Next-generation Ram 1500 promises a futuristic look. But I’m not convinced.

The current Ram 1500 pickup came out over eight years ago. Not that it matters that much since the evolution of pickup truck designs is usually very, very slow. Full-size trucks tend to stay on the market for long cycles because buyers prefer familiarity and proven capability. But Stellantis is indeed hard at work on the next generation.

I personally think the current one still looks fine. In fact, it still feels almost modern when you see one on the road today. It’s also different enough from the GM and Ford trucks to stand out a little in traffic. However, they all seem to have the exact same general shape and profile to me. I guess that’s just the nature of pickup trucks. However, sales are slowly going down, which is beginning to show the truck’s age.

Now we hear from Ralph Gilles, who is the head designer for Stellantis, about the future of the Ram 1500. Apparently that future includes a more futuristic look for the truck formerly known as a Dodge. “The trucks are becoming angry. If you look at the faces of the new GM trucks, or the Tesla Cybertruck, they’re super exaggerated. I wonder, does everybody really like that? We’re designing the next generation Ram right now and it will have a different appeal. When you see it on the road, it’ll look much more futuristic,” is what Mr. Gilles mentioned recently to Car Design News.

We did see a futuristic truck from Stellantis back in 2023. It was called the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept. At the time, the concept was officially described as: “The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept is our clearest signal yet that we’re on the precipice of something extraordinary at Ram and points directly to where we’re going on our electrified journey.” The concept looked extremely dramatic, with sleek lighting, massive wheels, and a very futuristic front end that clearly tried to preview the brand’s electric future.

And we all know what happened to that. Just a few months later, Ram introduced the production version of their EV truck and it looked almost exactly like the regular Ram 1500, except for the front end, which was inspired by the concept. The overall shape, proportions, and body panels remained very traditional. And that truck was soon canceled altogether anyway, which made the concept feel even more like a design exercise rather than a true preview of what buyers would actually get.

Because of that, I really don’t believe we will see anything truly futuristic from Ram for the next 1500. Truck buyers tend to be very conservative when it comes to styling and many other things. Radical changes rarely go over well in this segment. And yes, I do think most truck buyers want angry, exaggerated-looking trucks. It’s not my taste at all, but that seems to be what sells. Big grilles, aggressive headlights, and bold front ends dominate the current truck market.

In the end, I think the next generation Ram 1500 will end up looking a lot like the current truck. Probably similar to the illustration above. Maybe the headlights will be slimmer, the grille a bit more sculpted, and the body a little sleeker for better aerodynamics and efficiency. It will probably look cleaner and more modern overall. With updated lighting signatures and new technology inside the cabin. But nothing I would actually call futuristic. More likely, it will simply be a refined and modern evolution of the Ram we already know.

Becasue that’s what the truck buying masses want…