New Ram Midsize Truck Production to Ohio, New Jeeps for Illinois – Record $13 Billion Invested in U.S.

testerdahl

testerdahl

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Stellantis announced plans to invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint and strengthen its position in one of its most critical markets. This landmark investment—the largest in the company’s American history—will fund the launch of five new vehicles, support 19 major product actions, and drive a 50% increase in U.S. production capacity. The initiative also includes the start of production for the new GMET4 EVO four-cylinder engine and will add more than 5,000 new jobs across Stellantis facilities in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Ohio will build next-generation Ram midsize truck An investment […] (read full article...)
 
At first I was surprised that Ram was building the midsized in Toledo, but it makes sense. I also thought that this backs up Dave's comment that Jeep was going to make some future Wranglers with IFS. Having that suspension setup in the factory makes it easier to mix the "Dakota" into the build line.
 
Saddle Tramp said:
The rumor mills is off the charts about the new midsized Ram on the other websites. 😅
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I was out of town this week doing the national press preview for the new RAV4 or I'd have put out a similar article. It is funny when I did the YT short video. A few people were like, "what Ram midsize truck?" SMH. The one that's been rumored for what the last 5 years or better.
 
Rotten.dalton said:
A midsized version of an unreliable pickup? I’ll pass. Perfectly happy with my Tacoma and it's normal, 6’ long bed.
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Hard to get people to change their view of Ram. That's one of my many pushbacks against the idea of planned obsolescence. If you make a vehicle that is designed to fail and people catch on to the idea, it costs you much more in the long run to undo the damage to the brand.
 
I think this and the Dakota news spells good things for the Gladiator who, I think it was last year, was on the chopping block after 2028. If they’re building the Dakota there now too, I feel like it would mean they’ll keep building the gladiators too.

OR…they’ll axe the Gladiator for the Dakota. I could see that too.

A Rubicon’d Dakota packaged as a ‘Power Wagon’ would be a neat idea! Though they’ve never done a Power Wagon on a smaller than 2500 before, right? I don’t recall them ever doing a power wagon Dakota in the 90s so if they’re building did it’d be to satisfy us dorks who’d love it vs doing something traditional, though, I don’t think Ram gives two shakes about tradition at this point so I say “send it!” as the kids say.
 
I owned a 2002 Dakota with the small V8. Great truck. Eventually needed a full size and went for a 2010 ram 1500. I can only talk for myself but the Dakota and my 3 Rams have been essentially problem free.
I’m hoping they don’t screw up the design of the new Dakota… Hopefully, you can get the Hurricane in the new
Dakota.
 
James-kd2cm said:
I owned a 2002 Dakota with the small V8. Great truck. Eventually needed a full size and went for a 2010 ram 1500. I can only talk for myself but the Dakota and my 3 Rams have been essentially problem free.
I’m hoping they don’t screw up the design of the new Dakota… Hopefully, you can get the Hurricane in the new
Dakota.
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My dad had two Dakotas back in the day; an 02 (2wd) and an 04 (4x4). Both black R/Ts, both with the magnum V8s, both awesome.

I’m sure he kicked himself trading it in for an 05 Ram 1500 with the Hemi. Another great truck but there was something great about those Dakotas. We loved them.
 
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testerdahl said:
Hard to get people to change their view of Ram. That's one of my many pushbacks against the idea of planned obsolescence. If you make a vehicle that is designed to fail and people catch on to the idea, it costs you much more in the long run to undo the damage to the brand.
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I wonder when that perception started? Seems like it has as long as I can remember. Even back in the '80s, Dodge was always the last to be considered because Ford/Chevy were the front runners. Was that the reason? Being small and uncommon made people think unreliable?
 
Dusdaddy said:
I wonder when that perception started? Seems like it has as long as I can remember. Even back in the '80s, Dodge was always the last to be considered because Ford/Chevy were the front runners. Was that the reason? Being small and uncommon made people think unreliable?
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Around the 2000s to the early 2010s. People thought of those trucks are really unreliable. The joke was the engine would out last the truck especially in the case of the HD trucks and the Cummins engine.

I still read that a lot in the comments. Whenever I do a reliability story and I list Ram near the top, I get a lot of “fake news” or I’m “bought” comments. People refuse to believe it.
 
TheDo114 said:
The 90s and 00s were brutal for dodge in terms of reliability. They had so many transmission and electricial issues. The 2001-2003 dodge ram 1500 is one of the worst models on car complaints website and has earned the avoid like the plague badge.
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I was off a bit. But, here we are 20 years later and people still think of them as awful in terms of reliability even though they have made massive strides to improve.
 
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