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Forbes
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Five Reasons To Choose The Ram 1500 RHO (Even Though The Hemi Is Back)
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Last year, the Ram 1500 RHO debuted with the High Output version of the new 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane engine, good for 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque. While Ram insisted the RHO was a distinct model for a different audience than the outgoing TRX, many saw is as the T-Rex's successor. That's where things got a little muddy. See, the Ram 1500 TRX was a beast, powered by a supercharged Hemi 6.2-liter V8. The throaty Hellcat engine produced 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque in the 2024 TRX model and was generally hailed as a monster machine. Some folks were disappointed by the announcement of the RHO, which seemed to be 'underpowered' compared to the TRX. However, what they didn't know is that the RHO is incredibly capable on- and off-road, and it has a few new tricks of its own. 2025 Ram 1500 RHO 1. The RHO Is As Comfortable As A Plush SUV In October of 2024, my teammate Jill Ciminillo and I were the first journalists to drive the Ram 1500 RHO. It wasn't your ordinary test drive, either: we drove the RHO for two weeks straight to participate in the grueling Rebelle Rally out in the deserts of California and Nevada. This year, I had time to put it through its paces during an ordinary week with my family to baseball games, grocery shopping, and running errands. I already knew it could perform admirably, but it's also a comfortable vehicle for everyday life. The seats are plush and they're also heated and ventilated. Materials are upscale but tough, so kids can do their worst and this cabin is not going to wilt under stress. And the suspension absorbs all of the speed bumps and potholes your neighborhood can throw at it. When it's off-road, it's even better. "The truck is more tossable,' Doug Killian, Chief Vehicle Synthesis Manager for Ram, told Popular Science in 2024. 'It's easier to set up into a drift. The turn in is quicker, allowing for transitions faster on a dirt track. It's more fun in those environments because it's easier to get sideways.' Ram 1500 RHO 2. The Infotainment System Is Tops Stellantis, Ram's parent company, put together an excellent infotainment system it calls UConnect, and it has held a spot in my Top 3 list since the 1500's redesign several years ago. Featuring a 12- inch touchscreen or an optional 14.5-inch reconfigurable touchscreen display with split-screen capability, the usability is excellent. Plus, I'm a huge fan of the volume-adjusting or station-changing toggle switches snugged just behind the space where your fingers rest behind the steering wheel. That means I can adjust the music in a variety of ways without taking my eyes off the road. Ram 1500 RHO 3. A Truck With Massaging Seats? Yes, Please Driving gets tiring, whether you're driving a few kids around, shuttling the Sheepadoodle to the vet, or barreling down a dirt desert road. In the case of your latter, your body is taking a lot of punishment even if you have the best shocks in the world. What's nice about the RHO is that it has massaging seats, and all you have to do is press a button on the door panel. Ram 1500 RHO pedal adjusters 4. Adjustable Pedals And Tons of Leg Room My mom is five feel tall, as is my Rebelle Rally teammate Jill. Ram made it easier for them to drive a big truck like this with an ingenious amenity: pedal adjustment capability. Instead of having to set up the seat way down into the cabin to reach the accelerator and brake pedals, the driver can put a button and get a lot more comfortable with the reach. It's safer, too, and more accessible for all sizes. Ram 1500 RHO door pockets 5. Blissfully Generous Small Storage Space Of course, the Ram 1500 RHO has a large bed for hauling, and it can be fitted with any number of accessories like toolboxes, shelves, and more. Inside the cabin, the RHO also boasts a giant console that is cavernous enough to hold a purse, a laptop, or a combination of snacks. Plus, the door pockets are large enough to hold a Yeti or Stanley water bottle plus a Venti cup of coffee from Starbucks without squishing them in there. Overall, unless you really feel like you need a V8 in your life, the Ram 1500 RHO costs several thousand dollars less than the TRX and checks the boxes across the board for a livable, comfortable, well-equipped truck.
Motor Trend
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Got Hemi? See Which 2026 Ram 1500 Pickup Trucks Get the Revived V-8
Back by popular demand, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is returning to the 2026-model-year Ram 1500. While the Hemi will come with Ram's eTorque mild hybrid powertrain—which it included before it left the lineup after 2025—fans of the brand surely will be paying closer attention to regaining access to that sweet, sweet V-8 power and noise. While full 2026 Ram 1500 information isn't out yet (we'll update this space when it is), we do know which '26 Ram 1500s will offer the V-8 as an option, and how much it will cost. That's right, the V-8 may be back, but it isn't standard equipment. Looking over the 2026 Ram 1500 trims, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 will be offered as an option on everything but the desert-bombing RHO and high-zoot Tungsten. As before, the 1500 Tradesman, Express, and Big Horn/Lone Star continue to come standard with Stellantis' aging 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. In a surprising turn, the Warlock adopts the Pentastar as standard kit, too; the 420-hp Standard Output (SO) twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six engine it previously came with is now an option, alongside the resurrected Hemi it temporarily replaced for 2025. The Rebel keeps the SO Hurricane six as standard equipment, while Limited and Longhorn will again get the burlier 540-hp 3.0-liter Hurricane I-6 High Output (HO) standard. For those models that can offer the Hemi, there will be an upcharge for it on all but the Limited and Longhorn trims, where it'll be offered as a no-cost option. Here's a look at the powertrain options on the 2026 Ram 1500 lineup: To unlock the Hemi V-8's 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, you'll need to spend $1,200. That slots the V-8 just below the 420-hp and 469-lb-ft 3.0-liter I-6 Hurricane SO in Ram's powertrain hierarchy—the twin-turbo six is a $2,695 upgrade for the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, and Big Horn/Lone Star. The Laramie and Rebel get the Hurricane SO as standard, with the Hemi an option. While order books are open and all 2026 Ram 1500s with the Hemi (save for the Rebel that will arrive later) should arrive by this summer, pricing for the 2026 model year, along with other details such as paint colors and trim changes, have yet to be announced—but we should see that soon.
