Could the Ram 700 Foreshadow Something Smaller for North America?

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Americans love their pickups but the segment’s sizing has adopted the same methodologies favored by the McNugget industry. Medium-sized trucks are now supersized, leaving full-sized pickups in danger of developing their own gravitational fields. However, it wasn’t all that long ago when the North American market was awash with compact pickups like the original Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-10, and numerous Japanese alternatives — including the legendary Toyota Hilux (which we just called “the Pickup”). Dodge even had the Dakota for customers who liked D.I.Y. projects but wanted something a little larger and more capable of hauling the necessary materials in a single trip.

Back then, the competition was incredibly fierce. But club cabs gradually evolved into crew cabs and, before anybody knew what happened, every single pickup left on the market had become monstrously large. Though it wasn’t like that everywhere in the world. Plenty of markets still appreciate the handyman’s pickup and Latin America is about to receive an updated one from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It’s called the 2021 Ram 700 and serves as the spiritual successor of the Ram 50/Mitsubishi Mighty Maxx.

While Jeep’s Gladiator does battle on what remains of the midsize pickup segment until the real Dakota returns, the Ram 700 carries on Chrysler’s legacy of badge engineered micro trucks. It’s based on the (updated for 2020) Fiat Strada and looks decidedly better in its new duds.

On Wednesday, the automaker revealed the 700 for 14 Latin American markets (including Mexico). While FCA expanding its availability south of the border means little for us right now, rumors have been swirling that Ram has been considering getting a small truck onto the North American market for some time. That may end with the assumed 2022 Ram Dakota being slotted in as a middleweight. But the compact pickup segment is basically wide open and ready to serve the automaker that gets there first.

The Ram 700 would likely need to undergo a few changes were it to be exported here from Brazil, however. Most trims utilize a 1.4-liter inline-four engine that makes a rather sad 84 horsepower and 87 pound-feet of torque. But a 1.3-liter turbo (98 hp/94 lb-ft) is available on the Laramie trim, though it’s likewise front-wheel drive and comes standard with a manual transmission.

None of those should be deal-breakers for someone seeking a budget-conscious work vehicle designed to be used and abused for small-to-medium duty projects. Payloads of “up to” 1,600 lbs are more than enough to haul some lumber, auto parts, or that new dishwasher. But we know some people will be looking at those specs and decide nothing less than 290 hp with 3,000 lbs of payload will suffice — thus forcing themselves into a full-sized truck.

Of course, anyone interested in towing something larger than a bunch of balloons probably should consider the upgrade. The Ram 700 can only pull about 900 pounds of mass behind itself.

That taken into account, our only serious concern is the size of the bed. While Ram automatically provides the bedliner, it has decided to make all upper-level trims crew cabs by default. That leaves customers with 24.4 cubic feet of cargo volume, whereas the base cabin offers 40.3 cubic feet, and places them into an unwinnable decision. Do they halve their bed size to accommodate five passengers or stick or get the regular cab and hope they get more business than new friends?

[Images: FCA]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Victor Victor on Oct 11, 2020

    The answer is NO. The Strada/Ram 700 will never get to the US, not on its current form, which is nothing more than a tarted-up poormobile. The next-gen Toro in another hand would be great for you guys.

  • JLGOLDEN JLGOLDEN on Oct 13, 2020

    Nobody has played in this section of the market (here in the US) for a long time. I believe there is demand for this "trucklet utility image" at a bargain price point. After a few model years, it can creep upmarket in price/features/power...just like every other car.

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
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