Is a Dodge and Ram the same thing?
The short answer: No. Ram is a separate brand focused on trucks and commercial vehicles, while Dodge covers cars, performance models, and SUVs within the same corporate family.
Overview
Both Dodge and Ram are brands under Stellantis, but they target different vehicle segments and customer needs. Dodge is known for performance cars and a broader range of passenger vehicles, while Ram specializes in pickup trucks and commercial vans.
Key differences
Here are the core distinctions between the two brands as they exist today.
- Brand focus: Ram concentrates on light- and heavy-duty trucks and vans; Dodge concentrates on performance cars (like the Challenger and Charger) and family-oriented SUVs.
- Model lineup: Ram offerings include models such as the Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, and ProMaster vans; Dodge offerings include the Challenger, Charger, Durango, and other performance-oriented or family vehicles.
- Brand experience: Ram vehicles are marketed and sold through Ram-branded channels (and, in some markets, through multi-brand dealer networks); Dodge vehicles are marketed and sold through Dodge channels with their own branding and marketing campaigns.
- Brand history: Dodge is an older, long-established brand; Ram was spun off as its own brand around 2010 and was reaffirmed as a separate brand within Stellantis in 2021.
In practice, they are distinct brands that share a corporate umbrella but serve different customer bases, with separate dealer networks and branding strategies.
Timeline of branding changes
The following milestones show how Dodge and Ram evolved into distinct brands with separate identities.
- 2009–2010: Ram is established as a separate brand for trucks; Dodge Ram models are renamed Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, etc.
- 2011: The Dodge Ram nameplate is retired in favor of the Ram brand, emphasizing Ram-branded trucks.
- 2014–2015: FCA reorganizes product strategy to rely on two brands—Ram for trucks and Dodge for performance cars and related models.
- 2021: Ram becomes a standalone brand within Stellantis, with dedicated branding and retailer networks.
- 2023–2024: Ram expands its lineup and updates, while Dodge continues to pursue performance and family-focused vehicles.
These changes reflect a broader corporate strategy to tailor brands to distinct customer segments while sharing underlying platforms and technology where appropriate.
What this means for buyers
For shoppers, the key takeaway is straightforward: a vehicle with Ram badging is a Ram truck or van, while a Dodge badging indicates a car, performance model, or SUV from the Dodge lineup. Even when platforms are shared, the buying experience, warranties, and dealership networks are brand-specific.
Truck buyers
Ram trucks are marketed through Ram-branded channels, with sales, service, and financing aligned to Ram dealerships or Ram-focused sections within broader multi-brand stores.
Performance and family car buyers
Dodge offers performance-focused cars such as the Challenger and Charger, along with family-oriented SUVs like the Durango, each with its own branding and options packages.
Summary
In short, Dodge and Ram are not the same thing. They are separate brands under Stellantis with distinct product focuses: Ram for trucks and commercial vans, and Dodge for performance cars and family-oriented vehicles. Their histories are linked, but today they operate as parallel, independent brands with dedicated dealer networks and branding.
