A little smaller than a Toyota Hilux, the new Ram Rampage is a fresh-faced unibody bakkie from the folks over at Stellantis. And the hottest version makes 203 kW…
Stellantis has whipped the wraps off the new Ram Rampage, a unibody double-cab bakkie designed and developed in Brazil, with a little help from North America.
From what we understand, the Rampage has been developed for the South American market, where unibody bakkies are big business. So far, there has been no official mention of producing the newcomer in right-hand drive. As an aside, though Stellantis plans to start building vehicles in South Africa, it has yet to reveal exactly which models it will manufacture here.
Riding on the same Stellantis platform as the likes of the Jeep Renegade and Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Rampage is 5 028 mm long and 1 886 mm wide, while standing 1 780 mm tall (with a wheelbase of 2 994 mm). It’s not exactly compact, then, despite not being quite as large as a Toyota Hilux, which measures 5 325 mm from snout to tail.
What about engine options? Well, buyers in Brazil will have the choice of 2 motors, each displacing 2.0 litres, employing 4 cylinders and standard with a 9-speed automatic transmission plus all-wheel drive. The Multijet turbodiesel iteration generates 127 kW and 380 Nm, allowing the oil-burning Rampage to complete the 0-100 kph sprint in a claimed 10.9 seconds (before topping out at 186 kph).
Then there’s the Hurricane 4 petrol unit, which offers a healthy 203 kW and 400 Nm (and breathes out through a dual-exhaust system). Equipped with this turbocharged mill, the sportiest R/T version of the Rampage completes the obligatory sprint to 3 figures in a claimed 6.9 seconds before running out of puff at 220 kph (figures that change to 7.1 seconds and 210 kph in lower-specced versions with the same engine).
A trio of variants – Laramie, Rebel and the aforementioned R/T – will be offered in Brazil, each with its own visual identity and equipment level. The flagship R/T, for instance, features firmer springs and dampers, a lower ride height (by 10 mm) and 19-inch wheels shod in 235/55 tyres. The Rebel has somewhat of an off-road persona (and ships with 235/65 R17 all-terrain rubber), while the Laramie appears more road-biased with its 18-inch rims and 235/60 tyres.
The Rampage’s load capacity (the bay is fitted with a plastic lining as standard) comes in at 1 015 kg in the case of the diesel variants and 750 kg for the petrol derivatives. Inside, you’ll find a 10.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 12.3-inch infotainment display, along with 2-zone air-conditioning and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, while options include a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and ambient lighting.
Safety, meanwhile, is taken care of by 7 airbags, electronic stability control, body roll mitigation, auto high beams, tyre-pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking and a raft of other driver-assistance features.
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