Chrysler’s Ram Commercial Truck division is finalizing plans to introduce a small cargo van for the North American market in 2015. It will be dubbed the Ram ProMaster City and will be based on the popular European Doblo model, built by Chrysler’s parent company, Italy’s Fiat S.p.A.
“There is a lot of demand for small vans,” Nick Cappa, Ram brand spokesman, told Fleet Owner. “The ProMaster City will help us continue gaining market share in the commercial truck and van segments by offering a practical, robust and functional solution for every situation.”
"The Ram ProMaster City further expands the Ram commercial truck lineup, which includes everything from vans to pickups to Class 4 and 5 trucks," noted Reid Bigland, Ram Truck’s president and CEO, I a statement. "We will be aggressive in our goal of expanding our commercial vehicle offerings."
[Click here to view photos from the recent Ram Trucks ride and drive event held in Thousand Oak, CA.]
The Fiat Doblo is a two-time International Van of the Year winner, with more than 1.3 million units sold, but while the Ram ProMaster City van will be based on the Doblo design, Cappa said the ProMaster City will feature “familiar Ram Truck styling cues” and also offer powertrains preferred by North American commercial customers.
Ram’s move to add a small cargo van model to its light and medium commercial vehicle lineup mirrors similar initiatives by other OEMs.
General Motors, for example, plans to add the Chevrolet City Express van to its lineup in the fall next year – a model based off Nissan’s NV200 small cargo van platform.
Ford Motor Co. also redesigned its Transit Connect small cargo van – also originally based off a European design – for the 2014 model year to stay on top of what’ve becoming a fast-growing segment in the commercial vehicle sector.
“The reason small vans like this are resonating so well is not only are North American cities becoming denser like in Europe but fuel costs keep rising,” Tim Stoehr, Ford’s commercial truck marketing manager, explained to Fleet Owner in an interview earlier this year. “And every time they do, businesses re-evaluate their vehicle purchase strategies.”
