Ram's South American Small Pickup Teased With US Development

Ram has a new teaser video for the small pickup that it's preparing to launch in South America. The automaker touts the contribution from the brand's engineers in the United States. The clip also confirms that the truck is available with a four-cylinder version of the Hurricane turbocharged engine.

The video highlights many parts of the truck's development, including work in virtual reality and real-world torture testing. Several engines will be available, but the version of the pickup with the Hurricane engine will be the fastest pickup made in Brazil.

Spy shots (above) show that some of the development is taking place in the United States. However, it's under heavy camouflage. 

Our colleagues at Motor1.com's edition in Brazil report that the engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that is related to the powerplant available in the Jeep Wrangler. In the US, this powerplant makes 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The figures could be different for the application in the South American Ram pickup, though.

The team in Brazil expects the pickup to be available with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. In addition to the Hurricane engine, the small Ram pickup might be available with a diesel engine.

In Brazil, the pickup will reportedly be available in Big Horn, Laramie, R/T, and Rebel trims. In terms of the size of trucks available in Brazil, the Ram is reportedly bigger than the Fiat Toro but smaller than the Ford Ranger. It rides on the Stellantis Small Wide 4x4 platform that's also underneath the Jeep Commander, Compass, and Renegade.

Our Brazilian edition expects the Ram to debut soon but the exact timing is not yet clear. The model's name is still a mystery. The leading speculation is that it might go by the moniker 1200, Rampage, or both.

There are rumors that Ram is considering whether to offer a small truck in the United States, but there's no info on whether the pickup being teased for South America is something that could come to the US.