Stellantis Working On New Ram 1200 Unibody Pickup
GM rival Stellantis is currently developing a new unibody pickup that will revive the Ram 1200 nameplate, and GM Authority has obtained the first-ever spy shots of the all-new vehicle. The spy shots show the prototype undergoing cold weather testing in Sweden.
The truck is currently called Project 291, but will inherit the Ram 1200 name when it reaches production in late 2023 as a 2024 model. Stellantis previously used the nameplate on a Mitsubishi Triton that was rebadged for sale in the Middle Eastern market. Use of the Ram 1200 designation for the Triton lapsed in 2019 when the model was discontinued.
The new Ram 1200 is earmarked for the South American market, picking up the market slot currently being occupied by the Ram 700 and Ram 1000, a rebadged Fiat Toro.
On the other hand, it’s currently unclear if Stellantis intends to launch the Ram 1200 in North America. If it does appear in the U.S., the truck will compete most directly against the Ford Maverick rather than the Chevy Colorado or the GMC Canyon. The latter two pickups would have been challenged by the Ram Dakota midsize truck, but Stellantis cancelled the next-generation Dakota project in early 2021, GM Authority exclusively learned from sources close to the matter.
Stellantis will offer at least two engine choices for the Ram 1200 in the South American market. Regardless of the engine option chosen, the Ram should feature a standard four-wheel drivetrain. Both engines will be paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission sourced from ZF.
The first engine will be a turbocharged and updated variant of the 2.0L Tigershark four cylinder, rated at more than 200 horsepower. The Tigershark engine will be able to run on ethanol, a widely used fuel in Brazil.
The second engine will be a turbo-diesel 2.2L Multijet II inline-four, providing 203 horsepower. Stellantis also intends to use this engine in the Fiat Toro SUV that’s scheduled to launch during the 2024 calendar year.
The new Ram 1200 unibody truck will ride on the Stellantis Small Wide 4×4 platform also used for the three-row, seven-seat Jeep Commander as well as the Jeep Compass and the Fiat Toro. The engineers who developed the recently introduced Jeep Commander are thought to be working on the Ram 1200, too. The fingerprints of their design process may be visible in the Ram’s greater length and width compared to the Toro.
Production of Ram 1200 trucks destined for sale in the South American region will take place at Jeep’s plant in Pemambuco, Brazil.
SOURCE: GM AUTHORITY