Hmm…what’s Ram’s small South American truck doing in the Rocky Mountains?
Not only do we love testing the trucks and cars we get our hands on in Colorado, but so does pretty much every automaker. If you’re making your way through the Centennial State on Interstate 70, there’s a decent to good chance you’ll spot prototypes of some sort lurking in the wild, often to conduct high altitude testing. Those vehicles aren’t always confirmed for the American market, though, and occasionally you’ll spot oddities like this: the Brazilian market Ram Rampage pickup.
That’s exactly what our friend Rulon saw on his recent trip through the area. His note: Saw this on I-70 near Copper [Mountain skiing area] driving with a Fiat (sic) truck. Looks like they just pulled off the camo.”
Now, if you’ve been following our coverage here on TFLtruck, you’ll know right off the bat that this is the Rampage. Ram parent company Stellantis actually revealed this truck in the sheet metal for South American consumption, where it competes against the Ford Maverick and Chevrolet Montana, among others. Brazilian buyers are able to get this small truck with either a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine or the 2.0-liter turbocharged GME “Hurricane” gas engine, which is the powertrain we see in a host of Alfa Romeo and Jeep models here in the US, as well as the Dodge Hornet crossover. At least at time of writing, Ram has not outright confirmed this truck is coming to the US market.
Sights like this make you wonder, though…The story then shifts from what this truck is to another simple, yet perplexing question: Why is it here?
Several reports hint at the Rampage’s late 2023/early 2024 US debut
Of course, Ram won’t tell us why this truck is in our neck of the woods. Like many other automakers, they won’t comment on potential future product, so we’re simply left to speculate. The most obvious take on why this truck is here on Michigan manufacturer plates and sporting no camouflage is that Ram does plan to launch it as a rival to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Multiple reports, including this one from The Drive, cite inside sources and another of the Rampage’s outings in Colorado as solid enough justification for its US launch. That said (and they make this point too), automakers test foreign market cars here all the time. For instance, Mercedes-Benz tested the new A-Class hatchback atop Mount Evans — a car we never saw here.
Both former Ram head Mike Koval and current Ram and Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis both acknowledged questions and clamors about a small Ram of some sort joining the US lineup. With the Santa Cruz seeing steady sales and Ford struggling to build enough Mavericks, Kuniskis is the sort of character who could well push to capitalize on the moment by introducing the Rampage to North America.
Again, we can’t say with certainty whether the truck will come here yet. However, despite the unknowns, there are strong indications that Ram is going to move in with a small truck. The market is clearly there, and we need more competition from the Ram brand, be it with a midsize Dakota or the smaller Rampage. If Ram does bring it here, odds are it will tool one of its Mexican plants to build the truck, to avoid the 25% “Chicken Tax” that’s kept other global trucks like the Amarok from launching here.
While we’re at it, maybe General Motors will join in on the action with their redesigned Montana, as well. Who knows? Let us know your thoughts.
