Meet The Off-Road-Oriented 2023 Ram 1000 Rebel For Latin America

While the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickups have continued to make headlines in the U.S. and Canada, the Ram brand continues to provide similar compact pickup offerings outside the North American market.

The Ram 1000 has played an important role in the brand’s Latin American (LATAM) lineup since its debut in late-2018. A product of badge-engineering, the Ram 1000 is nothing more than a Fiat Toro, but that’s not a bad thing. And while Ram is hard at work on developing its own unique compact offering for LATAM, the Ram 1000 continues to soldier on.

For 2023, the Ram 1000 is getting some new competition in many of its LATAM markets from the Maverick. The Maverick comes into the segment with a more luxurious approach thanks to it only being offered in its more luxury-oriented Lariat trim, a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four engine, and FX4 Off-Road package.

So how is Ram looking to keep the Maverick at bay? Meet the 2023 Ram 1000 Rebel.

Introduced last year, the Ram 1000 Rebel offers an impressive off-road-oriented package, a 2.0-liter Multijet II turbodiesel four-cylinder, more technology, and an even more luxurious interior than the Maverick at a lot cheaper price.

Besides being based on competing vehicle architectures, both compact pickups feature a four-door cab configuration and offer 4×4 capability. Surprisingly, on paper, the Ram 1000 has a 3.4 inch shorter wheelbase and is 6.2 inches shorter in overall length. This means that the Maverick does have a longer box than the 1000. But when it comes to height and width, both are identical to each other.

The biggest disappointment about the Ram 1000 is its 882 lbs. of towing capacity. Ram designed the 1000 for more urban areas and improved ride for harsh the rough roads in South America. There is no doubt that with a few changes to the suspension, the 1000 could tow equally to the 2,000 lbs. capacity of its architecture sibling the Compass.

Ford does offer a 4,000 lb. Max Tow Group on the Maverick in North America, however, it is not available in the LATAM region.

Inside, the Maverick looks as if it’s a car trying to play as a pickup. With bright and bold color themes, there is a new composite material that replaces the cheap plastics of earlier years. There is a 5-passenger seating arrangement, which allows for a center console between the driver and front passenger to hold the rotary-dial electronic shifter, two cupholders, electronic parking brake, and drive mode buttons. Materials are pretty good for the price class, and a squared-off instrument panel features exposed bolts, to give a more “truck-like” feel.

Ford was clever, making use of every inch of the cab to place storage or small bins to store loose items. There are even areas in the doors designed to hold most 1-liter drink bottles. 

Ford’s new FITS system (Ford Integrated Tether System) reminds us of the ideas Fiat used in the award-winning Centoventi Concept and allows a cleverly designed slot at the back of the front console that accommodates different accessories for endless personalization. An available accessory package includes cupholders, a storage or trash bin, a cord organizer, a double hook for grocery bags and purses, and under-seat storage dividers. Ford will even publish the slot geometry in the near future so customers can 3D-print their own DIY ideas.

Ford’s Co-Pilot360^™ technology includes standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Automatic High Beam Headlamps. Available options include Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Centering, and Evasive Steering Assist. Five standard drive modes include Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Tow/Haul to enhance performance and confidence over various driving conditions.

Maverick has a standard 8-inch center touch screen that features Apple CarPlay^® and Android Auto^® compatibility so customers can have the experience they’re used to with their phones. The SYNC 3 system has a basic, budget layout in the Maverick, and does not allow for much customization, unfortunately. However, FordPass^™ Connect with an embedded modem allows WiFi for up to 10 devices, while standard FordPass^™ makes it easy to find the truck, check the fuel level, lock and unlock the doors, and start or turn off the vehicle with an app on your smartphone or tablet.

Now looking at the Rebel, the interior looks more like a scale down version of the Ram 1500. A 7-inch full-digital cluster screen is standard across the lineup and there is a ton of customization. The digital cluster offers three different viewing profiles and makes it possible to display various vehicle information such as vehicle status, instructions, alerts, Trip settings, as well as information on the new Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). 

The addition of a 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen is available on Rebel models. The 10.1-inch Uconnect system is displayed vertically, similar to the Ram 1500’s 12-inch display. But for those who are looking for a more budget-friendly Rebel can keep the standard 8.4-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen instead.

Unlike the playful spirit of the Maverick’s interior, the Rebel interior features similar quality materials you would find in the Ram 1500 lineup. 

Using a similar layout as the Maverick, there is a center console between the driver and the front passenger. Instead of featuring a rotary-dial knob like the Maverick and the Ram 1500, the Ram 1000 sticks with either a console-mounted shifter. There is no fancy electronic emergency brake either, instead, you have the old mechanical parking brake handle next to the cupholders. 

Standard equipment on the Ram 1000 Rebel includes:

• 2.0-liter Multijet Turbodiesel I-4 with 9-Speed Automatic Transmission
• Four-Wheel-Drive (4×4)
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
• Automatic Headlamps
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• 8-Way Power Driver’s Seat
• Passenger Seat with Underseat Storage
• Electric Steering
• Multilink Rear Suspension
• 7 Airbags 
  • Front
  • Side
  • Front Curtain
  • Rear Curtain
  • Driver’s Knees
• LED Headlights
• Full Digital Cluster
• 17-Inch Aluminum Wheels with Off-Road Tires
• “Rebel” Embroidered Leather Seats and Red Accents
• Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
• Front Parking Sensors
• Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers
• Rear Camera and Rear Parksense Sensors
• Dual-Zone Air-Conditioning
• 8.4-Inch Uconnect 5 Touchscreen Infotainment System
  • Apple CarPlay & Android Auto

But when it comes to pricing, the Rebel has the Mexican-built Maverick beat. The starting price for a 2023 Ford Maverick Lariat FX4 is $34,498,100 in Chilean Pesos (CLP), or around $43,467 USD. For the 2023 Ram 1000 Rebel 4×4, Ram has given its compact pickup the starting price of $33,308,100 CLP, or about $41,983 USD.

Now keep in mind, both prices have huge federal and local taxes added in. For example, import goods in Chile have a standard 19% tax put on them. 

Our only wish was for a pickup like the Ram 1000 to be marketed here, are you listening Ram?