RPM News Weekly

by Peter Ciani for RPM News Weekly ~

A permanent fixture on the list of top-selling vehicles in the United States, the Ram 1500 pickup is already available in a dizzying number of configurations from the work-ready Tradesman to the premium-level Limited. Now, Ram has taken a page from the Dodge playbook, finally bringing the Hellcat’s 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8 to the lineup in the all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX.

It was only a matter of time before that Hellcat engine found its way into a Ram. It’s not surprising though, considering the original 2016 TRX concept, then called the Rebel TRX, was packing a 575-horsepower 6.2-liter HEMI V8.

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Oddly, for years the sole player in the factory off-road “race” truck niche was the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, having pioneered the market in 2010. The Ram 1500 Rebel wasn’t introduced until 2015.

While the production Ram 1500 Rebel wasn’t as wild-looking as the wide-bodied Ford Raptor of the time, it did include some handy features that turned the Ram 1500 into a capable off-roader – 33-inch tires, skid plates, and Bilstein shocks all came standard on the Rebel.

When it debuted, the Rebel was big news in the off-road world, being named “Pick Up Truck of the Year” by Four Wheeler Magazine (an award it would win again in 2019). Although it has seen its share of updates over the years, the Rebel carries on, pretty much following the same formula as it did when it first arrived.

Don’t get me wrong, the Rebel is still great a looking and highly capable truck, but if you’re trying to turn heads and take on the “O.G. DESERT PREDATOR” (Ford’s words, not mine) you need to go big.

BIG is where the all-new Ram 1500 TRX goes.

In automotive terms, 2016 was a long time ago. Clearly, in a post-Hellcat world, you can’t have a new flagship performance truck with under 700-horsepower. 575-hp? No, that won’t do!

For the Ram TRX, the aforementioned 6.2-liter HEMI now delivers 702 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque and comes paired with a high-torque-capacity TorqueFlite 8HP95 eight-speed automatic transmission that features paddle shifters and six TRX-tuned drive modes – Sport, Snow, Tow, Mud, Baja, and Auto. Unlike the Rebel, which gives you a few powertrain choices, the 1500 TRX offers only this one engine/driveline configuration.

The TRX also includes a Borg-Warner Full-Time transfer case, so there is no 2WD operation, it’s 4×4 only. The system automatically splits the torque between the front and rear axles depending on the drive mode.

4WD Torque Split Front/Rear:
Auto 40/60, Snow 45/55, Tow 45/55, Sport 30/70, Baja 25/75, Mud/Sand 45/55, and Rock 50/50 (4LOW)

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While the powertrain is certainly the centerpiece of the TRX, the improvements don’t stop there. The entire foundation had to be modified, not only to handle 650 lb.-ft. of torque, but to accommodate the larger 35-inch tires, increased wheel travel, and impending abuse at the hands of owners.

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The frame of the TRX is beefed up with thicker gauge metal and features fully-boxed side rails and high-strength, hydro-formed front rails. Five skid plates help protect the underbody.

Unlike its rock-crushing cousin – the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the 1500 TRX is primarily aimed at high-speed off-roading, so as you’d suspect the suspension of the TRX doesn’t go untouched.

The front suspension features longer, forged aluminum control arms, while the rear consists of a 5-link coil spring set up. The standard Dana 60 rear axle gets full-floating hubs and an electronic locking rear differential as well as an axle hop damper that enables improved traction and axle control on rough surfaces.

With over 11.8 inches of ground clearance, TRX sits two inches higher than the standard Ram 1500 and can wade through up to 32 inches of water.

Unfortunately, my time in the TRX didn’t include 100 mile-per-hour romps through the desert, but my neighborhood does have some pretty rutted side roads and a few dirt roads. To its credit, the TRX doesn’t feel unruly on the road. In fact, it’s quite docile considering it’s a supercharged race truck.

In many ways it’s like driving a wide-body SRT Challenger, you know the power is there, but if you keep a lightfoot on the ‘go pedal’ it’s unbelievably manageable.

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Speaking of the go pedal, I did have a moment or two at a “super-secret” undisclosed location, where I was able to unleash the 6.2. All I’ll say is that the 1500 TRX is fast, very fast. This is something I found myself explaining to a few people. Don’t let the size and big tires fool you, it moves.

The TRX also includes standard Launch Control. This clearly is meant for the race track. I was tempted to test it out, but had second thoughts about getting myself into trouble while driving a borrowed vehicle on public roads. At least that’s what I tell myself. A responsible decision, right? But one I immediately regretted the minute the vehicle got driven away at the end of my week with it.

Official numbers from Ram are 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds; 0 to 100 mph in 10.5 seconds and a quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds to 108 mph. Top speed of 118 mph. Getting quarter-mile times from the Ram brand is funny enough, but I know there’s someone out there somewhere that’ll say, “Only 12.9 seconds?” Just keep in mind this is a 3,650 pound truck on 35-inch tires.

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What are the numbers you might not want to hear?

EPA fuel economy estimates for the 1500 TRX are 10 city / 14 highway and 12 mpg combined. I managed to stay on the high side, staying in the 13 mpg zone. That’s with a lightfoot in an area with little traffic. Your mileage (and desire to shock Camaros at the red lights) may vary.

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Outside, the TRX makes no attempt at hiding the fact that it isn’t any other Ram 1500. It actually can’t.

For starters, the TRX sits 8-inches wider than any other Ram 1500. So, the widened fenders with composite fender-flares are a must to cover the extra width as well as the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires that are mounted on 9-inch wide wheels.

Ram put a lot of thought and real-world testing into the TRX and since a supercharged V8 needs a lot of clean air to breathe, not to mention keep it cool, the enlarged R-A-M badge on the front grille features flow-through letters to help reduce air-flow restrictions.

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Another benefit of that real-world testing can be found in what they call a dual-path induction system. A functional hood scoop routes 50 percent of the necessary fresh air to a large 29-liter air box that’s mounted over the engine. The remaining airflow comes through the grille. A one-way drain in the bottom of the airbox evacuates any water that may have entered the system, while incoming air is drawn upward through not one, but two heavy-duty air filters.

It’s a shame to have to cover up the supercharged V8, but in this case, I’ll take function over form any day.

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Even though the exterior of the Ram 1500 TRX packs a visual punch on its own, there are extras you can add on. The optional RamBar gives the Ram a bit of that 80’s pick-up truck goodness, but also adds a handy place to mount lights, just in case you decide that the TRX isn’t tall enough.

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Ram also offers a bed-mounted tire carrier. I suppose this is handy if you find yourself using this performance truck as it’s intended. Otherwise, it seems like a waste of bed space.

The TRX we drove had the optional Rock Rails by Mopar. This is another case of function over form. For me, they are a little too narrow to use as a step on a daily driver.

If you plan on doing any sort of hard-core off-roading, then I’d say go with the Rock Rails to protect the body.

If you don’t plan on sliding your shiny new truck over rocks, or simply need a step for your short passengers, I recommend going with the optional Off-Road Style Running boards.

Our tester was also equipped with the Bed Utility Group, which leans more toward the functional side of the spectrum, adding adjustable cargo hooks, a spray-in bed liner, and a handy deployable step. I’ve said this before on other truck reviews, a spray-in bed liner seems like a no-brainer on any new truck. It’s the one option that I recommend people spring for.

If you are looking to tow, the optional Trailer Tow Group includes a Class IV hitch and an integrated brake controller. The TRX is rated to tow up to 8,100 pounds, it’s not the highest-rated Ram 1500, but it’s also not the lowest.

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The Ram 1500 TRX aims to become the new king of the off-road pickup truck world. As such, the king needs a palace, and that’s what the interior of the TRX feels like. Offered in crew cab configuration only, there’s no shortage of space in the TRX.

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One thing for which Ram gets a lot of praise is its interiors, especially when compared with other trucks on the market. The 1500 TRX is no exception. When Car & Driver wrote about the TRX they said, “…the interior is packed with screens, controls, and luxury touches that befit a $70,000-plus vehicle.” In other words, worth every penny of its $70,000-plus sticker price.

Interestingly, despite the fact that the TRX is packed with so many standard and optional high tech features, there’s one decidedly old-school feature it has that you won’t find in other Ram 1500s – a proper shifter. While the Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks have moved to a dashboard mounted rotary shifter, the TRX includes a console mounted shifter that also allows you to manually shift.

The TRX includes trim-specific bolstered front seats wrapped in standard vinyl and cloth. The optional TRX Level 1 package ($3,420) bumps the interior to the next level adding heated, leather-wrapped front seats, luxury door trim, rear under-seat storage, and LED ambient lighting. Not good enough? Then you might want to check the box for the TRX Level 2 Equipment Group ($7,920) which adds all of the features of the Level 1 package and a lot more. Now, I don’t want to bore you with a laundry list of add ons, but to highlight just a few, there are heated and ventilated front and rear seats, and a wireless phone charger.

The Level 2 package also adds a host of safety features such as Blind Spot Monitoring with rear cross-path detection, ParkSense front and rear park assist with stop, and a 360-degree Surround View Camera which our test vehicle included.

The 360-degree Surround View Camera, is a must on a big vehicle like this. Not only does it help in parking lots, but it’s great if you’re like me with two small dogs that seemingly have no sense of self-preservation and casually walk behind any backing vehicle. I’m also very paranoid about the kids in the driveway. When you’re sitting this high in a truck this big, it could be easy to miss them.

Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, and Pedestrian Emergency Braking are optional as part of the Advanced Safety Group ($995).

Our truck also included a digital rearview mirror with a 9.2-inch wide LCD monitor. Simply, what this does is makes the back of the Truck “disappear”, giving the driver an unobstructed rearview. I must be getting jaded, because this is the second vehicle that I’ve had with this system without realizing it until I was reading the spec-sheet afterwards. Perhaps another member of the automotive press really hates this feature and turned it off before I got the vehicle. I would have it on all day.

Ram calls the 1500 TRX, “The most technologically advanced pickup ever.” So, it makes sense that it comes equipped with the fourth-generation Uconnect system. Over the years, we’ve always had good things to say about Uconnect infotainment systems, they function well and always look good. The 12-inch touchscreen found in the TRX takes it to a new level, featuring vivid displays, improved processing power, and multi-touch gestures.

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The touchscreen can be configured to suit the driver. You can run a single app such as a very large navigation map or, if you prefer, you can split the screen to run two different applications such as Android Auto and Climate controls.

Thankfully there also are HVAC buttons that run along the edge of the touchscreen. I don’t like going through touchscreen menus to turn the heat up and down. I don’t care what the future says.

The Ram 1500 TRX also introduces a head-up display – a first for the brand. The new head-up display can show five different content areas that include safety and turn-by-turn navigation features.

Trailer Reverse Steering Control is optional on the 1500 TRX, as well as most Ram 1500s. I’ve yet to try this feature, but it’s on my bucket list of goodies to experience. Basically, TRSC features a little knob under the touch screen, so that when you’re backing up a trailer, you simply take your hands off the steering wheel and use the knob to direct where you want the trailer to go.

Here’s a short video from Ram to explain this feature:

We get to drive a lot of vehicles and there are certain ones that you hate to see go at the end of the week. The Ram 1500 TRX falls into this category. It’s amazing that vehicles like the TRX can exist. So much power and capability, yet you can climb inside and enjoy amenities that only a few years ago were unheard of in a truck – let alone a truck that can easily traverse desert sand dunes at 100+ miles per hour.

We are at an interesting place in automotive history. Sure, gas-powered engines are slowly heading off into the sunset – and rightfully so – but that doesn’t mean we can’t revel in one last hurrah. Picture this Ram 1500 TRX going up against the supercharged V8 Ford Raptor R that’s in the works. Perhaps we might actually get to enjoy a supercharged V8, super-truck rivalry before the EV truck revolution gets going.

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