Ram's New Small Pickup Truck: Everything You Need to Know

Ram has not officially confirmed anything about a new pickup. The COO for Stellantis South America discussed a unibody Ram 1200 pickup with local reporters and said it would come to America to take on the Maverick. It could use the name Ram 1200; it could also be called the Dakota.

Per CarBuzz, the vehicle would likely use a stretched version of the Jeep Compass platform. That said, Autoblog speculates that the new truck could use the new STLA Medium platform and be capable of full electrification.

CarBuzz and other outlets have uncovered spy shots of what appears to be a disguised small pickup truck at Stellantis winter testing. It certainly looks smaller — also road-oriented and Maverick-like. The paneling could be masking a high rake toward the rear like the Fiat Toro (pictured in several images here).

If Ram does use the Jeep Compass platform, we would bet Ram offers the new turbocharged 2.0-liter from the Compass too, which puts out 200 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. If Ram wanted to add a hybrid option, the new Alfa Romeo Tonale crossover also uses that platform. So the 1.3-liter PHEV putting out 256 hp and 295 lb-ft would also be in play. Buyers abroad would probably have diesel options too.

Potentially. The COO for Stellantis South America also noted that Americans would get a body-on-frame midsize pickup. A unibody pickup would not preclude that from happening. Building a Ram version of the Jeep Gladiator would seemingly not be a huge lift. Though the Gladiator existing undercuts the case for Stellantis to build another truck that may not have as much sales potential beyond the American market.

The 2024 model year would be the soonest the Ram small pickup would arrive. If prototypes are already out doing winter testing, it’s conceivable that we could see the model debut before the end of the year. And with Toyota potentially eyeing that segment as well, there may be an incentive for Ram to move quickly.

What we know so far about the most-eagerly-awaited midsize truck.

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