The Ram 1500 TRX will be retired after model year 2024. Its long-awaited replacement is the RHO, which – as implied – means Ram High Output. One can also make a case for Rebel High Output, for the Rebel comes with the standard-output Hurricane as opposed to the high-output Hurricane of the RHO.
Also referred to as Rhino by FCA US LLC executives, including Ram truck brand chief executive officer Tim Kuniskis, the off-road truck has been teased in a rather interesting fashion. The video attached below stars a 2024 Ram 2500 Rebel with the Cummins inline-six turbo diesel towing a trailer on which the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO sits idly, draped in what appears to be desert camouflage.
Why desert camouflage? Similar to the Hellcat-engined TRX, the newcomer is more at home bashing dunes rather than rocky trails. The video ends with April 25 displayed below the Ram logo, meaning that we're in for a debut in a little over a week from the moment of reporting. Just like its forerunner, the RHO is expected to come in a single cabin-bed combo, that being the Crew Cab with the 5 foot and 7 inch (almost 1,702 millimeters) box.
But as opposed to the 702-horsepower supertruck, RHO won't be priced at $96,585 from the outset because of downsizing. 3.0 liters and six cylinders instead of from 6.2 liters and eight cylinders will rub a few peeps off the wrong way, and Ram cannot afford to alienate any more prospective customers after dropping the 5.7-liter HEMI from the 1500.
FCA US LLC is also fully aware that Ram posted rather poor sales in the first quarter of 2024, with the Ram P/U series (includes light- and heavy-duty trucks, as well as the 1500 Classic) nosediving 15 percent compared to the first quarter of 2023. By comparison, the F-Series dropped 10.2 percent, while the Chevy Silverado improved 2.4 percent.
Photo: Ram on YouTube
The DT-generation Ram 1500 features the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 eTorque as the standard engine, followed by the aforementioned Hurricane. Dubbed Straight-Six Turbo in this application, the 3.0-liter Hurricane I6 twin-turbo lump develops 420 ponies and 469 pound-feet (636 Nm). Its high-output specification belts out 540 horses and 521 pound-feet (706 Nm) of torque, figures that should carry over unchanged to the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO.
There is no mild-hybrid Hurricane to speak of, at least not for the time being. However, the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger combines the 3.6-liter Pentastar with a 250-kW front electric drive unit and a 238-kW rear electric drive unit. The Ramcharger is a range-extender EV, as in the combustion engine acting as a generator for the 92-kWh battery.
The TRX will be a tough act to follow, and chances are that RHO won't live up to the reputation of its predecessor. Looking at the bigger picture, Ram could push the RHO in a different direction by following in the footsteps of the Ford Motor Company. More specifically, what if the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO debuts a 37-inch tire package?
In the F-150 Raptor's case, which starts at $78,330 for the 2024 model year, the Raptor 37 Equipment Group adds $11,470 to the tally. Obviously enough, the standout addition is a set of 37- by 12.5-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 rubber boots. For reference, the TRX comes with 35s from Goodyear.
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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