Ram 1200 Teased for South America As a Tough Toy for Big Boys

Believed to have been baptized the Ram 1200 or the Ram Dakota, as some reports claim, the new vehicle will be a rugged workhorse, the video posted at the bottom of the page reveals. Shared by the company's Brazilian branch, it shows the pickup doing its thing on a dirt track and climbing stairs because it can.

Besides showing a camouflaged prototype unleashed, the Stellantis-owned brand has confirmed that it will feature the Hurricane 4 engine. This means a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit with forced induction, similar to the one powering other Stellantis products. In our market, it is capable of punching out 270 horsepower, with the torque standing at 295 pound-feet (400 Nm).

Nevertheless, chances are it will be toned down a bit for the new workhorse. An automatic transmission with nine gears will supposedly direct everything to the four-wheel drive system. Some believe the 4WD will be standard across the range, thus improving the vehicle's grip and making it weather-proof, whereas others state that base models will be two-wheel drive. Therefore, you should take the information shared in this paragraph with a grain of salt until Ram confirms it. The same goes for the rumor stating it will share its construction with the Jeep Commander and Compass.

Visually, the Ram 1200 / Dakota sports a generously sized grille up front flanked by a pair of headlamps that appear to have been inspired by those of several Jeep models. At the other end, it has a set of relatively simple taillights with a vertical design, and it features squared wheel arches. Double tailpipes were visible on the previously snapped testers, which also had closed-off beds. Look for simple wheel designs that probably won't go down the oversized route for money-saving purposes, as the 1200 / Dakota will be one tough (and hopefully reliable too) ride, as well as a generous ground clearance, which will be further boosted with aftermarket mods not long after the official unveiling.

Despite previewing it in an official manner, Ram has yet to announce when the 1200 / Dakota is due. Some believe it is a few weeks to a few months away from being unveiled, and the most plausible scenario is that the first units will start arriving at dealers in selected markets before the end of the year or in early 2024. A possible US introduction seems entirely off the table at this point, but never say never until the car manufacturer does so. That said, would you've wanted the upcoming Ram pickup in our market?