Are new mid-sized Ram pickups under development? The rumor mill is burning up with this idea, easily confused with the spread of the Mitsubishi L200 through FCA dealerships (sold in various countries as the Fiat Fullback and Ram 1200 ).

If the L200 is successful when sold as a Fiat and Ram, it’s possible the company will embark on its own midsize pickup program. Chances are leaders thought the L200 would do just fine — until Mitsubishi got into bed with competitor Nissan.

Rob Heglboom and Ram 1200

There’s no clue yet as to what such a truck would look like, but it might resemble the original or second-generation Dodge Dakota. The main thought would be to have a narrower truck, for use in Europe and other place with narrower roads; a lighter truck; and a cheaper one. It would have to be durable on bad roads, as well.
Pickup12001500
Base engine2.4 diesel3.6 gas
Opt engine2.4 diesel3.0 diesel
Length208229
Width71.579.4
Weight4,2504,500-5,700
Max payload2,3003,125
Max tow6,80011,500
The United States is not the primary target market, but it’s likely to do mildly well in Ram’s home country, facing competition from the industry-elephant Toyota Tacoma, newcomer Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon, and returning Ford Ranger.

(Member MJAB added that the towing number in EU and some South American trucks is often targeted at specific laws. For example, in the EU, the top gross weight of a “light vehicle,” which doesn’t require a special license and has fewer restrictions, is 3,500 kg, or around 7,716 lb.) Thus many vehicles come right up to the same number. Payload can be more important in many countries.