It’s no secret Ram and Stellantis have been extremely late to the party when it comes to re-entering the mid-size truck market. Their last entry was the Dakota which went out of production in the early 2010s and not only featured an optional V8 engine, but also a forgotten brother, the Mitsubishi Raider (note that one if it ever comes up at pub trivia.)

Ram recently confirmed it is finally re-entering the mid-size market but a new report suggests that while the name for the new model is still up in the air, it will be a far different truck from what some buyers are used to.

Ram CEO says affordability is priority

Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis made it clear in the past that affordability matters in the mid-size pickup segment and this philosophy will play a big role in shaping the new truck. Kuniskis said in a recent interview with The Drive a key goal is to keep the truck under $40,000 with the model aso expected to lure in budget buyrs like the Ram 1500 Classic did before it was axed a few years ago.

A casualty of this drive to affordability will most likely be the V8. While it was a neat party piece for older Dakotas, engineering a platform to fit it and smaller engines is expensive and costs money Ram and Stellantis don’t have right now. Instead, look for smaller four and six-cylinders to take center stage and while this would see the new truck be like everybody else, it will help simplify production and eliminate an unneeded slow seller for dealerships.

“When we had the two-truck strategy, when we had the DS (1500 Classic) and the DT (current-gen), we really had a sweet spot in the industry where we had the old truck and the new truck, and the old truck was competing at a price point, quite frankly, wasn’t that far away from the midsize segment,” Kuniskis told The Drive. “So we could capitalize on a half-million unit segment with all the capability, size, and functionality of a full-size truck. Well, those days are gone.”

Electrification still unknown

Kuniskis also revealed that while Ram has explored a potential hybrid for the mid-size truck, he stopped short of confirming it in hsi brief tatement on the subject stating “I don’t know that it needs a V8. “Obviously, hybrid is becoming, pretty much, a really important sweet spot in the industry.”

A potential hybrid variant would allow Ram to cater to customers who wat more fuel economy, but the main problem is engine choices within the company. The brand’s controversial inline-six is too big and the brand’s choice of small engines is limited. One potential avenue could be some form of four-cylinder lineup with the possibility that the aging but still usable 3.6-liter PentaStar V6 could get the nod for optional engine slot for buyers who want more performance.

With most mid-sizers offering around 7,000 lbs of towing and 1,500 to 2,000 lbs of payload capacity, the new Ram would be expected to meet these requirements and with Kuniskis wanting the rig to be a “proper truck” it will have the weight of the world on its shoulders when it eventually enters production.