We just saw an interesting prototype nearby Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ headquarters in Auburn Hills. It’s the all-new pickup truck, but we are sure this is not the new generation Ram 1500, because it has pretty smaller footprint. Judging by the spy photos, the new compact vehicle could be the sibling of the 2017 Fiat Toro, except it won’t carry Fiat’s badge. This is rather the all-new 2018 Ram Compact Pickup Truck, which will be a step below the Ram 1500 in every aspect.
2018 Ram Compact Pickup Truck: Rumors and Specs
The new 2018 Ram Compact Pickup Truck isn’t something that could fight against Chevrolet Colorado, Honda Ridgeline or Toyota Tacoma, simply because it will be even smaller. We think that the car manufacturer thinks ahead and prepares the model for a completely new segment in North America. This could be a right answer on Ford’s Ranger pickup, which would also arrive sometime next year, as well as Hyundai’s Santa Cruz pickup that is already introduced in the concept form.
The testing prototype doesn’t reveal much, but regardless the fact, the 2018 Ram Compact Pickup Truck seems to have some pretty familiar styling cues. The latest rumors suggest that the carmaker plans to use the design which will be similar to the Jeep Renegade. However, what’s more important, the Ram Compact Truck should use the all-new platform that is planned to support plenty of models. As far as we know, the pickup could use Fiat’s modified small and wide 4×4 platform architecture of the current Renegade. This way, the company will spare some money and make the model lighter from the rest of the pickup truck lineup.
Performance
The pickup is also rumored to offer three trim levels and two or three engine choices. There should be an oil-burner version that will run on a 2.0-liter Multijet turbodiesel engine, which is speculated to deliver 170 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. A gasoline model will have a 1.8-liter E-Torq Flex four-cylinder unit with 138 horsepower. The range-topping model might use an amazing 2.0-l Hurricane turbocharged four-cylinder mill that can pump out 300 horsepower and will be introduced under the hood of the next generation Jeep Wrangler too. A payload rating is estimated to be around 2,200 pounds, which isn’t bad at all, because the truck will use the unibody crossover construction. You can also expect both 2WD and 4WD configurations, as well as the manual and automatic gearboxes.