Almighty Ram 1500 TRX to Roar Again, Stellantis CEO Confirms
Stellantis continues to experience a dramatic sales decline, especially when it comes to Jeep and Ram. Things are likely to get even worse before they start to get better.
Ram is banking a turnaround on the return of the 5.7-litre HEMI V8 in the Ram 1500 lineup and the addition of a low-cost model called Express for the 2026 model year, while essentially doubling its powertrain warranty in the U.S. (but sadly not in Canada).
- Also: 1.2 Million Ram Trucks Under Investigation in the U.S. Following Botched Recalls
- Also: Ram Extends Powertrain Warranty in the U.S., Leaves Out Canada
Now, because "Nothing Stops Ram" according to the company’s new tagline, the almighty Ram 1500 TRX will also be brought back from the dead, Stellantis boss Antonio Filosa confirmed this week.
As he mentioned Tuesday during a presentation of second-quarter results, Filosa believes that the return of V8-powered trucks, including the TRX, “will deliver to us additional volumes.” The Ram brand itself was slow to make this official, but a U.S. spokesperson backed Filosa’s statement when interviewed by Car and Driver magazine.
That said, it's still too early to know exactly when the Ram 1500 TRX will return to the portfolio. Will it be a 2026 or 2027 model? One thing's for sure: don't expect to launch until next year.
As for the engine under the hood, logic dictates that the new TRX will carry over the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 producing 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Upgrades can’t be ruled out, but that's not the case with the 5.7-litre V8 in the 2026 Ram 1500. The latter will generate the same 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque as before.
On the other hand, Ram needs to send a message in a segment where the top dog (or dinosaur?) is the 720-horsepower Ford F-150 Raptor R. If you ask us, the engineers working in Auburn Hills will find a way to do better than that. After all, we know what they were able to do with the Dodge Challenger.
