If you’re interested in getting a heavy duty Ram truck, but you’re waiting for the next-generation model to come out, it’s looking as if you’re going to have to hold off for a little longer.
According to Automotive News, its sources have told it that Ram “will not redesign its current heavy-duty pickups onto its new DT pickup platform in 2018 but instead will keep the same body-in-white and refresh the existing DS-based model.”
At first glance, that may seem a little odd given that FCA’s trucks and SUVs (and those of other automakers) are so popular these days. In fact, they’re more popular than some of its cars, such as the midsize Chrysler 200, which is now officially dead, according to Road & Track. FCA is shuffling production at its various North American plants to be able to build enough of its models that do sell and fewer of those that don’t.
Here’s the problem, though: FCA is trying to get rid of $7 billion in net debt. A lot of the money it could spend to erase that has been pumped into resurrecting the Alfa Romeo brand on this side of the Atlantic. And it would take a great deal of funds to retool Ram’s heavy duty truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico to produce an all-new line of pickups. On that level, it’s cheaper to go with a refresh.
However, the cost Ram will have to pay in terms of potential lost sales at its dealerships – where three out of four customers buy trucks for commercial use – is not clear at this point. Ford, GMC, and Chevrolet have significantly changed their HD trucks for the 2017 model year. Ford has cut weight and increased capabilities with an aluminum body and tweaked engines. GMC and Chevrolet have given their workhorses a redesigned Duramax diesel.
The current Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups have their roots in 2010, when they were introduced, although they have been cosmetically and mechanically touched up along the way. Perhaps when they get a shot in the arm, they’ll once again be capable of taking home the crown as the kings of the torque wars.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
