Update 8/17/2020: The 2021 Ram Rebel TRX has made it's debut. We're busy updating this article and our full review, but head on over to our quick facts and photo gallery to learn more about it!
The Ram Rebel is one of the sportiest trucks on the market today. It’s not just the tuners, but also the automakers building powerful and fast monsters right out of the factory. Dodge can be credited with this trend when they launched the Dodge Ram SRT-10 more than 15 years back. This truck was powered by the same V-10 found in the Dodge Viper. However, the market was not mature enough to handle it, thus sending it off the production line within three years of its inception.
Fast forward to 2016 and Dodge is Now Ram, and it revealed a concept truck called the Ram Rebel TRX. In 2018, the company said the concept was given a green signal by the corporate overlords and they will be building it. Since then, enthusiasts have been in a tizzy as to what to expect out of this beast. The only thing confirmed so far is that it will be powered by one Hell(cat) of an engine that will be driven by over 700 horses. Is there anything else? Well, here’s a list of all the things you need to know about the upcoming 2020 Ram Rebel TRX, thanks to Mopar Insiders and Allpar.
When Was The Last Time We Saw The Ram Rebel TRX?
In 2019, the Ram Rebel TRX was spotted at an event that took place at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan. There were around 10 FCA vehicles in attendance, including the Ram Rebel TRX in camouflage. The other Ram crew-cab prototypes in presence were fitted with fender extensions, lift kits, Laramie Black front ends, half roll cages, and bead lock-looking wheels. In fact, there was a Ford Raptor there as well! Currently, the F-150 Raptor comes with the 3.5-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine that makes 450 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque. Although there is a huge difference in the power figures, Ram probably brought the Raptor to the party to compare the ride quality, handling, and other dimensions.
Does the Ram Rebel TRX Really Have a Hellcat Engine?
How is the Ram Rebel TRX Different From Other Trucks?
Ram is giving the Rebel TRX a king’s treatment. It isn’t treating the truck as a new variant of the existing 1500. In fact, there are a lot of touches – some subtle, some loud – that differentiate it from other 1500s. According to the federal laws, a truck with a wide stance needs to incorporate amber marker lights on the face. Ford's F-150 Raptor has them on the grille. However, Ram upped the sexiness quotient and placed them in the huge Ram-air hood scoop. The other significant features include:
-* Wide front fenders with air vents
-* Special Rebel grille
-* Headlights same as the ones seen on the 1500 Limited Black Appearance Package
-* Blacked-out dual exhaust tips
-* Two tow hooks near the exhaust pipes at the back
-* All-LED center high mounted brake light
-* Perhaps, some flashy graphics, Beadlock wheels, and a bed-mounted spare tire
Yes, the Ram Rebel TRX Does Have an Old-School Shifter!
If you prefer the good old center console-mounted gear shifter to the rotary dial, give me a high-five. Ram has decided to dump the dial shifter in favor of the traditional gear lever. The rotary dial cleared up a lot of space on the center console and looked slick, but it didn’t give the same feel as moving a gear lever did. This is one of the many other things that is being carried into the production-spec from the concept TRX. The paddle shifters are also a tad bit longer than the normal shifters.
Many Interesting Details Inside The Cabin
The center-console mounted gear shifter isn’t the only new thing inside the cabin. Other neat touches include:
-* Alcantara and black leather on the upholstery
-* 12-inch UConnect touchscreen infotainment system
-* Performance and TRX-specific pages in the system that give out the namesake data
-* A Rotary Shifter will still be present, but to choose the drive modes
How Much Does the Ram Rebel TRX Cost?
The Ram Rebel TRX could cost anywhere between $50,000 and $75,000. According to MoparInsiders, the Rebel TRX will compete against a fully-flared, loaded-to-the-gills F-150 Raptor in terms of pricing. The Ford product starts at $53,455. An optional luxury package would add $11,000 to the sticker price, thus bringing the total close to $70,000. This is what the Rebel TRX is expected to cost. You can’t really expect bang-for-the-buck propositions in this niche, so we have no complaints on that front. Forget about the other stuff; the Hellcat engine itself justifies the premium over the Raptor.
When Will the Ram Rebel TRX Debut and When Does it Go On Sale?
The 2020 Ram Rebel TRX will most likely debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in June 2020. But, following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show and the New York Auto Show being rescheduled in the purview of the coronavirus, will the Detroit Auto Show suffer too? If not, we can expect to see the Rebel TRX grace the auto show. If not, Ram will likely live stream a debut event ahead of the official launch and on-sale date that is said to be September 8, 2020 at which point order books should officially open.