Hurricane 4 has been confirmed.
Ram Brazil has published the second “Follow The Ram” teaser of its upcoming midsize truck, which will likely be called the 1200.
The latest teaser is a bit more revealing, showing some driving shots of the upcoming car and the advanced technologies used to create the truck and its powertrain. It also confirms the turbocharged designation we spotted in the previous teaser. If you look closer, you'll also spot a few other revelations.
Obviously, everyone wants to know how much power the turbocharged four-cylinder produces, but Ram is not willing to divulge that information just yet. Mike Koval, the CEO of Ram, does make an appearance, providing some context. “It's a commitment that we make to our customers that the power, the capability, will not only be there for everything you need it to do, but it will also help you differentiate yourself from everyone else out there,” said Koval.
It's unclear whether Koval is talking about the Hurricane 4 turbocharged engine or the pickup truck.
We don't think this specific truck will come to the USA for several reasons. The Ram 1200 meant for the American market is still busy with its endurance test cycle, while the Brazilian truck looks ready to debut shortly. Customers in the USA also demand more from their trucks, so there will likely be key differences between the Brazilian 1200 and the American version.
The Brazilian 1200 appears to be a unibody truck with an independent suspension setup. The all-new Ranger is as modern as midsize pickups get, but it still has leaf springs at the rear, just like the buggies families used to move out west in post-Civil War America.
We will admit that it's suitable for hauling and towing, but that's about it. Ram will likely also try and avoid the Honda Ridgeline effect, where a portion of know-it-all consumers refuse to call it a pickup based on its construction.
With Koval stating that Ram customers will be able to differentiate themselves, he's likely referring to the power output of Hurricane 4 and where it will sit in the market. The only problem is we only have one concrete figure at the moment. The new Ranger debuted earlier this week, and the regular pickup will be available with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost and a 2.7-liter V6. The four-pot produces 270 horsepower, while the V6 produces 315 horses. We're still waiting for the Tacoma launch to see what its i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain will produce.
Ram chose to give it the “Hurricane” designation, which suggests that the four-pot is closely related to the famous Hurricane inline-six engine. It would make financial sense to design an entirely new engine to be modular. In other words, the Stellantis group can lob two cylinders off and end up with the perfect engine for small to midsize trucks.
With the Raptorification of everything, we also expect to see the Hurricane 6 in the smaller version, potentially as a smaller brother to the famous Ram 1500 TRX.
Keyword: All-New Ram 1200 Previewed With Turbocharged Four-Cylinder Engine