In recent years, American pickups have been getting bigger. But at the same time, trucks here have also been getting smaller. The midsize segment has seen a huge revival, with the Toyota Tacoma now facing several challengers. Ford and Hyundai have even formed a new compact segment with the likes of the Maverick and Santa Cruz. The holdout, thus far, has been Ram.
Stellantis does have a midsize offering with the Jeep Gladiator. But we’ve seen no revival of the Dakota. And the smallest Ram-branded pickup in the lineup is currently the full-size 1500. However, reports and recent product reveals suggest that could be about to change. Ram launched a new small pickup, the Rampage, in South America. And it may be coming to the USA.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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Is the Ram Rampage definitely coming to America?
Stellantis
Ram has not delivered official word that the Rampage is coming to America. But reports suggest that is the case. The Drive reported earlier in 2023 that a well-placed source confirmed the Rampage will come to America, with a debut in late 2023.
Stellantis did officiallyconfirm plans to launch four electrified pickup trucks in the next two years. Two are confirmed: the Ram 1500 REVand a "new hydrogen solution." That would still leave room for a Jeep Gladiator 4xe and a yet-to-be-named Ram pickup.
The UAW also announced as part of its strike-ending agreement with Stellantis in October that the Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois would reopen to build a "midsize truck." Ram does not currently offer a truck smaller than the full-size 1500, and Belvidere last assembled the unibody Jeep Cherokee. So that could be where the new truck will be built.
The Rampage should be a unibody Ford Maverick rival
Stellantis
Like the Ford Maverick, the Ram Rampage should have styling cues cribbed from Ram’s body-on-frame truck lineup but have a unibody construction. It’s expected to share the same underlying platform with the Jeep Compass, Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet.
The South American Rampage launched with a gas engine, the 2.0-liter Hurricane I4, which puts out 272 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. That’s the same engine the Dodge Hornet uses and a good bet for the American truck.
In South America, the Rampage will also get a diesel option. We would bet the diesel does not make it to the American market. The 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid used in the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale for an alternate (and more efficient) engine would be far more likely.
The UAW's announcement also noted that a new battery plant would open at Belvidere, which could be convenient if Ram were building a hybrid truck there.
What trims will the Ram Rampage have?
Stellantis
Ram has not confirmed a trim lineup for the Rampage. The South American lineup has three: an off-road Rebel trim, a flashier Laramie trim and an R/T Sport model. We could see all three trims make it to America.
Ford took a budget approach with the Maverick. At least in South America, Ram is opting for a different tack with the Rampage by taking it upmarket. All the Rampages are all-wheel-drive. It offers leather seats. A 12.3-inch infotainment display and a digital instrument cluster come standard.
The starting price for a gas Rampage in Brazil is a little more than $50,000. We’d bet Brazilian taxes are responsible for much of that figure; the American truck won’t be that ambitiously priced. But expect it to start north of the Maverick’s $22,595 starting MSRP.
