Fiat Chrysler engineers must love number higher than 700 as the debut of the new 2021 Ram TRX is the latest FCA product sporting horsepower numbers beyond that threshold at 702 hp.
The new TRX, powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8 engine, follows the new Challenger SRT Super Stock at 807 hp, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat at 710 hp and the Dodge Charger SRT Redeye at 797 hp.
“The all-new 2021 Ram TRX sets the benchmark for extreme performance pickup trucks and solidifies Ram Truck’s position as the off-road truck leader,” said Mike Koval, head of Ram Brand, FCA – North America, in a statement.
(FCA’s Ram brand building second edition of “Built to Serve” pickups.)
“Ram has a strong history of high-performance trucks and TRX adds to that while expanding the light-duty line-up with the segment’s best combination of performance, capability, luxury and technology.”
The new rocket ship/light truck puts out the aforementioned 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, and 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8 engine powers the TRX to a top speed of 118 mph. Mated to a high-torque-capacity TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission, the truck sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 108 mph.
While fast truck is awesome, most owners want the rough-and-tumble capability associated with trucks and the new TRX offers plenty of that. It tows up to 8,100 pounds and has a payload capacity of 1,310 pounds. It’s also able to ford as much as 32 inches of water fording.
Ram TRX is 8 inches wider when compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup, and the composite flares help to compensate for a 6-inch increase in track width. Normally, Ram 1500 features a wheel that is 8 inches wide, but the TRX design team had to accommodate a wheel that is 9 inches wide. It
comes with composite flares and fender wells that have been stretched to cover aggressive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory 325/65/R18 All-Terrain tires.
This aggressive look can be seen all over the new model. The massive hood scoop, for example, is functional, funneling 50% of the air into the engine (the remainder comes in through the grille). Speaking of the grille, the massive R-A-M badge can been seen from a long way away.
The R-A-M badge is bigger when compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup and features a new “flow-through” design that assists with airflow. All-black premium LED headlamps, including twin bi-functional projector headlamps, are standard.
(Forget thosse high-line sedans, Ram 1500 named “luxury car of the year.”)
The massive R-A-M covers the rear tailgate as well. The aesthetic continues with oversized tow hooks, on the front and rear of the truck, and integrated 5-inch dual exhaust ports driving the functional performance objective home.
New Baja drive mode calibrates four-wheel-drive and steering systems, stability control, paddle shifters and suspension for ultimate desert performance, delivering maximum capability on undulating, loose surfaces.
Although it’s ready to head off-road, it’s got plenty of creature comforts on the inside with comfortable seats and a spacious cabin. It also offers a slew of technology. The Uconnect 4C NAV 12-inch fully configurable touchscreen, is standard and allows for even more customization. Other features include SiriusXM with 360L, Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora and personal device integration.
The advantage to this new touchscreen is that it can house one application, such as the navigation map, across the entire 12-inch screen or can be divided in half to handle two applications at once. A multifunction switch bank and the optional Trailer Reverse Steer Control sit below the touchscreen, giving physical control of specific features. Redundant HVAC controls are located on both sides of the display.
An audiophile-quality audio system is offered to immerse passengers in the ultimate sound experience, including a class-exclusive 900-watt premium Harman Kardon audio system with 19 speakers and 10-inch subwoofer.
Ram TRX uses a 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) cluster that is exclusive to the model and features a lit TRX badge, unique TRX colors and graphics with reconfigurable gauges. The same graphics appear on the 12-inch Uconnect 4C touchscreen, too.
(Dodge moves needle again, debuts new 807-HP Challenger SRT Super Stock.)
This is the first time that Drive Modes and Off-road Performance Pages are displayed on the 12-inch Uconnect 4C screen. It also has a forward-facing camera to allow drivers to see hazards on the road, trail or two-track.
