2015 Ram ProMaster City to join commercial lineup

Ram has announced that it will add the Ram ProMaster City van to its commercial lineup for 2015, growing the range from six vehicles to seven. We've known that this vehicle has been in the works for years, but this is the first time a sales time frame has been released.

Much smaller than the 2014 Ram ProMaster -- smaller even than that Caravan-based C/V Tradesman -- the ProMaster City will be based on the petite Fiat Doblo. Details on the Ram van are pretty scarce for now, but we suspect that the Doblo will serve as a versatile platform for the new Ram. Overseas, the hauler is available in a mind-numbing range of setups: Between the standard Doblo Cargo, the larger Doblo Cargo Maxi Van, the high-roof Doblo (also available in long-wheelbase form), a chassis cab and a flatbed, we're counting a staggering 35 configurations.

Cargo capacity is impressive: The basic van gets just over 120 cubic feet of space, while the long-wheelbase high roof Doblo XL swallows up to 177 cubic feet of stuff. For comparison, the 2013 Ford Transit Connect offers up to 129.6 cubic feet for cargo, while the C/V tradesman has 155.5 cubic feet.

The passenger Doblo currently gets four different four-cylinder engine options, ranging from a little 90 hp 1.4-liter up to a 135 hp 2.0-liter; the Doublo Cargo also gets four engine options, including the 1.4-liter gasoline engine and three different diesel powerplants.

However you slice it, it looks like Ram has a high degree of flexibility when it comes to building this thing out for the American market. We're eager to see which motors will make it here, but it will be a while before we know for sure -- we're aren't to likely to see the ProMaster City until early 2015.

Ram
This badge is all we have on the Ram ProMaster City van for now. Expect more information before the vehicle goes on sale in 2015.

By Graham Kozak