Ram Brings Back the Small Van Because We All Missed Being Able to Park
In a move that serves as a giant I told you so to every automaker that abandoned the compact commercial van market, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has confirmed that the ProMaster City is officially making a comeback. For the last couple of years, if you wanted a work van that did not require a commercial pilot's license to navigate a Starbucks drive-thru, you were basically out of luck. Ford killed the Transit Connect, Nissan offed the NV200, and Mercedes-Benz decided the Metris was too posh for the American contractor. Suddenly, America was a land of giants, leaving small business owners and urban delivery drivers staring longingly at their ancient, rusting vans that actually fit in a parking garage.
Ram is stepping back into this vacuum at exactly the right time. While the technical details are still being kept under a heavy tarp, the buzz at the Detroit Auto Show suggests we are looking at a North American version of the latest Fiat Doblo or one of its many Stellantis cousins. The previous ProMaster City was also a rebadged Fiat, and while it was not exactly a Ferrari in terms of glamour, it was a workhorse that did not break the bank at the pump. The best part? Despite the industry’s frantic sprint toward total electrification, Ram appears to be listening to the people who actually use these things for a living. Expect a fuel-efficient gasoline engine—and perhaps a hybrid—rather than a heavy battery pack that eats up your payload and requires a three-hour lunch break to charge.
The return of a smaller, more maneuverable workhorse is a win for anyone who has ever tried to parallel park a high-roof full-size van in a city center. It’s about practicality over posturing. Small businesses need tools that fit their reality, and sometimes that reality is a tight alleyway in Chicago or a low-clearance garage in Manhattan. The full-size ProMaster is great for hauling a literal house, but for a florist or a mobile dog groomer, it is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. Kuniskis acknowledged that there is a ProMaster City–sized hole in the lineup, and frankly, there is a hole in the market that has been driving used prices for these small vans into the stratosphere.
If you are a contractor currently nursing a 2018 van with 200,000 miles on it, this news is the light at the end of the tunnel. Until the new Ram hits the pavement, you might find yourself hunting for a stopgap on the used market. If you go that route, you should probably use a tool like Price360 to get a full visual inspection of any used small vans you are eyeing. It can show you the damages and repair costs that a seller might conveniently forget to mention, ensuring your new business tool does not turn into a money pit before the first job is done.
We have spent years watching cars get bigger and more aggressive, so seeing a manufacturer double down on something small, efficient, and unpretentious is refreshing. The ProMaster City might not be the most exciting vehicle on the road, but for the people who keep the world running, it is exactly what the doctor ordered. We will be waiting to see if it keeps the name or adopts something more European, but as long as it fits in a standard garage, we are happy to have it back.
