A supposed Ram truck has been spotted again. The little pickup hints at an upcoming Ram that will come in below the 1500 and could be called the 1200 or, as rumors suggest, the Ram Dakota.
Internally referred to as “Project 291”, the prototypes were spotted in the northern regions of Sweden during rigorous cold weather testing alongside other Stellantis vehicles – the most notable of which was the Fiat Toro. According to reports, the Ram 1200 will be based on the Toro but with significant changes, especially to the powertrain.
31 Pictures
As with the similar prototype captured the night before, the purported Ram truck features a heavy, boxy hideaway to keep its design away from prying eyes. However, the headlights might make you think you’re looking at a Jeep pickup, but they might just be placeholders like the Fiat Toro taillights seen here.
At the front, the concealment tries to hide a huge grille with horizontal slats. Meanwhile, there is considerable ground clearance when viewed from the side. The next Ram 1200 will be built on the Small Wide 4×4 platform, which also underpins other Jeep vehicles such as the Compass and Commander.
In terms of size, it should fall between the Fiat Toro/Ram 1000 and the RAM 1500. Production is believed to be at the Jeep plant in Pernambuco, Brazil. However, the Ram 1200 could be offered as a 4×4-only variant, unlike the Fiat Toro which has versions that run on the front axle only.
Our friends from Motor1.com Brazil have authoritatively confirmed that one of the engines Ram will offer will be a 2.2-liter turbodiesel that could deliver around 200 horsepower (149 kilowatts) and 441 Newton-meters (325 pound-feet) of torque.
The Ram 1200 is expected to hit the global market in 2024, so expect a launch later this year. It’s unclear at this point if this little truck will make it to American shores where it could rival the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.
