There are a lot of resurrections happening lately, is the 2024 Dodge Rampage one of them? It is not a surprise if some people are not familiar with the Rampage truck. We all remember the legendary El Camino, well this was Dodge’s response to that. It was a 2 door unibody small-size pickup. It was very versatile and utilitarian and had a sporty look to it. There were actually a couple of pickups in that category, including Volkswagen’s Rabbit, Subaru Brat, and of course Chevy’s El Camino. The Rampage was slightly based on the Charger muscle car, it had the looks that go with it, front-wheel drive, and a not-so-powerful engine.
But even though it was a small pickup and there wasn’t a lot of competition, the Rampage didn’t sell well. It was lackluster when it came to performance and had subpar hauling capabilities. But it was quite economical and it did look cool, we will give it that. There was also a Plymouth Scamp which also was unsuccessful as a small pickup. But with all the resurrections happening, and possible El Camino comeback, it is hard not to imagine Rampage being brought back as well. It is most unlikely, but let us sport the idea of it actually coming back. Let’s take a look at what it could look like.
Design
The Rampage already almost came back, it was earlier in 2006 when Dodge Rampage was unveiled at the Chicago auto show. But it didn’t look a lot like the previous iteration of the Rampage. It was a big pickup. Not a small unibody two-door pickup that used to run on roads. It also had a quite strong engine, a 5.7-liter V8 Hemi. Which can do wonders when output is concerned. The Rampage concept was also not so workhorse centered as it had sliding doors, something we often see in family vehicles. It was a front-wheel drive which was quite uncommon for a pickup, even now. It had a famous midgate which was made popular by the Chevy Avalanche.
This way the cargo bed could be extended to the cabin. But front-wheel driving pickups weren’t really sought after. Even though it had a V8 it never took off actually. But the new version should look much better and resemble an actual pickup according to rumors. If done properly we could see the Rampage actually get some market share. It will still run on a unibody platform. But hopefully with a wheel driving option. The body on the frame isn’t going to be used on the Rampage, Dodge uses it on RAM and Dakota. Currently, we see two paths for Dodge designers. A coupe ute and unibody design, or a full-size pickup like some other trucks under their flag. Time will tell which one was the better option.
Interior
The updated interior design will depend mainly on the exterior. Don’t be confused by this, but if Dodge makes it a coupe ute then there won’t be too much space on the inside. On the other hand, if it is a full-size pickup, they have something to work with. The difference between these two would be quite big and we might prefer the full-size version of it. There should be two rows and space for 5 passengers to sit comfortably. The seating should be comfortable with extra cushioning and heated and ventilated features.
The Rampage might be off-roading a bit so giving it some extra comfort won’t hurt. The dashboard will most likely be fully digital. This will improve the tracking of important information and add the ability to be customized further. Moonroof should be present as well as ambient lightning. The Rampage isn’t a luxurious vehicle so don’t expect chrome and wooden accents along the cabin. Safety features should be present, including lane change alert, pedestrian detection as well as automatic brakes. Hands-free driving is probable since its a brand-new vehicle.
2024 Dodge Rampage Engine
Although Dodge is well known for powerful sports cars, this isn’t one of those. So we don’t expect a big V8 under the hood of the new Rampage. A smaller V6 is more likely, something like the 3.6-liter gasoline engine that can get around 300 horsepower. There is also a well-known 2.0-liter engine that has four cylinders and is turbocharged. Which is equally powerful and has good torque. Unfortunately for many, there won’t be a diesel version. Although bad news, it is not surprising. The new emission regulations are coming our way and diesel is slowly but surely being discontinued. It will probably hit gasoline engines as well soon enough.
So all manufacturers are vowing and racing to go green with all of their vehicles. So going fully electric from the get-go wouldn’t be that surprising either. The Rampage could do just well with a 150 kWh battery pack. This would outmatch the 3.6-liter engine and give it an amazing range. On the other hand, the platform might need to be changed for this. But none of this is certain at this point so we will have to wait for more confirmation.
2024 Dodge Rampage Price and release date
The release date is not sure, since the Rampage probably won’t happen. There are still some rumors stirring, but until something comes directly from Dodge, we aren’t holding our breath. But there is surely a place for a pickup such as a Rampage on the big market such as the pickup.