Ram has been making big money on big trucks.
The lucrative haulers, featuring luxurious cabins laced with leather and wood, have shaken up the pickup race as Ram beat the Chevrolet Silverado for the first time with sales of 633,694 in 2019.
But Phil Bivens, chairman of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles National Dealer Council, sees potential for more volume.
How? With a midsize pickup that could challenge the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado.
FCA CEO Mike Manley once said the lack of a midsize entry is a "clear hole" in the company's pickup portfolio that needs to be addressed.
Ram's last midsize pickup, the Dakota, was dropped in 2011 after a 25-year run.
Bivens, owner of Universal Auto Group Inc. in Tacoma, Wash., said he doesn't know how much a Ram midsize pickup should cost or what to call it.
He just knows there's an opening among pickup consumers who don't need hulking trucks.
The Tacoma was the top-selling midsize pickup last year with 248,801 units, more than doubling the second-place Colorado's 122,304. The Ford Ranger came in third at 89,571.
FCA's Jeep brand sold 40,047 Gladiators in its first year on the market, but the highly customizable off-roader isn't aimed at the mainstream pickup buyers a midsize Ram would target.
"I've got a Chevrolet store, and I'll tell you what — the Colorado has just been wildly successful," Bivens said. "Obviously, you can see what the Toyota Tacoma has been doing. I would love it."
Bivens added: "I haven't seen anything in the product portfolio that suggests that it might be coming, but just like with heavy duty, not everyone wants a big truck like that. Not everyone needs that full truck. Then you talk about the 1500, those are still big rigs. With city driving and things, I would love a midsize truck. Would be crazy not to want it."
