This upcoming Ram pickup could rival Maverick, Santa Cruz

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If there’s one thing upon which Detroit’s automakers can be relied, it is to steal each other’s good ideas. Ford has been making bank with the pert little Maverick, whilst its rivals are surely eyeing the segment to see if the small pickup is anything more than a flash in the pan. Stellantis, parent company of Ram, has a vast catalog of parts from which to draw if it wishes to build a Maverick fighter — and these test mules seem to suggest the company may be doing just that.

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Spotted undergoing extreme cold-weather testing in Sweden (peep the ‘Svenska Spel’ sign on that convenience store in the background — they’re the equivalent of OLG in Ontario, or Atlantic Lotto out East), this pair of heavily camouflaged vehicles are very likely some iteration of an upcoming Maverick-sized truck from Ram. It’s a common trick for automakers to disguise new pickups with additions to make them appear like an SUV, a tactic seen here on these machines.

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Those in the know suggest this truck, should it appear in North America, could be called the Ram 1200. This nomenclature would make sense, since other markets already have Ram 700 and Ram 1000 minitrucks, vehicles which owe their existence to the current Fiat Strada and Toro, respectively. Interestingly, there is a Strada parked alongside these test mules, and while it is difficult to ascertain specifics from a rig wearing thick camo, the Strada does look smaller than the mystery machine.

Some sources are adamant the Ram 1200 will be available with a choice of gasoline or diesel power at launch, but we deeply doubt the oil-burner will be offered on this side of the pond, given that type of fuel is out of favour in rigs of this size for a variety of reasons. Witness the exodus of diesel from a wide variety of segments in North America; not even the venerable F-150 offers a PowerStroke anymore. Instead, look for a market-typical 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, lashed to a ZF transmission and some form of all-wheel-drive.

Styling remains a huge question mark, especially since these prototypes have wide-eyed round headlamps instead of typically angry Ram peepers. This could indicate they’re simple placeholders on the test truck, holding court until the Real Thing is ready, but there is an outside (very outside) chance we’re actually looking at a Jeep variant. Its taillamps are similar to the adjacent Strada, but not identical.

Will the crew at Ram actually pull the trigger on a Maverick-fighter? We may find out later this year.