- Still without a US visa, the Ram Rampage gets notable updates for 2025.
- Made in Brazil, the truck receives a more potent diesel engine.
- The model year changeover comes with a Big Horn trim level.
Although America is the undisputed trucklandia, there are still a few forbidden fruits. The indestructible Toyota Hilux springs to mind, along with the Isuzu D-Max (and its Mazda BT-50 twin), Nissan Navara, Volkswagen Amarok, and Mitsubishi Triton. Lest we forget the Rampage name was resurrected last year, but not by Dodge. Instead, it’s badged as a Ram and sold in Brazil where the small-ish pickup is already getting a notable update.
Out with the old 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine and in with the new 2.2-liter mill. The oil-burner makes 200 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, so it produces an extra 30 hp and 52 lb-ft. Ram’s unibody pickup truck uses the same nine-speed automatic transmission as before but with 14% longer ratios to lower fuel consumption. With the new diesel, the Rampage does 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31.2 mpg on the highway.
This diesel truck is not sporty by any stretch of the imagination, but it’ll hit 62 mph in less than 10 seconds. Ram says it needs 6.4 seconds to get from 37 to 62 mph and 8 seconds from 50 to 75 mph. The 2.2-liter diesel is available across the lineup, except for the R/T trim where the 2.0-liter Hurricane gas engine is installed. It’s good for 272 hp and 295 lb-ft, enough to make the Rampage “the most powerful and fastest pickup truck produced in South America.”
For 2025, Ram is also launching a Big Horn version in Brazil. It serves as the entry-level flavor and comes strictly with the diesel engine. Up until now, Stellantis had been making the Rampage Big Horn at the Goiana plant in Pernambuco exclusively for export markets. Pricing hasn’t been disclosed but it’s certainly going to be cheaper than the Rampage Rebel, offered in Brazil at the equivalent of about $45,000.
The Rampage is sold there exclusively with 4×4 and the nine-speed ZF automatic transmission. If you’re unfamiliar with this truck, it sits on the Small Wide 4×4 LWB platform, making it mechanically related to the Jeep Compass, Alfa Romeo Tonale, and Dodge Hornet. The lesser-known Jeep Commander seven-seat SUV sold in India uses the same underpinnings.
What are the odds of getting the Rampage in the United States? Well, about a year ago, UAW Vice President Rich Boyer said a midsize truck would be built at the Stellantis factory in Belvidere, Illinois. However, when we reached out to Ram, a company spokesperson refused to confirm or even provide a comment. To make matters worse, Stellantis recently said it would delay plans to reopen the factory.
The Rampage isn’t the only Stellantis truck we don’t get here in the US. Updated earlier this year, the Ram 1200 is a badge-engineered pickup related to the Peugeot Landtrek and Fiat Titano, which trace their roots in China’s Changan Kaicene F70. There’s also the Fiat Toro-based Ram 1000 and the much smaller Fiat Strada-based Ram 700.