Ram Trucks is ready to close out 2019 on top; the truck maker is about to dethrone the Chevrolet Silverado from the number two slot officially. Automotive experts believe that once everything is said and done, the truck market will be changed for years to come. Ram sold 461,115 units during the first nine months of the year (2019), averaging about 25.5 percent of the light-duty truck segment. A decade ago, when Ram was branching out as a standalone brand, it barely held 5.9 percent of the entire market. Suffice it to say; Ram certainly can be proud of its accomplishments in the past decade.
Throughout the same nine months, the Chevrolet Silverado took a tumble, declining 2.9 percent in overall sales and bringing their totals to about 412,259 light-duty pickups. The decline in sales also lowered Chevrolet’s total market share, bringing the brand down to 22.8 percent — back in 2017, Chevrolet held a 24.7 percent market share. Ford remains the reigning champ with its F-series, selling a total of 662,018 units, although sales did decline 2.4 percent when compared to last year (2018).
Ram is riding high on its wave of success thanks to its fruitful redesigns, especially on the Ram 1500 model. Some of the most luxurious touches introduced in the 2019 Ram 1500 also made their way into the brand’s Heavy-Duty lineup. Experts also believe that Ram is growing its market share because it still sells the last-generation Ram 1500 as an option for buyers that have budget constraints or are interested in fleet purchases. Ram’s rapid growth is pushed by both variants of the Ram 1500 model, with the current-generation redefining the features that consumers should expect from a light-duty pickup.
“It isn’t simply a Silverado versus Ram question. Ram is taking buyers from Ford, Chevy, and gaining from organic growth in the segment,” said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst from IHS Markit. Other brands feeling the heat from Ram’s rising sales include Toyota and Nissan. Neither the Toyota Tundra or the Nissan Titan are selling as well as they were in 2018. Chevrolet’s tumble is a little more shocking because the brand just redesigned the Silverado, but it appears that the latest-generation model didn’t catch on as well as the brand would’ve hoped.
“The new Ram is a far more appealing truck than the Silverado, with a better design, vastly better interior, and superior driving dynamics. For personal use customers, I can’t imagine why anyone would choose the Chevy,” stated Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at Navigant Research. Abuelsamid also reiterated that the previous-generation Ram 1500 is a good option not only for budget-conscious consumers but commercial buyers in search of a fleet as well.
Pickup trucks continue to be a large part of the American automotive landscape, with sales on the rise and a 3 percent gain during the first nine months of the year (2019). Statistics point to Ram and the GMC Sierra as the big gainers. The Silverado model has never trailed behind Ram in annual registrations since 2009, the year Ram became a standalone brand. The gap between the Silverado and the Ram 1500 began narrowing rapidly in 2018 and has not stopped since, making it a given that Ram will officially dethrone Chevy for the number two position by the time 2019 comes to an end.
Visit Miami Lakes AutoMall and explore the Ram Trucks lineup. Whether you want to be behind the wheel of MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year, the 2019 Ram 1500, or are looking for something with a budget in mind, like the last-generation Ram 1500 Classic, Miami Lakes Ram has you covered. Schedule your test drive today!