Ram has been growing its sales in the Brazilian market by importing large pickups such as the 1500, 2500 and 3500 series, but now it leaves the numbers aside and baptizes the new medium pickup as Rampage. This is the first American brand pickup to be developed in Brazil and meets our country’s needs and limitations in terms of roads and especially parking in condominiums and shopping malls.

New in motorization

The Hurricane 4 engine appears for the first time in South America and is present in the three trim versions: Rebel, Laramie and R/T. It is a four-cylinder in-line gasoline engine, direct injection, transversely mounted, with aluminum cylinder head and block, 16 valves, double valve control with phase variation, liquid-cooled double volute turbocharger. It delivers 272 hp at 5,200 rpm with 40.8 m·kgf at 3,000 rpm.

In the R/T version, the engine is complemented by a dual exhaust to provide a more sporty sound to the model. In the Rebel and Laramie versions there is the traditional Sport mode button to spice up the performance, while in the R/T the homonym button is responsible. by differentiated calibrations allowing the R/T to reach 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 220 km/h. Already in the other versions the performance is slightly more conservative, with 7.1 seconds in the 0-100 km/h and 210 km/h of maximum.

The high power and torque of the gasoline engine allows the 9-speed automatic transmission to work in low rotation regimes and in most conditions the start is made in second gear. When the 4WD Low function is activated, first gear comes into play and the intelligent permanent four-wheel drive system distributes power according to demand. This same system decouples the rear axle at constant speed in order to reduce fuel consumptio

The values ​​approved by Inmetro are 7.9/9.7 km/l city/road for the Rebel and Laramie versions, and 8.0/10.0 km/l for the R/T version. The best consumption for the sports version can be attributed to the 235/55R19 tires as well as the lower ground clearance.

The Rebel and Laramie versions receive the option of the well-known 2-liter Multijet turbodiesel engine that delivers 170 hp and 38.8 m·kgf. It is the same engine as the Fiat Toro r Jeeps Compass and Commander. It also uses a 9-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. In terms of performance, it reaches 100 km/h in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 186 km/h. Fuel consumption is 9.9/12.4 km/l city/road for the Laramie version, while the Rebel has a small loss in the city, 9.8 km/l due to the use of 235/65R17 All Terrain tires. ·

Imposing design

The Stellantis Design Center in South America was responsible for designing the new pickup in collaboration with American designers. After all, the brand’s DNA had to be secured in this first out-of-the-box design.

The monoblock body concept, similar to that of its older sister, the Fiat Toro, was adopted, giving the Rampage good rigidity to face rough terrain. The platform is the same as the Global Small Wide of the Jeep and Fiat Toro, all produced at the factory in Goiana, PE, where the new Ram will also come from.

On the external lines, the design was made to cause an impact with well-defined vertical and horizontal lines and seeking proportions that would allow for greater height, making the new pickup make an impression due to its size. But the search for the largest size could not exceed 5 meters in length, which is the average size of garages in our country. With that, the pickup was 5,028 mm long, 1,886 mm wide (without mirrors), height of 1,780 mm in Rebel and Laramie and 1,771 mm in R/T. The wheelbase is 2,994 mm, the same as the Fiat Toro.

The forms of muscles that the designers sought to give to the new pickup are evident, thus showing all its strength and power through visual elements on the grilles, which are different between the three versions, on the engine hood, which has protuberances visible from inside the vehicle, and on the front and rear fenders.

The exterior decoration was striking between the versions, where Laramie abuses the chrome moldings and moldings to explore the jewel effect, including a chrome rear bumper, while the Rebel explores the minimalist side of the trims, grille and bumpers in black. In the sports version there is a mix of glossy black with a bumper painted in the body color, making each version have its own identity. The LED headlights and taillights as well as the RAM logo on the front grille are common elements in all.

Completing the visual difference on the exterior are 17” aluminum alloy wheels on the Rebel, 18” on the Laramie and 19” on the R/T. The use of a different finish is another detail that draws attention in the concern to differentiate the versions.

Inside, the design is based on the same premise as the outside, with striking horizontal and vertical lines. The instrument panel seeks robustness by presenting three vertical levels with soft coating and alternating materials, colors and textures. Details are incorporated into the various elements and a three-dimensional texture was developed exclusively for Rampage, and adopted in all panels, dials and even the rubber floor mats. This makes the look nice and harmonic.

The digital instrument panel is configurable and the 12.3” multimedia center mounted in the center of the panel seems to continue it, as it is positioned at the same height. The air conditioning vents at the front and rear bring the same concept of octagonal shapes seen in the front grille. And this angled style is also present in the upholstery of the seats with synthetic fabric that imitates leather.

In the Laramie version, a brown color appears on the seat cover, giving an extra touch of refinement, and the darkened tone aims to facilitate conservation. The R/T shows details in suede (suede) and seams with red thread. All seat covers feature the RAM brand engraved in low relief on the top of the backrest.

The bucket has a volumetric capacity of 980 liters and is equipped with rings for securing the load on the upper and lower portions of the side walls. Plastic coating is standard equipment, as is LED lighting. Cargo capacity is 1,015 kg in turbodiesel engine versions and 750 kg with Hurricane 4 engine.

Technology on board

The multimedia center allows wireless pairing for Android Auto and Apple Carplay and features a navigator with integrated GPS, and additionally an induction cell phone battery charger with airflow for cooling during recharging. There are six USB and three USB-C ports distributed throughout the cabin. The Elite Pack option package incorporates a premium Harman Kardon sound system and a 12-way electrically adjustable front passenger seat, similar to the standard driver’s seat.

The steering wheel is multifunctional in all versions as well as remote start and face key. Opening the bucket lid can be done by activating the remote control on the key. The parking brake has an electromechanical activation with built-in auto-hold function . When activating the Parking mode on the rotary gearshift selector, the parking brake is automatically activated.

In the safety and driver assistance package, the new pickup comes with frontal collision alert with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring of the external mirrors, rear cross traffic alert, lane keeping system and automatic descent control. The cruise control is of the adaptive type and Rampage inaugurates Ram Connect, a service connected to smarphones for better assistance, monitoring and recovery in case of vehicle theft.

In addition to LED headlights and taillights, the Rampage incorporates automatic high beam technology and dynamic steering light. Interior ambient lighting is another item available in the R$6,000 Pack Elite package.

Ride comfort

In this initial evaluation, it was possible to drive the Rebel version on off-road stretches where the good dynamic comfort given by the suspension calibration was verified. The total travel of the front and rear suspension is very wide and with that the pickup was comfortable to face the challenges of stones, undulations, depressions and speed bumps. Much of the off-road section was carried out with 500 kg of cargo in the bucket, and the version with the Hurricane 4 engine practically did not notice this additional weight. However, the lack of towing hooks at the front and rear was felt, an essential component in case it is necessary to remove the vehicle.

The rolling noise is relatively low when traveling on a dirt track with stones, bringing comfort and a good level of dialogue in the cabin. The only discomfort is for the driver who finds a steering system with a lot of electric assistance, leaving the steering wheel very light to the point of feeling little connection with the tires.

In the R/T version, this feature of a light steering wheel disappears, and the vehicle has comfortable effort for maneuvers at low speed and good precision with excellent definition of center in dynamic maneuvers performed on the asphalt track of the race track. The vehicle’s stability is sensational, and if you don’t look back, it feels like you’re on board a Ram suve.

Even abusing the tightest curves, the behavior is neutral with a slight tendency to escape from the front, which is fully manageable with the release of the accelerator pedal. The body roll is consistent with the type of vehicle application and the tires are very well sized for the need for grip in faster use.

The McPherson type front suspension and the rear multi-link have a different calibration for the R/T compared to the other two. But all versions use pressurized shock absorbers, coil springs and anti-roll bars at the front and rear. From what was presented by the engineers responsible for the calibration, the new Rampage has a level of vertical acceleration attenuated in relation to what is found in medium pickup trucks of the “C” segment. The result is improved ride comfort in all conditions.

Conclusion

The new Ram Rampage pickup delivers quality in every detail, from the choice of materials and their textures, passing through the ride comfort, reliability when realizing that even transiting through places with a lot of dust there is no intrusion into the cabin. The materials used on the interior and exterior were tested to allow for ease of cleaning and good resistance to drying out with the use of sunscreen in their composition.

The warranty is three years and can be extended to up to 5 years through an additional after-sales plan. Maintenance can be purchased in advance with the possibility of including aesthetic services to keep the vehicle looking new, always.

On the personalization side, Mopar, the parts and accessories division of Stellantis, already has a package of 35 accessories available with the innovation of allowing the consumer to download files for 3D printing at no cost — all with the visual identification of the sheep that governs the brand.