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The Ram 1500 TRX is dead, long live the RHO – a turbo six-cylinder successor with about 25 per cent less power, but a lower weight and price.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO – the indirect turbocharged six-cylinder replacement for the Ram 1500 TRX supercharged V8 performance pick-up – has been unveiled in the US, but plans for Australia are yet to be disclosed.
The axing of the V8 engine across the Ram 1500 ‘DT’ range in the US has claimed the life of the TRX, one of the world’s most powerful pick-ups – and one of the last production applications of the 523kW 6.2-litre supercharged ‘Hellcat’ V8.
Its successor is the Ram 1500 RHO, which effectively offers the same off-road capability – and tough looks – as the TRX but with a less powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine.
Australian details are yet to be announced, however the RHO name has been trademarked here. Only 30 examples of the regular TRX remain locally, with a Final Edition understood to be imminent.
Contrary to suggestions prior to launch the RHO could receive a power boost, it uses the same 403kW and 736Nm tune of the six-cylinder engine as high-grade variants in the 2025 Ram 1500 range.
It is down on the 523kW and 881Nm of the TRX’s 6.2-litre supercharged V8 – though still more than a Ford F-150 Raptor’s 336kW/691Nm – and drives all four wheels through the same eight-speed automatic transmission as the TRX.
Despite the significant power cut, Ram claims a 0-60mph (97km/h) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds – just 0.1sec slower – and a 13.1-second quarter mile (402m) drag-strip time at 169km/h, compared to claims of 12.9sec and 174km/h for the TRX.
However US magazine Car and Driver has tested a TRX from 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds, and a quarter mile in 12.3 seconds – suggesting Ram’s original claims for the V8 pick-up were conservative.
The 190km/h top speed claimed for the RHO is unchanged from the TRX, likely a restriction of the chunky all-terrain tyres.
Ram claims the RHO’s lighter engine removes 82kg off the front axle, though the total weight saving is only 68kg, as mass has been added elsewhere in the pick-up.
The US car maker has not specified what RHO stands for, though the internal codename of the project is said to have been ‘rhino’, and there is an image of a rhinoceros alongside the pick-up’s VIN number on a badge fitted to the front centre console armrest.
It will take a Ram pick-up fan to spot the differences between the TRX and RHO, as they share most of their exterior design, suspension, tyres and wheels.
The front grille is taller to match the wider facelifted Ram 1500 range, the headlights are slimmer, the tail-light signatures are new, and RHO badges and decals replace TRX versions – but the two pick-ups otherwise look all but identical.
Under the skin, the TRX’s adaptive Bilstein dampers carry over, as do aluminium front upper and lower suspension control arms, and 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres wrapped around 18-inch wheels.
It is said to ride two inches (50mm) higher than other Ram 1500s, and be eight inches wider (203mm), with a six-inch wider (152mm) wheel track.
Standard is a strengthened BorgWarner 48-13 full-time 4WD transfer case with low-range gearing, a Dana 60 rear axle, electronically-controlled rear differential, and new for the RHO, 25mm more rear axle travel thanks to revised chassis mounting points.
There is also a sports exhaust system with dual outlets, and a high-flow induction system with cleanable filters to prevent unwanted debris and particles being sucked into the engine.
Ram claims an approach angle of 31 degrees, ramp-over angle of 22 degrees, departure angle of 25 degrees, 813mm water fording depth, and up to 300mm of ground clearance.
Inside, the RHO inherits the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 12-inch or 14.5-inch central infotainment touchscreens, and optional 10.3-inch front passenger screens of the rest of the 2025 Ram 1500 range.
Available features include heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, head-up display, and a suite of advanced safety technology including adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is now available to order in the US, where it is priced from $US71,990 ($AU110,500) – about $US26,000 ($AU40,000), or 26 per cent less than the $US98,335 ($AU151,000) of the TRX.
If the same saving is applied in Australia, it would be priced from about $165,000 plus on-road costs locally, compared to $224,950 plus on-road costs for its V8 forebear.
Images via Motor1.
The post 2025 Ram 1500 RHO six-cylinder debuts as TRX V8 successor, Australia likely appeared first on Drive.
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