At Ram, it seems everything old is new again. The company has acknowledged a gap in its lineup that the compact van will fill. The ProMaster City was last sold for the 2022 model year, leaving only gas and electric versions of the full-strength ProMaster.
Car and Driver confirmed the story with a Ram PR representative, who left the door open for a different name being applied to the reborn mini work van. Whatever it ends up being called, we're told that the brand will offer a small van in the Ram Professional lineup. If you take the CEO at his word, though, the name is likely to return.
The ProMaster City was based on the Fiat Doblo and has been redesigned along with several spinoffs across the Stellantis-verse. Those vans are about due for a mid-cycle refresh, which would be perfect timing to develop new fascias and badges for a Ram-ified North American version. As for when we'll see a reborn compact Ram van, Kuniskis and Ram aren't saying yet.
Expect the next little Ram to be gas-only, given the feelings about EVs in this market. The ProMaster City was only offered here as a panel van for work, not people-moving. We expect that to remain the case when the new little van arrives.
The OG PMC was based on the Fiat Doblo; that model was recently redesigned along with several spinoffs across the Stellantis-verse—Citroen Berlingo, Opel/Vauxhall Combo, Peugeot Partner/Rifter—as well as a version sold by Toyota called the ProAce City. Those vans are about due for a mid-cycle refresh, which would be perfect timing to develop new fascias and badges for a Ram-ified North American version. The compact van was seemingly everywhere in the 2010s, with models like the Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV 200, and Chevrolet Express City taking the name of their full-size-van big brother and adding a smallness signifier.
Those models are no longer available here; Ford was the last to leave the segment. The ProMaster City has been a beloved product for many, but it's time for Ram to bring it back. With the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 and new Ram TRX joining the lineup, it seems like this is the next act in the reunion tour of sorts.
As we wait for more information on the reborn compact van, one thing is certain: Ram is bringing back a piece of its past to fill a gap in its lineup.
The ProMaster City's return marks an interesting move by Ram to bring back a beloved product and fill a gap in their lineup. With the rise of electric vehicles, it will be interesting to see how Ram approaches this new iteration with gas-only powertrain.
