Described as a scalable platform, the STLA Frame architecture seems to be the bones on which many future Stellantis vehicles cash cows will be assembled.
The frame is designed to work with full-sized pickup trucks and SUVs with a body-on-frame construction. It can apparently accept a variety of powertrains by supporting internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric guts. Hydrogen is also on the table, just in case. Suits in the company say the Ram and Jeep brands will be the first to receive vehicles on this platform, a revelation which should be no surprise given the BoF demands of those nameplates.
Top chief Carlos Tavares confirmed that all-electric and plug-in hybrid variants will be first in line for introduction on this platform at Jeep and Ram. Stellantis is calling those powertrains BEV and REEV, respectively, in case you see those acronyms listed elsewhere. Without delving into other details, engineers say the BEVs are designed to get up to 500 miles of range on a single charge of its battery with the REEVs stretching their legs to 690 miles.
As for capability with measures that tend to be important to people who buy body-on-frame rigs, Stellantis announced a maximum towing capacity of 14,000 pounds and a payload rating topping out at 2,700 pounds. Suits confirmed those figures are for the BEV and REEV powertrains though one would expect such prowess are present when ‘properly equipped’. The company also pointed out the platform supports water fording up to 24 inches which speaks to the Jeep brand, as does the mention of it being able to support 33-inch tires.
In terms of measurements, the overall length range of the STLA Frame can span 216.0 – 234.0 inches on a wheelbase range from 123.7 to 145.3 inches. All those metrics bump up against what’s currently on the table for trucks ranging from the Jeep Gladiator (218.0 inches long) to a Ram 1500 Crew Cab (about 233.0 inches from bumper to bumper). Weight will depend heavily on model, though spox admit it will be up from equivalent ICE platforms and likely in line with what’s in the market already by other brands.
When will we see the first vehicles on this platform? It will escape no one’s notice that introductions of vehicles like the Ram 1500 REV and Ramcharger have been quietly pushed out, once promised for the end of 2024 but now estimated for some time next year. Stellantis did confirm STLA Frame will be built in North America.
This is the third platform to bear the STLA name, with the Medium and Large platforms showing up in July 2023 and earlier this year, respectively. At present, the STLA Medium bones underpin numerous models in European markets.
[Images: Stellantis]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.