Ram TRX could challenge Ford Raptor with over 700 hp, report says

The pickup truck wars have raged on for decades, but soon, a new battle will emerge on the performance pickup front. Ford’s had the segment locked down for years with its F-150 Raptor, but Ram’s got something cooking, too.

That much we’ve known after parent automaker Fiat Chrysler said in 2018 it planned to put its Ram Rebel TRX concept into production, but a report from Allpar Tuesday may shed new light on the pickup. According to the website’s sources, the production pickup will not sport 575 horsepower like the Rebel TRX concept. Instead, we’ll be looking at over 700 hp.

Ram declined to comment on the reported news, but it certainly makes sense. Anywhere FCA’s beloved supercharged 6.2-liter V8 has wound up, it’s made at least 707 hp. Why detune it for the Ram TRX then? The sources also said an eight-speed automatic will send power to a “heavy-duty” four-wheel-drive system.

The Rebel TRX concept looked pretty much production-ready, so it’s fair to expect the looks will largely mirror the concept. FCA may have even dropped a teaser in the form of some promotional artwork for its Drive for Design contest poster. The image features a yellow Ram pickup that looks an awful lot like the TRX. Allpar’s sources said the production truck will, indeed, look very much like this drawing. Inside, the performance pickup is supposed to be loaded with every comfort Ram can throw at it, including the 12-inch Uconnect infotainment screen and system.

We’re not likely to see the production Ram TRX debut for a while still since FCA’s 2018 announcement was part of its five-year plan. Right now, all info points to a 2022 release, so perhaps we’ll see Ram’s new beast sometime next year.

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