Is Ram's Jeep-based Ranger rival going global?

Ram has secured a US design patent for its Rampage ute, raising hopes the compact dual-cab pickup could be sold in markets outside South America and North America, perhaps including Australia.

Not to be confused with a global mid-size dual-cab ute that could be called the Dakota, which the US truck-maker has been toying with for at least five years, the Rampage is already on sale in markets including Brazil.

Underpinned by the same unibody (monocoque) platform as the outgoing Jeep Compass, rather than a more rugged ladder frame like Australia’s most popular utes, the Rampage is Ram’s answer to the popular small pickups sold in the Americas, including the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.

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The latter was initially ruled out for local release by Hyundai Australia, before it expressed interest in the model on the basis it could be a pioneer in what could become a growth segment Down Under, where a Kia Tasman-based diesel Hyundai ute now looks less likely than at least one dedicated electric ute for the larger Korean brand, dubbed T10.

Under pressure from looming emissions-related penalties as part of the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), Australia’s enormous ute market is evolving – as evidenced by the popularity of the BYD Shark 6 and the imminent release of other plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes based on the GWM Cannon Alpha, Ford Ranger and JAC T9.

A range of new battery-electric (EV) and extended-range battery-electric (EREV) utes are also on the way from the likes of LDV, Toyota, Kia, Isuzu and Deepal.

Deepal Australia will soon also release the E07 ‘transformer ute’ – a unibody electric SUV that can morph into a ute – while Geely Auto Australia is also expected to launch the Radar RD6, a more compact car-based EV and EREV dual-cab ute now on sale in China and Thailand.

However, the Rampage is yet to be electrified and whether there’s room for both it and the larger ‘Dakota’ dual-cab to be positioned below the top-selling Ram 1500 pickup in markets like Australia remains to be seen.

So far neither the Maverick, Santa Cruz nor Rampage have been produced in right-hand drive for global consumption – and there’s no guarantee these patent drawings have been filed in the US for any reason other than to protect the design for merchandising, video games or toys in North America.

But while Jeep has its Wrangler-based Gladiator, Ram so far has no direct answer in North America for mid-size pickups like the Ranger, nor small pickups like the Maverick.

First reported by Mopar Insiders, Ram’s Rampage design patent was filed on March 16, 2023, and officially granted on April 22 this year by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

In Latin America, where it was launched in mid-2023, the Brazilian-made Rampage is powered by turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission, and available in Big Horn, Rebel, Laramie, and performance-focused R/T trims.

In contrast, the larger Ram ‘Dakota’ – a nameplate previously worn by a Dodge pickup until 2009, then a Ram until 2011 – is expected to feature body-on-frame construction to directly challenge the Ranger, as well as Toyota’s top-selling Tacoma in the US, and would be warmly welcomed by Ram Trucks Australia should it eventuate.

It’s unclear whether both the Rampage and Dakota will be sold in Australia, but it is clear that Ram is planning a massive global product onslaught, with the US pickup specialist confirming just last month that it plans to make 25 global product announcements within the next 18 months.

“Four months ago, I returned to the Ram brand with a clear mission: to build exciting trucks,” said returning Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis in a LinkedIn post in April.

“Since then, we have been shaping the next evolution of Ram – a bold new chapter that honors the legacy of the brand while redefining its future. 

“There are 25 product announcements planned within the next 18 months, and it all starts on June 8th.”