Ram has sat on the sidelines while "little" trucks have made a comeback. The pickup-centric brand hasn't offered anything smaller than the half-ton 1500 model in the U.S. since the mid-size Dakota was dropped after 2011. Meanwhile, Ford has released the unibody Maverick to great success, and even Hyundai has entered the fray with the Santa Cruz. With the 2023 Ram Rampage launching in Brazil, there are clues the new small truck could come to our shores and help the brand cash in on an untapped segment.

Back in March, the Brazilian automotive website, Auto Segredos, reported that Antonio Filosa, president of Stellantis South America, told a group of reporters a version of the Ram 1200 (a.k.a. the Rampage) would be sold in the U.S. to compete with the Ford Maverick. The report also references plans for a smaller body-on-frame truck, which may or may not have something to do with the long-rumored Dakota revival. Keep in mind this is all speculation right now, but it's worth considering nonetheless.

It's possible the Rampage that's set to go on sale in Brazil provides a preview of a potential U.S. version. The unibody truck measures approximately 198.0 inches long, 74.3 inches wide, and 70.1 inches tall. That makes the Ram roughly 1.7 inches shorter from stem to stern but about 1.5 inches taller than the Maverick. The Rampage's 117.9-inch wheelbase is also more than 3 inches shorter. The truck has a crew-cab body style, but there aren't any specifics on bed length. It does have a power-opening tailgate, though.

Ram's mini truck resembles its bigger siblings, specifically up front where the grille shape and headlights have a clear visual connection to the larger 1500, 2500, and 3500 models. Although it's the first Ram vehicle designed and developed in Brazil, North American designers also collaborated on the styling. That along with the U.S. flag motif in the taillights are a couple of hints about the Rampage possibly making it to our shores.

Expected to be built on a stretched version of Stellantis's Small Wide platform that also underpins the Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Dodge Hornet, and the Jeep Compass SUVs, the Rampage's suspension features McPherson struts up front and a multilink rear setup. The truck's max payload is approximately 2238 pounds, however, that's the rating for the 170-hp diesel 2.0-liter four-cylinder powertrain that likely won't be offered on our shores.

Instead, the U.S. Rampage would likely offer the new Hurricane 2.0-liter turbo four; the Brazilian version claims a 1653-pound max payload. Pairing with standard all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, it's the same engine found in the Hornet, which makes 268 horses and 295 pound-feet of torque. Perhaps Ram will also offer the truck with the 288-hp plug-in-hybrid powertrain that's reserved for the sport-tuned Hornet R/T.

The Brazilian Rampage is available in three trim levels: Laramie, R/T, and Rebel. The trio boasts desirable features such as a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch Uconnect touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Along with six USB outlets (three of which are USB-C ports), a cooled wireless charging pad is on the menu.

The optional Elite package adds a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, a 12-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat, and ambient interior lighting. The Rampage's roster of driver assists includes obligatory tech such as automated emergency braking as well as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist.

Among the three Rampage trim levels mentioned in the Brazilian press release, the R/T version (pictured at the top of this story) has the most details. Along with a specially tuned Sport drive mode, its dual-exhaust system is said to be louder than the other models, and the sprint to 62 mph is claimed to be a couple tenths quicker too. The Ram Rampage R/T also has a 0.4-inch lower suspension with firmer springs and dampers. Its outward appearance is highlighted by black 19-inch wheels, more body-color trim, hood stripes, and decals on the bedsides. Inside, there are exclusive faux-suede surfaces and red accent stitching.

The Rampage's Laramie trim has 18-inch wheels and the most chrome exterior trim of the bunch. The interior is covered in brown leather, whereas the more rugged Rebel variant has black leather. The Rebel also features 18-inch wheels mounted on all-terrain tires and presumably other off-road-oriented hardware that's not mentioned.

While orders for the 2024 Ram Rampage open tomorrow in Brazil, there's no telling when or if a similar version will be sold in the U.S. For now, we'll just have to wait and see whether the Rampage is Ram's answer to the Ford Maverick and other little trucks sold here or if there's another pickup planned for the brand to get off the sidelines and into the game.

Eric Stafford鈥檚 automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno鈥搇ike car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si.