Ram may make some exciting upgrades to make it more appealing.
It appears Ram wants to take the fight to the Ford Maverick much earlier than expected, as it has now been confirmed that its littlest truck is coming to America. The confirmation did not come from Stellantis but rather from a well-placed source with intimate knowledge of product planning. As if those American flags in the taillights weren't enough of a hint…
This informant told The Drive that the unibody Rampage is coming to America and will debut this year. The Rampage was also spied driving around Colorado wearing more or less the same disguise as when photographed in Sweden.
Why would Ram continue testing the car wearing camouflage when it has already been revealed to the world? It's no secret that it looks like a 70% Ram 1500, but, as we predicted, the Rampage will likely require a few alterations to make it more attractive and legal in America.
The legal stuff will be easy enough to fix. It will mostly be on the safety side, as manufacturers tend to skimp on safety features in emerging markets to keep costs down. The Ford Ranger is a prime example. All US models have driver-assistance features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist (with trailer coverage), active park assist, and more. The base model in emerging markets has seven airbags, steelies, and traction and stability control.
In short, Americans expect more, which is apparent when you look at the Maverick's standard safety features list. It's considered relatively light on features but still gets auto high beams, tire pressure monitoring, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking as standard.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz adds even more features, but given the Maverick's success, the latter will likely be Ram's primary target as compact pickups once again gain some prominence.
As for the design, it's anyone's guess. The Rampage, in South American guise, is a bit on the bland side. Ram can always mimic the 1500 a bit more. Add some chrome to the grille and flanks, give it more prominent LED fog lights, and the famous Ram badge on the truck's bum. It's worth keeping in mind that Mopar might also be in the process of developing a host of lifestyle accessories. Mopar has become more prominent over the last few years, offering official upgrades for most of the Stellantis range. Ram could also be working on new trims to rival the likes of the Maverick Tremor.
Thanks to rather prominent hood badges and a teaser, we already know the Rampage will be equipped with a turbocharged engine, with a four-cylinder being the most likely candidate. Thankfully, Stellantis has many options to work with.
The most likely candidate is the 2.0-liter used to power the 2023 Jeep Compass. It only produces 200 horsepower, so Ram might want to tweak it slightly to make it more competitive against the 250-hp Ford Maverick EcoBoost. The Ram would be equipped with the 280-hp 2.0 plucked from the Alfa Romeo Stelvio in a perfect world.
The hybrid powertrain will almost certainly be the 1.3 turbocharged four-cylinder used in the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale. This powertrain will give Ram a massive advantage over its rivals because it's a plug-in hybrid system. Ford has no plans to develop a plug-in Maverick, and having roughly 30 miles of electric-only range will undoubtedly be a big selling point, even if it costs a bit more than the equivalent Maverick hybrid.
But all of this is a pipe dream if Ram can't get around the chicken tax. The Rampage will be built in Brazil, one of the few countries down below with which America doesn't have a free trade agreement. If only the Rampage were built a bit to the left in Chile…
An interesting way around this is to build the Rampage in Mexico. Given the Rampage's size, it most likely sits on Stellantis' SCCS platform (Small Common Components and Systems platform), which it inherited from FCA. This platform can be found underneath various European products but also beneath Jeep's Renegade, Compass, and Commander, as well as the Alfa Romeo Tonale/Dodge Hornet.
With everything we've explored so far, we can see Ram taking over one production line at the Toluca plant, where the next-generation Jeep Liberty will likely be made.
That way, Ram has everything in place. An assembly line already set up to handle the right platform, access to multiple engine options, and, crucially, in a country with a free trade agreement with America.
Stellantis' latest management moves are also telling. The fact that a heavy-hitter like Tim Kuniskis has been made Ram's CEO to help the brand grow suggests that big things are coming for America and the rest of the world.
Keyword: Ram Rampage Is Coming To America To Harass The Ford Maverick