The Honda Ridgeline is the only uni-body truck I can think of. It never sold more than 45,000 units. Most years it was under 20,000. Barely profitable even if you build it on an existing platform.
GM and Ford both have uni-body trucks elsewhere in the world that do very well. We just happen to like everything just a bit bigger than the rest of the planet. 🙂
So, possibly a revival of the Dodge Rampage… A Ram Rampage? This could be a game changer with a few tweaks. Maybe they could offer a camper shell for it also so the load is enclosed for weather protection. Or, since it would be based on a car platform, they could offer a 4 door version of the same size with fold down rear seats to increase the passenger capacity while avoiding a reduction in storage capability. Change the tailgate to a lift gate for easier loading and you have a real winner. Unfortunately, it would then be a mid-sized SUV and compete with the Chevy Equinox or Traverse.
This is in the segment with the Honda and would be a tough sell.
The Honda Ridgeline has been a tough sell in segment and you take away the Honda reliability and popularity and replace it with Fiat standards that makes for a bleak outlook.
Most truck buyers in America want body on frame. The GM twins are doing very well and with the return of the Ranger Ram will fall father behind.
This truck would be a compliment to the mid size truck in a smaller size but not a replacement or challenger for the mid size segment.
If Fiat would just take the money from jeep and give it to Dodge and Ram it would solve a lot of issues vs. giving it to Alfa.
So ram wants a Pacifica based truck just like the ridge line which is essentially a odyssey/pilot based truck? Because I’m not sure if bringing the toro is a good one des like the article suggests as its more smaller.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne doesn’t really care about the US and spend hundreds of millions on any program as in a perfect Sergio-world, General Motors would build a Colorado then put Jeep on it for FCA.
Just because a vehicle has a open bed doesn’t make it a pickup truck. A pickup truck must have a drive system of some sort that can push the vehicle’s rear wheels to handle heavy loads. That means it must have RWD, AWD, or 4WD. The Fiat is a FWD vehicle so that makes it no more than a vehicle with an open trunk. I’d love a compact size pickup truck but the Toro doesn’t quality. I’d like something more like a modern El Camino styled truck like the Ford Falcon or Holden ute.
Well here is the deal.
If it look like a truck, hauls like a truck and hauls like a truck the public will call a truck odds are so will Fiat too.
In north America if you had called a El Camino a Ute people would look at you cross eyed. Even today many will still call it a Truck.
Hell my state made people run truck plates on them.
Even the open bed SUV’s are considered trucks. So that is one thing you can fight a losing battle with public rhelm of pinon to change or you can go with the flow as most have.
FCA should have imported Toro years ago, at the start of the partnership when has prices were higher.
Nonetheless, this white space should be filled. Also, FCA needs a real global line up of product that can be sold by any of the mainstream old Chrysler brands because this cuts costs. A Ram Toro sounds slick, too.