The 2025 Ram 1500 completes the brand’s future truck lineup after debuting the Ramcharger PHEV and the REV battery-electric truck. With all the bases covered, it’s time to tackle the elephant in the room, the next-gen Ram 1500.
The words “Ram truck” typically point to a Hemi V8 (and, to some degree, an EcoDiesel V6) under the hood, but the 2025 Ram 1500 has something better or worse, depending on how you look at it.
Making its way to the new Ram 1500 is the Stellantis Hurricane twin-turbo engine family, a pair of 3.0-liter gas-fed straight-six engines that come in standard and high-output flavors. “The new 2025 Ram 1500 brings our customers more: more power, more performance, and more fuel efficiency with our all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane engines,” said Tim Kuniskis, Ram brand CEO – Stellantis.
2025 Ram 1500 Engine Options
The all-new Ram 1500 will arrive in its typical Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, and Limited trim grades. There’s a Tungsten variant, too, and it’ll feature posh accouterments like in the 1500 REV and Ramcharger. The standard engine is a Pentastar V6 with eTorque inherited from the outgoing Ram 1500.
Standard & High Output
However, the spotlight is on the two new inline-six turbo engines first seen in the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L. The Standard Output engine produces 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft. of torque, which has more muscle than the old 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
The High Output version churns out a meaty 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft. of torque, 30 more horses than in the Grand Wagoneer L. The numbers fall short of outrunning the Ram TRX (and its 6.2-liter supercharged V8) but are hefty enough to command attention. All engines receive a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Material Construction
The Stellantis Hurricane engines have a deep-skirt cast-aluminum block, a structural aluminum alloy oil pan, cross-bolted main bearing caps, a forged steel crankshaft, and forged steel connecting rods to handle the higher power outputs.
Meanwhile, high-flow turbochargers feeding three cylinders, spray bore coating on the cylinder bores, high-pressure direct fuel injection (5.075 psi/350 bar), and a dedicated water-to-air charge cooler enhance the efficiency and performance. Ram will release an RHO variant with the high-output 540-horsepower turbo inline-six in mid-2024 to supersede the TRX.
Towing, Payload Capacity & Axle Ratios
Stellantis said the 2025 Ram 1500 has an 11,580 lbs. max towing capacity and up to 2,300 lbs. of payload when properly configured. The old Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter Hemi could pull up to 12,750 lbs., proving there’s still no replacement for displacement.
The 2025 Ram 1500 promises to retain its foothold in ride quality with its double-wishbone front and five-link rear axle suspension. Models equipped with the High Output 3.0-liter Hurricane receive an optimized, high-torque rear axle with an open or limited-slip differential in 2WD or 4WD configurations and a 3.21, 3.55, or 3.92 axle ratio.
Moreover, the 2025 Ram 1500 offers up to 24 inches of water fording.
Good Looks, Great Functionality
Based on initial photos, we reckon the 2025 Ram 1500 to be the best-looking iteration of the workhorse. The forward-leaning front grille lends the truck a bolder façade and is available in eight iterations across the trim lineup, while jeweled LED taillights add some bling in the rear.
RamBox & Power Inverter
The new Ram 1500 has a power open/close tailgate with obstacle detection. Ram’s multifunction tailgate and the available RamBox enhance the truck bed’s versatility, security, and cargo-carrying capacity.
The RamBox includes a four-cleat cargo rail system and a pickup bed divider. An optional power inverter with two power outlets in the truck bed is a welcome addition and offers up to 1.8 kilowatts of power with the 3.0-liter Hurricane engine.
Inside The Cab
Ram is going for a cabin that is resplendent in terms of curated materials and color themes. For instance, the Ram 1500 Laramie has a standard black interior with an optional brown/gray two-tone cabin, while the Limited has an optional black/ebony red interior with massaging front seats.
The top-of-the-line Tungsten has a suede headliner, quilted leather upholstery, dual-texture metal accents, brushed patina aluminum litho bezels, and a 23-speaker Klitsch Reference audio system.
Connectivity & Safety Features
The new Ram 1500 has updated 12-inch and 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreens powered by the latest Uconnect 5 software. There’s an available 10.25-inch passenger touchscreen and a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument display for the driver.
Other gadgets include a digital rearview mirror, a full-color heads-up display (HUD), and dual wireless smartphone charging.
On the safety front, the 2025 Ram 1500 includes six airbags, a rear backup camera, and the latest advanced driving assistance systems like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, parallel and perpendicular park assist, and full-speed forward collision warning, to name a few.
2025 Ram 1500 Starting MSRP
The 2025 Ram 1500 will adorn dealership lots in early 2024 and arrive first before the all-electric Ram 1500 REV and Ramcharger grace showrooms in mid to late 2024. Ram promises to reveal the MSRP information closer to the on-sale date, but we expect the base prices to start from $43,000 to about $72,000.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Ram Truck Brand.
