The Ram Commercial Truck division today confirmed that it will offer a new small cargo and passenger van for North America next year, a move the organization has hinted at for several years.
The 2015-model ProMaster City will be based on the front-wheel-drive Fiat Doblo van already offered in Europe and elsewhere. The City will compete here with the updated Ford Transit Connect, the new Nissan NV200, and the Chevrolet City Express, the latter a bowtie-badged version of the NV200.
The ProMaster City will join the large Ram ProMaster van. Like the bigger vehicle, it will be offered as a panel and window van. Ram did not offer any details on specifications or say where it will be assembled. It’s currently built in Turkey, Russia, Vietnam and Brazil.
"The Ram ProMaster City further expands the Ram Commercial truck lineup, which includes everything from vans to pickups to Class 4 and 5 trucks," said Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Group’s Ram Truck Brand. "As Ram Commercial continues to gain share and grow sales in the market, we will be aggressive in our goal of expanding our commercial vehicle offerings.
"Our successful relationship with Fiat Professional, one of the world's foremost commercial truck manufacturers, gives Ram a competitive advantage with access to proven products and technology that will resonate with our U.S. and Canadian customers," added Bigland.
Now in its second generation, the Fiat Doblo is a two-time International Van of the Year winner, with more than 1.3 million units sold, he said.
