RAM TRX 1500 to get hellcat engine

The new RAM TRX 1500 is set to get the monstrous 523kW Hellcat V8

In some interesting news to fly across our desks, we have a bit of information out of the United States that may well translate into an Aussie release. It has just been announced that the new RAM TRX 1500 ute will be getting the 702hp (523kW) 6.2-litre supercharged V8 Hellcat engine from Dodge. Shoehorning the engine into the TRX 1500 will make it the “most powerful-mass produced truck (pronounced: ute) in the world” according to RAM USA.

The initial release of the RAM TRX 1500 with the Hellcat donk under the bonnet has been released as a direct competitor to the US Ford F-150 Raptor. The engine and driveline feature a similar setup to the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackahawk model, except that it has the offroad ability and accompaniments suited for work in the dirt. This includes a massive 29-litre airbox with more filtering ability then you can poke dust at, and a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. According to RAM, the new TRX 1500 will go from 0 – 100km/h in just 4.5-seconds; markedly quicker than the F-150 Raptor.

Interestingly, the new Hellcat-powered RAM TRX 1500 is quite a bit more powerful than the original concept design, which was built for display utilising a 575hp V8, however, we don’t expect any punters to be complaining of an increase in power output. Factory wheels and tyres are a full inch wider than the standard RAM 1500, wilth new flares making the entire RAM 1500 TRX 8-inches wider overall.

All in all, this is a beast of a four-wheel drive ute, and we’re really hoping that we’ll see them in Australia soon enough. The only caveat to that, is that they’re expected to start in the US at USD$71,690 so we’d wager that it will be near enough to at least double by the time they’re landed here, and converted to right-hand drive. Still, a rather crazy four-wheel drive the new RAM TRX 1500 is, especially with that blistering Hellcat V8!

Wes Whitworth