The United Auto Workers (UAW) agreement with Stellantis divulges a number of product plans for the upcoming model years. The product plans are shown in a document that discloses the automaker’s vehicle plans for each factory and sent to UAW members..
The UAW document’s biggest revelation is the initiation of midsize pickup production at the company’s Belvidere, Illinois plant in 2027. This means a midsize Ram is on the way to battle the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontierand Toyota Tacoma. Although its name is not revealed, production is slated for 100,000 units at a cost of $1.5 billion. At that point, whether the Jeep Gladiator continues is an open question, as it’s not mentioned beyond its 2025 upgrade.
But the curent Jeep Wrangler continues with a mid-cycle update for 2024. Internal combustion engines (ICE) will continued to be offered into 2028. That same year, the all-new J70-generation Wrangler comes online. It will be offered with a battery-electric powertrain or Stellantis’ REPB powertrain, short for Range Electric Paradigm Breaker, which supplements the electric driveline with a small gas-powered engine to recharge the batteries, similar to the system pioneered by the Chevrolet Volt.
As for the Jeep Gladiator, it received a midcycle upgrade this year. But in 2025, the Jeep Gladiator will finally receive the Wrangler’s well-liked 4XE hybrid powertrain, which gets upgraded along with the Gladiator’s present powerplant. The Wrangler will also get the updated 4XE powertrain for 2025.
Meanwhile, the Jeep Grand Cherokee will continue with the current two-row model through 2027, and the three-row through 2028. In 2027, the next-generation Grand Cherokee, designated J6U, will launch with both battery-electric and ICE powertrains.
Not to be left out, in 2025, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will switch to Stellantis’ STLA Frame architecture, a revised version of the current Ram 1500 DT platform. That will allow for the introduction of Stellantis’ REPB powertrain, with battery-electric versions to follow in 2027.
Given that, it’s logical that a new Ram 1500 Light Duty begins production in 2024 on that same frame, with battery-electric and REPB powertrains. The Current Ram 1500 will continue through 2024.
The Dodge Durango, one of the industry’s oldest vehicles still in production, continues into 2025. The next-generation Durango, dubbed D6U, arrives for 2026 with battery-electric and REPB powertrains, one year ahead of the Grand Cherokee.
There’s no mention of Dodge EVs, slated for the 2024 model year, nor of the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler EV, Dodge EVs, Jeep Compass, Jeep Recon EV, Jeep Renegade or the Ram ProMaster.
But the company plans to launch two new joint venture battery operations with Samsung, the first beginning production in 2025, the second in 2026. Another battery joint venture with a yet to be identified business partner is slated for 2028.
