If the Ramcharger returns it will not be a two door like it was from 74 to 93 here, and later in Mexico.

No, it will probably be a reskinned Wagoneer.

If they even bother reskinning it, probably just slap a new nose on it and call it good.

.. and the Durango name goes away?

A two-door definitely doesn't fit into today's market. There are no full-size 2-door SUVs probably for a good reason.

Slapping a new nose on a Wagoneer is what reskinned means...lol
Unless I'm missing something.

Ford and GM both offer Explorer and Traverse which are below their full-size offerings. I can see the Durango continuing even with a new full-size Ramcharger SUV.
And yea, that would leave the GW as the competition for Escalade and GMC luxury offerings.

 

Slapping a new nose on a Wagoneer is what reskinned means...lol
Unless I'm missing something.

It's more than just a front end assembly. Think about the difference between a Chrysler 300 and a Dodge Charger. That's what a reskin means: the entire styling of the car is altered. Now there will usually be some parts that are very similar. Durango and WK2 Grand Cherokee are very similar in certain respects. Stuff like the fuel filler door location, the size of the door apertures, etc., all tend to remain the same. The sheet metal is usually very different. Lighting is different. Interiors are different. They hang onto the basic body structure, the drivelines, maybe change the wheelbase, and definitely change the appearance.

So no, what I'm picturing is more than a new nose job. I think it will get Ram styling all around, inside and out. I think it will be interesting to see what they cough up. I would guess that if they're going to change the styling direction of the pickup, we'll get a preview in the large SUV.

Of course, I don't really know. They could go cheap, and just put a new nose on the Jeep. ("Cheap" and "Jeep" in the same sentence, wow, that doesn't happen much...) That wouldn't be a reskin, IMO. It might still be successful.

 

Turn the Recon into a truck with this BEV system, probably sell like hot cakes?

Just copy what VW is doing with the Scout name and make it better

 

You mean Scout is copying Jeep. As in the Wrangler. The Recon was like Scout going to be all electric, now that will no longer fly.

 

Could be they're planning an SUV version of the new midsize pickup to increase volume enough to justify using an entire factory.

 

Return to the original Dakota/Durango platform sharing? Interesting, but who can tell if it’s real or fantasy with this outfit.

 

Rev will continue on as the project name for Ram's new DOHC flatplane V8 that revs to 15k RPM.
With emissions rules relaxed, there should be no reason Ram couldn't make a smaller pickup that doesn't have the problems of a 6k lbs brick.

 

Should the next-gen Durango ride on STLA Large, or with the upcoming Dakota? In both cases, the next-gen Durango would be sharing a platform with something.

My does-not-amount-to-a-hill-of-beans opinion is that the next-gen Durango should use STLA Large, riding on a footprint basically identical to that of the Charger. Wagoneer is already in the BoF space and I don't think there needs to be another one. They need an entry in the E-sized CUV segment.

A next-gen Durango riding on the Charger footprint with Hurricane power (and Hemi too I suppose, to pacify the Hemi diehards) with Dodge styling would be a winner, methinks.

 

Yes, realistically that's the right choice imo. And it's the one I think will end up happening.

 

How big would that mid-size truck be? I'd have to imagine an SUV based on it would be like a new Recon or something, and a Ramcharger would be significantly bigger.

 

I was just reading tea leaves rather than figuring out what's logical. Logic would have had the Wagoneer S come out with a Chrysler badge, and the four-door Charger prioritized.

We have these pieces -
Ramcharger name removed from Ram serial hybrid, suggesting they want it for a Dodge SUV
Rumor that Wagoneer is being removed, leaving Grand Wagoneer only and presumably a price-car gap
Midsize pickup on the way

 

I was just reading tea leaves rather than figuring out what's logical. Logic would have had the Wagoneer S come out with a Chrysler badge, and the four-door Charger prioritized.

We have these pieces -
Ramcharger name removed from Ram serial hybrid, suggesting they want it for a Dodge SUV
Rumor that Wagoneer is being removed, leaving Grand Wagoneer only and presumably a price-car gap
Midsize pickup on the way

That's a bit of a leap isn't it? I wouldn't call that a strong signal.

 

That would work... since they seem to have abandoned the old concept of Ram as the work-vehicle marque.

 

And a new Durango based on STLA Large.