Ram’s Ranger, HiLux rival and reborn TRX could headline massive 18 months

US pickup specialist Ram looks set for a busy year and a half, with bold plans to make 25 global product announcements within the next 18 months.

Returning Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis – who retired from Ram and Dodge last May, only to return to the top job several months later – posted about the brand’s aggressive new model strategy on LinkedIn, ahead of the first new product announcement in early June.

“Four months ago, I returned to the Ram brand with a clear mission: to build exciting trucks,” Mr Kuniskis said.

“Since then, we have been shaping the next evolution of Ram – a bold new chapter that honors the legacy of the brand while redefining its future.

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“There are 25 product announcements planned within the next 18 months, and it all starts on June 8th.

“I’m proud to be back, proud [to] be a part of this team, and more determined than ever to show the world… nothing stops Ram.”

As reported earlier this month, one of the many new Ram models expected to be announced is the ‘Dakota’, Ram’s long-awaited global mid-size pickup.

It’s set to become the brand’s first rival for the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, two of the most popular models in the segment globally, and among the top three best-selling vehicles in Australia.

Rumours of the Dakota’s return – a nameplate previously worn by a Dodge pickup until 2009, then a Ram until 2011 – have circulated for the past five years, as the mid-size pickup market has taken off in many global markets.

Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber told CarExpert the US truck brand’s hotly anticipated global mid-size 4×4 dual-cab would be a perfect fit in this market – if it gets the green light.

“We’ve always had our hand up for that and we hope in the future we do get it,” said Mr Barber.

“Would we love to have a mid-size ute? Absolutely. The market’s huge. And a Ram-branded one would be awesome.”

Another vehicle on the horizon for Ram is the reborn 1500 TRX.

The Ram 1500 TRX ended production last year after parent company Stellantis axed the Hemi V8 engine line, including the brutal pickup’s supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8.

While the core Ram 1500 lineup has moved to a more efficient twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine – away from the naturally-aspirated 5.7-litre V8 – there is no direct replacement for the 523kW/882Nm TRX.

Its indirect successor is the 1500 RHO, which features a 402KW/706Nm tune of the Hurricane six (121kW/176Nm down on the TRX) and is under consideration for Australian release.

However, last month a report by MoparInsiders claimed sources have confirmed the return of the TRX, with production set to begin in 2026.

Shortly after Mr Kuniskis resumed his role as CEO, he refused to rule out bringing the Hemi V8 back the 1500.

Though the exterior of the 1500 didn’t change much with the MY25 update, under the skin it’s adopted a new electrical system to support the Hurricane engine, meaning it may be more of a challenge to fit the older Hemi.

“Number one, the Hemi was never designed to run in that truck on that electrical architecture, so that’s a huge challenge,” Mr Kuniskis told Motor1 in January.

“They shut down production on that particular Hemi, the [5.7-litre] eTorque. There’s supplier work because when you shut something down, suppliers shut down their assembly lines, and they switch to something else.

“Even if you said let’s do it, we can’t do it right away.

“I didn’t say you can’t do it… you can’t do it right away.”

Electrical engineering work is likely to take at least 12 months, and if it gets the green light for Australia, local RHD engineering then durability and validation testing will take at least that long.

Speaking to CarExpert about the prospects of the TRX’s return to Australia if global production is greenlit, Mr Barber was cautious about its prospects.

“We can’t and won’t speak for Stellantis, but we’re hearing the same sort of speculation out there. I’m sure they’re watching the demand for V8 in the market,” he said.

“Like any new model, we’d have to look at the demand for the model. We’d have to look at the business case and then make a decision at that point.”

MORE: Ram still wants to take on Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux in AustraliaMORE: Hemi V8-powered Ram 1500 TRX coming back from extinction – reportMORE: Hot Ram 1500 RHO and TRX on Australian wishlistMORE: Ex-Stellantis CEO signed Hemi V8’s death warrant, now its biggest fan is coming back