Beefing Up Ram 1500 for Supercharger

June 04, 2022 Post a Comment

2021 Ram 1500 TRX

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Our Verdict

The TRX's promise to bring supercharged artillery to the Ford Raptor's hunting grounds is one soundly fulfilled. Those seeking the biggest, meanest and loudest factory-direct extreme truck on the block need to look no further. Helpfully, the TRX is an easy truck to use every day, building on the refinement and sophistication of its Ram 1500 parent, which also gives it an excellent cabin and loads of available tech. The 702-horsepower Hellcat V8 is always ready for fun, but be prepared to pay handsomely for its demanding thirst.

What's New

Almost everything—the 2022 Ram 1500 TRX represents the pinnacle of factory-built off-road performance built on beefed-up chassis and powered by a monster V8.
A Hellcat 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 delivers 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.

Pros & Cons

Pros

High-powered Hemi happiness
Go-anywhere all-terrain-tackling confidence
Comfortable, spacious cabin

Cons

With great power comes great fuel expenses
Large infotainment screen with a distractingly busy interface
Poor surrounding visibility

REVIEW

2021 Ram 1500 TRX: A Supercharged Pickup Truck Predator

Updated : Mar 18, 2021, 5:58am

Our team of experts has decades of experience assessing things on wheels . Unlike on a track where the road conditions are pristine and can give foreseeable results, we evaluate vehicles in the real world, where conditions can be unpredictable and, frankly, unfriendly ...Read More

Beefed up from top to bottom with flared bodywork, a bulging hood, lifted suspension and bead lock-ready wheels, the TRX looks the part of off-roading's best big bad brute.

Heaps of power on tap when needed, but the TRX is docile as a base Ram 1500 when conditions dictate. It can traverse almost any terrain and land jumps with the delicacy of a seasoned dancer.

Spacious, comfortable interior with redundant hard controls for major functions similar to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup. The standard large infotainment touchscreen interface is crystal clear but is not quite as intuitive as the standard Uconnect setup.

The base Ram 1500's 5-star overall NHTSA rating carries over to the TRX, but all of the truck's active-safety features cost extra, which costs it some points in our evaluation. Standard 360-degree parking cameras help put the TRX in its place; available advanced safety group adds forward collision, lane keep assist, pedestrian emergency braking, a head-up display and more.

12 MPG combined is the price paid for the mind-bending capabilities of a high-powered, three-ton monster like the TRX.

For a segment that thrives on how well it delivers practical utility, it's refreshing when an entry enters the fray with the sole purpose of being as ludicrous as possible. The 2022 Ram TRX is a truck designed specifically to eat the Ford F-150 Raptor's lunch, the current household name for off-the-shelf extreme performance pickups. With a Hellcat heart and a beefier frame than its Ram 1500 brethren, it's got what it takes to become the new king of crazy.

The RAM TRX's 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 cooks up 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. It sends it to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. *Alex Kalogiannis*

The TRX shares a blueprint with the average Ram 1500 pickup, but receives a host of top-to-bottom upgrades to make it capable of astonishing performance feats and tough enough not to fold under the pressure of being abused on a regular basis. Looking the part doesn't hurt.

The main event is the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat Hemi V8 engine under the aggressively-vented hood. It may be an engine conceived to make quarter-mile heroes out of Dodge Charger and Challenger drivers, but here, well, it's much of the same. The drag strip DNA is proudly on display thanks to a dedicated launch control button by the steering column, enticing drivers to put all the 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque on offer to the test.

The TRX rides on an independent front suspension and a live rear axle with a five-link coil system. It promises 11.8 inches of ground clearance with 13 and 14 inches of front and rear suspension travel, respectively. *Alex Kalogiannis*

An off-road-ready 4×4 with a surplus of blunt-force acceleration, the TRX taunts drivers to summon their inner Baja 500 racer and test its airborne qualities at the site of any ramp-worthy mound. Thankfully, the Ram TRX has had its frame reinforced to weather rough landings. An independent front axle and live rear axle with five-link coil-spring rear suspension pair with adaptive Bilstein dampers to modulate all 13-inches of suspension travel. In-between airborne events, the TRX is well-equipped to be a stellar off-the-grid companion thanks to a full-time active transfer case with low-range and an electronically locking rear differential. Push-button drive select modes configure all of it to best respond to whatever the terrain ahead demands. It all rounds out to be a vehicle that can indeed back the attitude it exudes, imbuing anyone behind the wheel with the confidence brought by helming an automotive juggernaut.

Numerous official Mopar options on hand for buyers to deck out their TRX as they see fit. Attachments like the RamBar and LED off-road light kits prep the pickup for adventure while also making an already-hard-to-miss ride stand out even more. At the same time, those who want to eke out at least some utility can skip out on things like the bed-mounted spare and equip the tri-fold tonneau cover instead.

An EPA-estimated fuel economy of 10 City, 14 Highway and 12 combined MPG mean fun times with the TRX will cost drivers at the pump. *Alex Kalogiannis*

Be prepared to pay for all that ostentatious oomph, though. Efficiency is anathema to the TRX, scoring a whopping 12 combined average MPG (10 mpg city/14 mpg highway), which, perversely, is another one of the TRX's figures to boast about—this truck is so insane, even its fuel consumption is outlandish.

Inside the Ram TRX's cabin doesn't deviate too far from the standard interior offered by the standard 1500, apart from a flat-bottom steering wheel, TRX-specific accents and a plaque on the armrest denoting each TRX's uniqueness. There are also little easter eggs alluding to the superiority of the TRX to the Raptor, reminiscent of Jurassic Park's climactic ending.

It's spacious and functional, the centerpiece being the massive 12-inch touch screen powered by the Uconnect operating system. The tablet-like interface is home to most functions, with a few duplicated by physical buttons. Thankfully, the screen real estate is flexible, allowing a fair amount of personalization and arrangement of the features. It can be rather busy and not particularly intuitive but worthwhile once you get used to it.

The 12-inch touchscreen is home to all the entertainment and navigation options. It also houses valuable vehicle performance data. *FCA*

Warranty

Basic:
3 Years/36,000 Miles

Drivetrain:
5 Years/60,000 Miles

Corrosion:
5 Years/Unlimited Miles

Roadside Assistance:
5 Years/60,000 Miles

Specs & Safety

Ram 1500 TRX Specification

Vehicle Type PickUp Truck

Engine Type Intercooled Supercharger Premium Unleaded V-8

Seats 5 Person

Horsepower 702p

Torque (lb-ft) 650

Efficiency (MPG) N/A City / N/A Hwy

Transmission Automatic w/OD

*Includes Destination Charges

Francis Phintly