The Bigger Picture

The Chief Design Officer for Stellantis, Ralph Gilles, shared a moment with Car Design News, sharing how automobiles are getting commoditized – think about how there is a section of the automotive industry that’s getting turned into appliances, or as he put it, “point A to point B.”

As the head design honcho at Stellantis, he and his team deliver compelling work to brands like Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Jeep, and Dodge, among many others. Fourteen brands are under him, and I can only imagine how huge a task that is.

Gilles is also responsible for the next-generation Ram 1500, which, unlike the Alfa Romeo and Maserati, is a mass-market nameplate.

It’s Not Easy Designing an Affordable Product

How do you make a product that is desirable and compelling while remaining within reach for most consumers? According to Gilles, it’s about “what is actually necessary.”

While technology and safety features often come at a premium, ingrained design can still give a car mass appeal even if it isn’t rocking the latest or greatest. “An interpersonal relationship,” if you will, between the vehicle and its owner. Design plays a big part in establishing the human-machine connection.

About that Next-Generation Ram 1500…

Americans love their full-sized trucks. The Ram 1500 is just one player in an arena filled with stiff competition. Now, about the current design trend of trucks. Big proportions, big grilles, all big everything. There’s something about these imposing fascias that just reels customers into dealerships.

The Ram 1500 is yet another big-proportioned, big-grilled, and big-everything type of pickup truck in a sea of all-too-similar American counterparts, such as the F-150 and Silverado. Gilles said he felt the new GM trucks and even the Tesla Cybertrucks are “super exaggerated,” and he wondered, “Does everybody really like that?”

It’s a good industry call-out. The status quo has been established, but is it really what people want, or is it because there is no choice in the realm of big American pickup trucks?

Gilles stated that because of this, he implied that the next Ram 1500 will have “a different appeal. When you see it on the road, it’ll look much more futuristic.”

2026 Ram 1500 RHO with Direct Connection MagnaFlow Exhaust
Stellantis

What Will the Next Ram 1500 Look Like?

Not once did Gilles touch upon the Ram Revolution concept, but one can speculate that it could serve as the design launchpad for the next generation’s look. In fact, Gilles was also in charge during the concept’s design process and revealed it in 2024. Though any hope of that concept becoming a production-model Ram 1500 BEV has already worn thin.

While we may never see a fully electric Ram 1500, the concept seems to fit the bill from a design standpoint. You can infer that Gilles wouldn’t want all his team’s hard work to go to waste, and I can say with certainty that the Ram Revolution Concept does indeed look “futuristic.”

Because this will be a new design, the next-generation Ram 1500 team could move around a few design hardpoints to stay more true to the concept. Powertrain-wise, there is a low chance it could be a full EV because the Ram 1500 REV seems to be the play for the brand moving forward.

This could be the design direction of the new Ram 1500.
Ram

The Next Ram 1500 Could Look Nothing Like Today’s Trucks