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Ram boss says not to expect midsize pickup in America

Remember that mysterious midsize four-door pickup FCA was spotted testing recently? It may be sold as a Fiat in markets overseas, but don't expect it to join the Ram lineup in North America. At least not according to the latest word from the truck brand's new boss. Speaking with Automotive News at the New York Auto Show, Ram CEO Bob Hegbloom outlined four criteria for a successful midsize pickup, particularly in the North American marketplace: they have less capability than a fullsize truck, but return with a more compact form, lower price and considerably higher fuel economy. "I've been able to develop a strategy to come up with three of the four," said Hegbloom, but "I haven't seen anyone who can deliver on all four." Smaller and less capable are easy, but getting both the price and the fuel consumption down at the same time is where it gets tricky. As it is, a Ram 1500 with the diesel engine and rear-wheel drive delivers 29 miles per gallon on the highway, which is already more than the 27-mpg rating on the midsize Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. But Hegbloom figures that in order to justify a midsize pickup, American buyers would expect at least 35 mpg on the highway, and in order to do so, FCA would have to employ some trick tech, which would in turn raise the price beyond an attractive level. The last time Chrysler offered a midsize truck in America was with the Dakota that was discontinued in 2011. Ford similarly ceased offering the Ranger in North America in 2012, leaving the new Colorado and Canyon to take on the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier in the compact/midsize pickup market in the US. With the prospect of a Ram version apparently off the table, then, Fiat's midsize four-door pickup is likely take on the likes of the Volkswagen Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Hilux in markets like Europe and South America. But like those trucks, it will likely never see the inside of an American showroom.

FCA CEO Mike Manley will run Americas for Stellantis after PSA merger

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will run operations in the Americas when his company merges with FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot early next year. FCA Chairman John Elkann announced ManleyÂ’s new post on Friday in a letter to employees. ManleyÂ’s role in the merged company had been a mystery. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares will run the overall company, to be named Stellantis. Shareholders of both companies will vote on the merger Jan. 4 to seal the deal creating the worldÂ’s fourth-largest automaker. The merger is expected to be completed by the end of March. PSA will get six seats on the new companyÂ’s 11-member board, which will be chaired by Elkann. The Americas, especially the U.S., are key to the new companyÂ’s success. Fiat ChryslerÂ’s Jeep and Ram brands are highly profitable, and Tavares has long wanted to sell PSA vehicles in the U.S. Manley has been the Italian-American automakerÂ’s CEO for 2 1/2 years, taking over when Sergio Marchionne died in 2018. Stellantis will have the capacity to produce 8.7 million cars a year, just behind Volkswagen, the Renault-Nissan alliance and Toyota. Related Video: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Peugeot Mike Manley Stellantis

If you can't Ram it, you can plow it

While the auto industry is mostly focused on the would-be Geneva Show reveals, there's another show going on in Indianapolis about commercial work trucks. At the show, Ram revealed it would offer a Snow Plow Prep package for the 2021 Ram 1500. Ram already offered a similar (but better named) package for the 2500 called the Snow Chief Group, so this represents an expansion of availability. The package adds exactly what it says: the basics needed to hook up a snow plow. Under the hood, there's an upgraded 220-amp alternator to handle the load of the extra lights and motors from a plow, plus a wiring harness to plug in said plow. It also removes the active air dam to make room for plow mounts and adds a sliding rear window with defroster. All this adds $195 to the price of your four-wheel-drive Ram, which can be equipped as a Tradesman, Big Horn or Laramie with either the eTorque 5.7-liter V8 or 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoDiesel V6. It's a little less comprehensive than the 2500's Snow Chief Group, which adds the alternator, plus a limited-slip differential, auxiliary dash switches, clearance lamps, off-road tires and a transfer case skid plate, but that package also costs more at $845. One important note for any wannabe Mr. (or Ms.) Plows out there: neither the 1500 or 2500 packages include a plow. For that you'll have to go to an aftermarket plow manufacturer. For example, the Ram 1500 shown above has a Meyer Drive Pro plow, which costs over $5,000. So keep that in mind, or you may find yourself using your family to record a homemade commercial for your plow business just to pay for the huge truck you bought. Related Video: