The Story
The Ramcharger will see Ram expand into a new segment, with the SUV sharing bones with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer but focusing on V-8s.
| Illustration by Avarvarii | Car and DriverWhat It IsFor the first time ever, the Ram brand will branch out from trucks and commercial vans with a new SUV. Set to use the Ramcharger name, which previously adorned a truck-based SUV in the ’70s and ’80s, the Ram SUV will be related to the full-size Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Instead of the Jeep’s luxurious chrome trim and smooth six-cylinder engines, the Ramcharger will take on a more aggressive appearance and will prioritize rumbling V-8 power. The SUV will also give existing Ram truck customers a more practical, comfortable option geared more towards family life, without sacrificing the ability to tow hefty loads. |
The Ram brand is among parent company Stellantis’ most profitable ventures. The Ram pickup truck is the bestselling vehicle Stellantis sells in the United States, so capitalizing on that success with a related SUV seems like a no-brainer. It will also give Stellantis a lower-priced alternative in the full-size space, filling the hole that was created after Jeep consolidated the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer into a single model with a larger focus on luxury.
The Ramcharger will share its body-on-frame platform with the Ram 1500 pickup truck and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. While the Ram truck uses a solid rear axle, the Grand Wagoneer features an independent rear suspension, and we think the Ramcharger will borrow the setup from the Jeep. Expect coil springs at all four corners on the entry-level versions, with optional air suspension that becomes standard on the higher trims. An off-road-focused variant, possibly using the Rebel name, with more rugged styling and a more capable suspension, possibly including a low-range transfer case, seems a likely challenger to the Chevy Tahoe Z71 and Ford Expedition Tremor.
Despite sharing a chassis with the Grand Wagoneer, the Ramcharger will attempt to carve out its own niche by focusing on different powertrains. While the Grand Wagoneer is currently motivated by the Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, producing 420 horsepower, the Ramcharger’s lineup will instead center around V-8s, which Tim Kuniskis, who runs Stellantis’ American brands, confirmed in an interview with The Drive.
We expect the Ramcharger to offer the 395-hp Hemi 5.7-liter V-8 as a base engine, and possibly the 470-hp Hemi 6.4-liter V-8 as an optional upgrade. At Stellantis Investor Day, the company also confirmed that the Ramcharger will eventually offer an SRT-badged performance variant. We expect this to be a twin to the bonkers Ram 1500 SRT TRX, and it will likely use the same supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, which cranks out 777 horsepower.
Still, the Ramcharger may utilize a powertrain with fewer than eight cylinders. Jeep is supposed to soon finally launch a much-delayed range-extended plug-in hybrid version of the Grand Wagoneer, which uses the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 as a generator to charge a 92-kWh battery hooked up to dual electric motors that make 647 hp. When the Ramcharger was first announced back in late 2025, it was said to feature both internal-combustion and range-extender setups. While it’s possible that Ram’s focus has now shifted exclusively to V-8s, we still bet the PHEV powertrain will find its way into the Ramcharger eventually—that is, if Stellantis can finally get it off the ground first in the Grand Wagoneer and Ram 1500 REV.
The Ramcharger will challenge the other American full-size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and Ford Expedition, with the pricier trims facing off against the GMC Yukon. Other rivals include the Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia.
Given that the Grand Wagoneer currently starts at almost $68,000, the Ramcharger could have too much overlap with its Jeep cousin if it isn’t distinguished enough by price, style, and powertrains. Given that Ram is mainly known for trucks and commercial vehicles, getting customers into dealerships to look at a more family-friendly SUV may also require extra effort from the marketing department, especially given how well established the full-size SUVs from GM and Ford already are. Lastly, rising gas prices could hamper the market for a large, V-8-powered SUV if they continue on the current trajectory instigated by the war between the United States and Iran.
The Ramcharger is expected to go on sale in 2028, with pricing likely starting somewhere in the $60,000 range. The Ramcharger will be built alongside the Grand Wagoneer at the Warren Truck Assembly in Michigan.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Why It Matters
While it’s possible that Ram’s focus has now shifted exclusively to V-8s, we still bet the PHEV powertrain will find its way into the Ramcharger eventually—that is, if Stellantis can finally get it off the ground first in the Grand Wagoneer and Ram 1500 REV.
CarMotion Daily’s Take
Set to use the Ramcharger name, which previously adorned a truck-based SUV in the ’70s and ’80s, the Ram SUV will be related to the full-size Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Watch this space over the coming weeks. Supply chains, regulations, and consumer demand are reshaping the playbook faster than five-year plans can keep up. Dealer networks and service capacity will need to evolve alongside whatever the headline announcement implies. Regulatory filings, supplier contracts, and any production-volume adjustments usually trail the headline by a quarter or two. Stock price moves and dealer council chatter are leading indicators worth monitoring.
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