Ram 1500 2023 News

Full-sized US pick-ups, considered gas-guzzling monstrosities by some in our country, have found favour in the Aussie market with those who need a big comfortable work-and-play vehicle that is capable of towing more than the Aussie mainstream ute benchmark of 3500kg.

Australian automotive manufacturing could now employ more people than worked at Ford's Broadmeadows and Geelong factories and Holden's Elizabeth factory combined when local manufacturing officially ended in Australia in 2016 and 2017.The boom is being dri

What do the Ford Ranger, Tesla Model Y, and Volvo XC40 have in common?

Ram has a new 1500 truck in town, suitably named Big Horn, that will be the new entry point to the range as the previous-generation model winds down.

The stereotype of American excess is sometimes shunned, but when it comes to utes Australians don't mind the 'bigger is better' approach, which the US delivers in spades. Not only is the Ram 1500 rather sizey, but its line-up is growing too, with a new near-top-spec version of the dual-cab added to the range in the form of the Laramie Sport.

Australia certainly seems to think bigger is better when it comes to cars, with sales of plus-sized dual-cab utes gathering momentum faster than virtually any other segment, and more options are on the way to satisfy that growing demand.

Among the online white-noise continues the theme of `we don’t make anything in this country any more’. It’s the great post-car-making dirge that keeps online trolls and nay-sayers busy for hours on end.

An American rival to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger could be revealed as early as July, with Stellantis-owned Ram teasing a combustion-powered ute that could be related to the anticipated Dakota pick-up.

The CEO of car brand conglomerate Stellantis, which owns Ram, Jeep, and brands like Peugeot and Fiat, has joined the chorus of critics to the changes surrounding the European Union's imposed ban on fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035.Stellantis CEO Carlo

Ram has begun lifting the lid on the incoming Dakota mid-size ute, with the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival expected to offer ICE and electrified powertrains, and it could arrive in right-hand drive from the factory for Australia.Ram boss Mike Koval showed an all-electric concept to the brand’s US dealers in March, which drove suspicions that the long-awaited ute would be an EV only offering.But Mr Koval told Australian media that wouldn’t be the case, with an electric-only powertrain limiting the truck’s popularity in global markets. Instead, the model would be offered with a choice of engine or motor, with ICE and EV both on the table.When asked if, given ICE remains a core part of Ram’s strategy, the new ute would keep a foot in both powertrain camps, Mr Koval replied: “Yes, because I don't want to limit my opportunities.”“I would be doing the team a disservice if I didn’t (offer ICE). I want to be able to sell it in every market around the world."The Dakota - although that name is yet to be confirmed - would form a key plank in Ram’s new global strategy, in which the brand will dedicate more engineering space to markets outside America.And that could include producing the Dakota in left- and right-hand drive from the factory, foregoing the need for the successful remanufacturing process that currently takes place through Ram Trucks Australia and Walkinshaw in Melbourne.When asked if the Dakota would be offered in left- and right-hand drive from the factory, Mr Koval replied: “It would always be the idea”.“When I got to the brand in 2016, I would say 96 percent of the engineering focus was on North America. That’s changing. Every new vehicle, starting with the (Ram 1500 REV), and everything beyond it, I will make it international in scope. Or I’ll try to.”So, onto the name. While Dakota is reportedly firming, Mr Koval says no decision has been made on what the truck would be called. "Obviously the Dakota name carries a lot of heritage. It's very special to us. I'll say if and when, we'll see. At the moment it's not, because it's just in concept phase. But we'll see," Mr Koval says."I will say this - we've been talkling about it forever. This is the Ram leadership team that is going to execute. We will be the team that delivers it."