US design patent reveals development of more capable RAM 1500 off-road pick-up
It seems RAM is plotting a new take on the rugged, off-road 4×4 super-ute genre in the form of the RAM 1500 Rebel OTG, with a local spokesperson confirming RAM Trucks Australia is keen on any new pick-up model deemed suitable for our market.
The 1500 Rebel OTG (short for ‘Off the Grid’) first debuted as a Mopar concept vehicle at the 2019 SEMA show, but now it seems the go-anywhere dual-cab could be on its way to production, with news that RAM parent company Stellantis has patented the design for a rough and ready 1500 in the US.
Reportedly based on the Rebel – the most adventurous RAM 1500 variant – the sketched vehicle features many of the OTG concept’s off-road focused accessories including a factory snorkel, unique steel bumper with inbuilt winch, LED spotlights, rated recovery points, extended wheel-arches and plenty of ground clearance.
The similarities between the concept and the patent sketch are genuinely uncanny, with all of the aforementioned features being a perfect match between the two.
Even the 60:40-split, swinging tailgate is present in the patent filing, all but cementing this vehicle’s identity as a production-spec Rebel OTG.
If this copy and paste formula has been used throughout, then you can also expect a two-inch Mopar lift kit, 35-inch mud-terrain tyres, beadlock wheels, on-board air compressor and 125-litre fuel tank.
On the concept, that massive fuel tank feeds a 194kW/653Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, which would ultimately prove a hit Down Under given Aussies’ love of gutsy diesel utes – and should provide a longer range than the petrol super-utes like the new Ford Ranger Raptor and long-awaited RAM TRX.
Obviously, there are a fair few key features present on the concept that are missing from the sketched production version, like the bed rack system, retractable battery-powered cooler, kitchen unit with gas stove and sink, on-board water system and solar panels, but all these things could be added later at the discretion of the buyer.
Flagship utes are all the rage at the moment with more and more pumped-up models from various manufacturers being announced as the months roll by, with the locally-developed Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara Warrior having long led the way.
A local introduction for the production-spec Rebel OTG would shoehorn RAM into the thick of the action among the adventure crowd, while the standard Rebel would provide RAM Trucks Australia with a viable competitor for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss and the Ford F-150 Tremor that looks to be headed to our shores in the near future.
Not only that, a Rebel OTG would also serve as a half-way house between the mainstream RAM 1500 line-up and the savage but still-MIA RAM 1500 TRX, which carsales now understands is finally on track to launch within the next few months – around a year after it was supposed to arrive.
It’s worth noting the world’s fastest pick-up has been available for quite some time here via at least one independent importer/converter that competes with RAM Trucks Australia, which contracts Walkinshaw Automotive Group to convert factory-sourced and backed RAM models Down Under, including the TRX.
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Keyword: Tough RAM 1500 Rebel OTG could come Down Under