The interior is also interesting, not only in its design but for material
choices as well. For starters, the dashboard, with its floating center console, is a rather neat design that pivots for angle; hot on the heels of the ultra-thin console found in the Volvo S40/V50/C70. Just above, the Rampage integrates an overhead console system that features storage spaces and flip-down LCD displays, offset at each side by panoramic glass roofing. The cabin has a bright orange and charcoal color theme, and uses materials like polyurethane-coated fabrics to ensure that the dashboard, panels and seats are comfortable, durable and easy to clean.
Poke your nose under the hood and you'll find an engine fit for even the toughest of pickups - the Rampage is powered by DCX's star powerplant, the 5.7-liter HEMI MDS V8 engine. Nothing fancy has been done to the big V8, which pumps out 345-horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque in this application, mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox; but just aft of this rather straight-forward pickup truck powertrain, things start to get a bit different. What you're about to hear next is sure to stop a truck fan's heart cold: the engine drives the front wheels. Yes, you read that right. The Rampage, a three-quarters size pickup truck, and one powered by a big, torquey V8, no less, is a front-wheel drive vehicle. Why?
Obviously there's
a reason for this, and it has to do with maximizing storage space and overall usability. Where most pickup trucks include a bed out back, the Rampage features a bed plus 'clean storage'; i.e. a viable trunk that can be used to store things away from the elements. Most truck owners either have to buy a tonneau cover, an enclosed bed box, or store things inside the cab, but such itself is a compromise that said owner must make in order to accommodate a pickup truck's haul-anything payload capacity. Ask any truck owner, and I'm sure they'll agree, that carrying a week's worth of groceries with four people in the cabin is not exactly the most enjoyable of experiences. The space otherwise used for the rear- or four-wheel drive running gear, allows the Rampage to hollow out an enclosed space large and deep enough to allow a stack of 4x8 plywood sheets to be concealed and carried on board. To ensure that this area of the truck isn't exposed to heat or exhaust fumes, the exhaust system exits though side-mounted pipes mounted ahead of the rear wheels.
Dodge has also ensured that, for normal use, the Rampage's bed remains functional and useable. Because this truck is geared towards owners who have active lifestyles, the bed's tailgate features a number of built-in aids such as retractable tether hooks, formations to secure 2x4 boards, and a very clever multi-position tailgate which can double as a loading ramp for motorcross bikes, ATVs and other wheeled vehicles. The bed may only be five feet in length, but when it comes to usability size isn't the only thing that matters.
Could, or more importantly, would Dodge ever build a vehicle like
the Rampage? It's uncertain, but entering into such uncharted territory would certainly take some time. The Rampage is clearly no ordinary truck, and in a way it's in a class of its own as it defies so many conventional pickup truck rules, such as its minivan-inspired details, the inclusion of a proper trunk and the unusual front-wheel drive layout. Yet, at the same time, thinking outside of the "box", per se, has helped Dodge take leaps and bounds beyond its more traditional truck lineup when it comes to everyday practicality and usability, at least in areas which many consumers demand. Just how it will pull heavy trailers or haul serious payloads is uncertain, but such jobs are for buyers of its Dakota and Ram models. The times are changing , however, with new niches being formed to address the needs of smaller consumer groups. For years and years, such buyers have been forced to conform their lifestyles to the strict definition of the conventional pickup - perhaps, it's time for a change.
Specifications:
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| Clever console, which holds the stereo and sat-nav screen, swivels for easier access to the driver or front-seat passenger. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler ) |
Poke your nose under the hood and you'll find an engine fit for even the toughest of pickups - the Rampage is powered by DCX's star powerplant, the 5.7-liter HEMI MDS V8 engine. Nothing fancy has been done to the big V8, which pumps out 345-horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque in this application, mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox; but just aft of this rather straight-forward pickup truck powertrain, things start to get a bit different. What you're about to hear next is sure to stop a truck fan's heart cold: the engine drives the front wheels. Yes, you read that right. The Rampage, a three-quarters size pickup truck, and one powered by a big, torquey V8, no less, is a front-wheel drive vehicle. Why?
Obviously there's
 |
| Sliding doors, Stow 'n Go seats and a tailgate that doubles as a ramp. Now that's just plain useful. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Dodge has also ensured that, for normal use, the Rampage's bed remains functional and useable. Because this truck is geared towards owners who have active lifestyles, the bed's tailgate features a number of built-in aids such as retractable tether hooks, formations to secure 2x4 boards, and a very clever multi-position tailgate which can double as a loading ramp for motorcross bikes, ATVs and other wheeled vehicles. The bed may only be five feet in length, but when it comes to usability size isn't the only thing that matters.
Could, or more importantly, would Dodge ever build a vehicle like
 |
| Rampage is sure to be one of Chicago's biggest shockers with its FWD Hemi powertrain combo. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Specifications:
- Body Type: 4-door pickup
- Layout: front engine, FWD
- Engine: 345-hp, 350 lb-ft of torque 5.7L OHV HEMI V8
- Transmission: 5-spd auto
- Suspension (front/rear): multi-link / multi-link
- Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 215.1 / 80.0 / 74.3 / 142.2 in
- Wheels & Tires: 305/50 R 22
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Website: www.dodge.com
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