Forbidden fruit: RAM unveils a bizarre little ute that New Zealand won't get

Andrew Sluys
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Photos / Supplied

Photos / Supplied

There's a reason why RAM's name doesn't have any lower case letters in it. That's because it's a big, tough American truck brand that doesn't do anything by halves, well that's except for its latest line-up addition. 

Dubbed the RAM 700, this little dude is actually a rebadged Fiat Strada for the South American and Mexican markets, and is probably the cutest thing that RAM has ever put its name on. 

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Like all good utes, both single and double-cab options are available, we'd probably be going for the single-cab if we had the choice considering that it kind of looks like an enlarged Maloo. 

As the 700 is based on the front-wheel drive Fiat, it has stuck with the same driveline, meaning that it's towing capacity isn't great at just 400kg. Almost double that can be carried in the tray, though, with a payload of 750kg. 

As you'd expect, you won't find a V8 sitting beneath the hood, instead, the base model gets a 1.4-litre lump, and the top-spec gets a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine with 72.8kW. 

Basic features can be found on the inside including a seven-inch infotainment system in the Big Horn and Laramie trim levels. This touchscreen system supports both Apple Carplay and Android Auto. 

Unfortunately, this cool little ute is exclusively being built for the South American market, meaning that neither New Zealand or Australia will be getting it. If it turns out a massive success, we could see more little utes making it to our market.