Ram leads the way for problem-solving Stellantis

Cynical journalists often scoff at reports such as J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study, noting dismissively how older models typically top the charts because automakers have had time to work out the bugs.

Fewer defects is good, but if the vehicles aren't compelling, who really cares?

While those studies can sometimes provide a hollow victory for a less-than-relevant model or brand, that is not the case with Ram's win in this year's study. Not only was it the first all-truck brand to take the new-car quality crown, it's also winning in the market: In the second quarter, Ram pickups ranked as the top-selling light-truck line in the U.S., meaning it was the top-selling light vehicle in the U.S.

To be fair, Ford's F-Series was still No. 1 for the first half of the year, and General Motors' Chevrolet Silverado topped Ram in the second quarter, if you count the medium-duty trucks that are actually bigger and heavier than those labeled "heavy duty."

Asterisk or no, Ram's sales win is nothing to be sheepish about.

In the industry's current chip-constrained state, winning at sales is about winning in the factories. That's not something that longtime industry observers particularly expect from the U.S. brands that are now part of the newly formed Stellantis. But while everyone has prioritized pickups, crossovers and SUVs, Ram has more than held its own.

Mike Koval, the brand's CEO, credited the purchasing department and general culture at Stellantis.

"We pride ourselves and are committed to speed of issue identification and speed of issue resolution," he told me on the "Daily Drive" podcast. "Despite all of these disruptions, we have still realized a sales increase of 31 percent for the first half of the year. And in fact, to your point, we had record retail sales for the brand — and for our pickups as well."

He added that he feels "very good" about the second half of the year.

It was that same drive to find and solve problems that he said is powering the "meteoric" gains in quality throughout the company.

That's what studies such as J.D. Power's are supposed to do: Identify where customers are dissatisfied, so companies can do better.

The heavy-duty Rams — the 2500 and 3500 models launched last year — were credited with putting the brand on top. Praise also goes to factory workers and managers, as well as purchasing and others: Quality manufacturing is perhaps the ultimate team game. But there's another factor driving the improved scores, Koval said.

"Product design was at the heart of this result. Our Ram heavy-duty pickups outscored the competition in features, controls and displays, driving assistance, infotainment and vehicle exterior as well," he said. "But most importantly, I would say Ram HD driving-assistance features, which are so important — such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, digital rearview mirror and 360-degree surround-view camera — helped Ram win this award."

Providing a high-quality experience for drivers and passengers — rather than just flashy designs and big engines — is still new enough to the U.S. brands of Stellantis that shoppers are still getting used to the idea. (Though Automotive News named Mark Champine, the company's head of quality in North America, an All-Star last year.)

With Dodge ranked second for initial quality and Jeep up to No. 8, the company has three brands — including its most important two, Jeep and Ram — in the top quarter of the market, ahead of most luxury lines.

It's rare air, traditionally enjoyed by the likes of Toyota, Lexus and Honda — and recently inhaled by once-second-rate Korean brands that committed themselves powerfully to quality en route to significant market-share gains.

"We know that we're still considered by many to be a risky purchase based upon historical perception — or reality, frankly," Koval told me. "And so I can't underscore what a huge development this is — not only for our brand, but for the company at large."