Ram Is Coming After Ford Maverick and Toyota Tacoma, With Two Different Trucks
For years, Ram has essentially watched from the sidelines as Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, GMC and Nissan battled for buyers below the full-size pickup segment.
That is about to change.
Ram is preparing not one, but two smaller pickups for North America, and Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa is making it increasingly clear which competitors the company has in its sights.
Speaking recently at an automotive industry event in Detroit, Filosa discussed Stellantis’ plans to expand into more affordable vehicles and specifically addressed the opportunity for Ram below the full-size 1500.
“We want to be relevant and strong where Toyota is very strong with the Tacoma, and Ford is very strong,” Filosa said.
The answer will come in the form of the returning Ram Dakota and the smaller Ram Rampage.
But despite both wearing Ram badges, these trucks appear destined to serve two very different customers.
The Ram Dakota Takes Aim at Tacoma
The Dakota name disappeared after the 2011 model year, leaving Ram without a direct competitor for trucks like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier.
That’s finally changing.
Ram has confirmed plans for a new midsize pickup, with the Dakota expected to arrive for the 2028 model year. Stellantis has committed nearly $400 million to produce an all-new midsize truck alongside the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio.
That last part could be particularly important.
Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles previously said the Dakota will ride on the Jeep Gladiator platform, giving the truck some legitimate Jeep DNA underneath. Ram has also previewed a Dakota Rebel, suggesting the company isn’t planning to enter the midsize market with a basic work truck alone.
If Ram gets the formula right, Dakota could immediately become an interesting alternative to Tacoma and Ranger—especially if Ram carries its recent performance push into the midsize segment.
An SRT version is already part of Stellantis’ future product plans.
Rampage Has a Completely Different Job
Then there’s the Rampage.
Unlike Dakota, Rampage isn’t designed to fight Tacoma.
It’s Ram’s answer to the Ford Maverick.
The Rampage already exists in South and Central America as a compact unibody pickup. Ram plans to bring a North American version here in 2028, with modifications necessary for this market.
Filosa specifically acknowledged Ford’s success with Maverick when discussing the decision.
That’s significant because Maverick proved there is still a market for an inexpensive pickup that doesn’t need full-size towing numbers, giant tires or a $60,000 price tag.
Ram currently has nothing for that buyer.
Dakota won’t solve that problem because it will compete in the larger and increasingly expensive midsize segment.
Rampage can.
Ram Is Finally Filling the Holes in Its Lineup
The bigger story isn’t Dakota or Rampage individually.
It’s what Ram’s showroom could look like by 2028.
Today, an American truck buyer wanting something significantly smaller or less expensive than a Ram 1500 simply has to shop somewhere else. Ford can move customers from Maverick to Ranger to F-150. Toyota can offer Tacoma below Tundra.
Ram hasn’t had that ladder.
Rampage → Dakota → Ram 1500 → Ram HD changes the equation considerably.
And it arrives as Stellantis admits affordability has become a major opportunity.
The company says it plans to introduce 11 new North American vehicles over the next five years, dramatically increasing its coverage of the U.S. market. Its Investor Day presentation says that by 2030, nine vehicles will start below $40,000, compared with only two in 2025.
That represents a noticeable change in direction after years of increasingly expensive Jeep and Ram products.
It also comes as buyers are showing renewed interest in smaller and more affordable vehicles as vehicle prices and fuel costs remain high.
Ford and Toyota Won’t Make This Easy
Ram may see an opportunity, but it isn’t walking into empty segments.
Tacoma has generations of customer loyalty behind it. Ranger has become a serious global midsize truck, while Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier make the segment even more competitive.
Maverick presents another challenge.
Ford essentially created the modern compact-pickup market in the United States and has had years to establish the Maverick before Ram arrives.
But Ram has something today that it hasn’t had in years: momentum.
Ram 1500 sales jumped 73% year over year during the third quarter, while the Ram brand overall increased 29%.
Now the company wants to take that momentum into markets where it hasn’t competed.
For Ram, Dakota and Rampage aren’t simply two new trucks.
They’re the missing pieces of the lineup.
And by 2028, Ford and Toyota could have another serious competitor knocking on the door.
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