Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' (FCA) Ram division will add a mid-size truck model to compete in the growing entry-level segment of the pickup market.
FCA boss Mike Manley broke the news during a recent conference call to talk about the company's first-quarter financial status, according to Automotive News.
Manley said it will be Ram's job to fill a hole in FCA's lineup. While Jeep just launched the mid-size Gladiator pickup, the CEO called that truck "a very different mission" that will not properly compete with popular pickups like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.
"Trust me, (Ram) is focused on it. We need to get it fixed soon," said Manley.
FCA currently sells two versions of the full-size Ram 1500. One is the latest generation, introduced in 2019, and the other is the last-generation 1500 model, which Ram continues to sell as the 1500 Classic. Ram prices the Classic significantly lower than the new 1500, making it a mid-size stop-gap while the company comes up with a proper mid-size model.
FCA's problem is mostly money-related: Manley says the company needs a truck it can design, build and sell at a price that will allow it to compete in North America.
Ram vacated the mid-size truck market nearly a decade ago after it discontinued the Dakota after 2010. FCA does have a handful of smaller trucks in its global portfolio. Sold in Mexico, the Ram 700 is a small, front-drive truck based on the Fiat Strada. In the Middle Eastern market, there's the Ram 1200, a rebadged version of the Fiat Fullback and Mitsubishi L200
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