(Lead Photo: Agustin Jiminez/Four Wheeler) FCA hasn’t had a full sized SUV in the U.S. market since 1993, when the D-series-based Dodge Ramcharger was axed, and hasn’t had one, period, since the 1995-2002 Dodge Ramcharger sold in the Mexican markets. Unlike Ford, GM, and others, they have stayed out of the large SUV arena, concentrating instead on smaller offerings like the Dodge Durango and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has been a strange missing item: why would the management teams…all of them, since 1993…ignore what has been a cash cow for other brands? Lincoln even made money in this segment with the Navigator! They might not sell in volume, like the Tahoe and Suburban, but surely there is a piece of the pie for FCA, right? Sergio Marchionne might be thinking so. During a conference call, he hinted that the redesign of the Ram pickup series would offer up the ability to design in an SUV for minimal costs, and with truck production now in a facility that can handle the output, and fuel costs out of the stratosphere and into happier territory, that now would be the time to capitalize on trends.

While we’ve only just started to hear the whispers of the vehicle, we picture a half-ton and 3/4 ton based setup, similar in size to the Chevrolet Suburban to make the most of the cargo room offered. FCA can hand-pick from the V8 offerings they have, since all are suitable for truck duty. (Ok, maybe not the Hellcat. As entertaining a thought as that is, no truck wagon needs to be that fast…) The more likely offerings would be the 3.0L EcoDiesel in the half-ton version and the Cummins in a 3/4 ton setup. If FCA still offers a six-speed manual in the next generation, we’d not only be outright shocked, but would be impressed, because we don’t think a diesel/manual SUV has been offered since sometime in the mid-1980s at best! Seven and nine passenger seating is a must, there would certainly be a Laramie luxury edition, but the question remains: would anybody buy it? We will have to wait and see, since there isn’t so much as a useable spy shot of the upcoming Ram out yet.