Chevrolet and GMC have three-truck approaches: mid-size Colorado/Canyon, fullsize Silverado 1500/Sierra 1500, and heavy-duty Silverado HD/Sierra HD. Ford now has a four-truck approach: compact Maverick, mid-size Ranger, fullsize F-150, and heavy-duty Super Duty. As for Ram? A two-truck approach: fullsize Ram 1500 and heavy-duty Ram HD.
If any truck manufacturer is due for another pickup, it’s Ram. There’s room for a compact Rampage (a name revived from Ram’s once-upon-a-time small unibody pickup) and/or a mid-size Dakota (also previously used in the Ram lineup). The Rampage was recently introduced for South American markets like Brazil and Argentina, but it’s not expected to hit our shores, unfortunately. Maybe we’ll get our own mid-size electric or plug-in hybrid Ram Dakota instead, as it seems this mid-size variant is more likely.
The new South American 2024 Ram Rampage is a small, unibody pickup powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane I-4, a likable powerplant developed for the U.S. market and found in the 2023 Jeep Compass and Wrangler 4xe. The interior will be tailored for the South American market.
While we’ve seen some cryptic teaser images of the Rampage, Instragram user @audacepulse caught a bright red (orange?) Ram Rampage tucked between two vehicles in a parking structure perhaps in Brazil, capturing the little truck with photos and video. We like what we see! What do you think?
Although it’s hard to tell its exact proportions, it fits comfortably in the medium-sized parking spot and visually appears on-par with the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick both in size and unibody structure. It seems smaller than the SUV a few spots down, and doesn’t tower over the vehicles it’s between. It’s Ram through and through, a scaled-down unibody Ram pickup. Visually, it could fit into the U.S. market; its athletic styling and commanding demeanor make for an overall pleasant package. Seriously, we need this thing—or something like it, at least.
We dig the black contrast grille, headlights, side mirrors, wheels, roof, and badges, characteristic of the R/T trim. Prominent R-A-M badges adorn the grille and tailgate. The slim headlights are reminiscent of the Ram 1500. There’s also a 4×4 tailgate badge.
Could the Rampage eventually come to the United States? We certainly hope Ram finds a way.
Read the full article here