2024 is right around the corner, and the Ram truck brand is preparing to disappoint a great number of prospective customers with the redesigned 1500. First and foremost, the DS-gen 1500 Classic will be discontinued in favor of a mid-size pickup that's due in 2027 at the Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois.
Scheduled to enter production at Sterling Heights on February 5th, the DT-gen 2025 Ram 1500 won't be offered with V8 muscle. Both the 5.7-liter HEMI of the regular lineup and 6.2-liter Hellcat of the TRX will be replaced by a turbo sixer, whereas the good ol' Pentastar V6 soldiers on as the base engine choice.
eTorque mild-hybrid assistance is standard on Pentastar-equipped trucks, whether you like it or not. In this application, the naturally aspirated V6 produces a respectable 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet (365 Nm). Expected to hit dealer lots in late February or early March based on the aforementioned SOP date, Ram's half-tonner is also available with a force-fed I6 in two distinct flavors.
Ram calls them SST Standard Output and SST High Output, with SST standard for straight-six turbo. A twin-turbo affair, the 3.0-liter mill produces anything between 420 and 540 horsepower. Maximum torque is rated at 469 to 521 pound-feet (636 to 706 Nm).
Ram quotes 11,580 pounds (5,253 kilograms) of maximum towing capacity, along with 2,300 pounds (1,043 kilograms) of maximum payload capacity. When it comes to grades, the 2025 Ram 1500 will be available in a grand total of eight: Tradesman, Big Horn (a.k.a. Lone Star in Texas), Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited, Tungsten, and the so-called RHO.
Photo: Ram Trucks
As implied, Tungsten slots above Limited in the lineup. Advertised as an ultra-premium grade, the Tungsten includes dual wireless chargers, Klipsch Reference Premiere 23-speaker audio, a crystal-effect shift center cap, a badge on the center console with the vehicle's 17-character VIN, four-way powered headrests, Natura Plus heated and ventilated premium quilted leather, and a suede headliner.
The RHO is best described as the heir apparent of the TRX, with RHO supposedly meaning rhino. The off-road truck boasts the 540-horsepower tune of the 3.0-liter six. Not much else is known about said off-road grade, but look forward to more details becoming available prior to its on-sale date of Q3 2024.
Due Q4 2024, the Ram 1500 REV will also be available as a 2025 model. Based on the STLA Frame platform rather than the DT platform, the REV will be joined by a rather interesting take on the range-extended EV concept. Coming in early 2025, the Ramcharger is a self-charging electric vehicle with two electric motors and the Pentastar engine.
The free-breathing V6 acts as a generator, thus recharging the high-voltage battery for virtually unlimited battery-electric range. The high-voltage battery offers 92 kWh. The payload and towing capacities are 2,625 pounds (1,192 kilograms) and 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms), respectively.
Both the Ramcharger and REV will be made at Sterling Heights. In preparation for the 2025 model year Ram 1500 – including the Ramcharger and REV – the Michigan-based facility received millions over millions of dollars in investments. Under the current UAW-Stellantis agreement, Stellantis will invest $1.4 billion into Sterling Heights by 2028.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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