This Compact Ram Pickup Spied in the US Might Be a Ford Maverick Fighter
It would surprise no one if Ram launched a compact pickup to take on the Ford Maverick.
In 2020, Stellantis launched the Ram 700 in Mexico, essentially a badge-engineered Fiat Strada compact pickup. Both cars are successful in South and Central America, but Stellantis had no plans on selling it in the States—at least, they didn't officially announce it. However, likely due to the incredible popularity of the Ford Maverick, Stellantis might be looking to bring the little ute 'Stateside, as a suspicious-looking test mule was just spotted on a car carrier in Michigan.
This spy video comes courtesy of Andy Didorosi, who saw a car carrier on Interstate 75 outside Detroit carrying what looks like a heavily camouflaged Ram 700 or some other Stellantis-branded derivative. It's pretty hard to make out any details through the heaps of fake body cladding obscuring the pickup's design. However, one key detail gives away its Ram 700/Fiat Strada NDA—the vertical bars in the bed, behind the C-pillar, that lead into the roof rails. They're exactly like the ones seen on the trucks mentioned above.
What could this baby Ram be called? At first, I thought it might be a Jeep (maybe a revival of the Jeep Comanche?) due to the Jeep Compass in front of it. However, it lacks Jeep's signature grille. Does it keep the Ram 700 name? Does that make it seem like half of a Ram 1500? Or maybe it digs up an old nameplate, like the Dakota?
Regardless of the name, this compact pickup would likely need new powertrain options to keep up with Ford. The Mexican-market Ram 700 uses a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 100 horsepower and 99 pound-feet of torque and a five-speed manual, which wouldn't fly in the States. However, the powertrains from the Dodge Hornet could work nicely, as they would provide both a hybrid and a higher-performance turbo-four-cylinder, just like the Maverick.
There's no official word on what this test mule is or if it's truly coming to the U.S. market, but it would surprise no one if Ram launched a Maverick fighter of its own.
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