Ram’s V8 revival takes another step with 6.4-litre heavy-duty pickup

Ram Trucks Australia has continued to bring V8 engines back to its local lineup, today confirming the impending arrival of the 2500 Warlock, powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi.

Following the confirmation of the Ram 1500 TRX SRT’s resurrection at the start of next year – and the door being left open to the 1500 Rumble Bee – the pickup giant has locked in the 2500 as its next model to offer a V8 engine, with deliveries starting next month.

You have to go way back to 2015 to find the last time the 2500 was offered with a V8 engine, and it's the 6.4-litre Hemi which is once again under the bonnet, this time in the off-road oriented 2500 Warlock.

Priced from $157,950 plus on-road costs, the Ram 2500 Warlock is the most affordable of the ‘heavy-duty’ segment pickups on sale in Australia, undercutting the $168,900 Chevrolet Silverado HD and $172,950 Ram 2500 Laramie.

Powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 petrol engine, the 2500 Warlock produces 306kW and 582Nm, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and part-time four-wheel drive system.

Those outputs leave it outgunned by the existing players in the market, as until now the 2500 has been powered by a 6.7-litre Cummins straight-six turbo-diesel engine, making 313kW and 1458Nm.

Likewise, the Silverado HD’s 6.6-litre Duramax V8 turbo-diesel makes 350kW and 1332Nm, while featuring an extra two gear ratios from its 10-speed automatic transmission.

Weighing 3220kg, the Ram 2500 Warlock is almost 500kg lighter than the Laramie, allowing it to boast a 1275kg payload capacity (up from 785kg), though its gross combination mass (GCM) has dropped from 12,750kg to 10,001kg.

This is partly due to a reduced peak braked towing capacity when using a gooseneck, which is down from 8000kg to 6700kg. Figures with a 50mm and 70mm towball are unchanged at 3500kg and 4500kg, respectively.

However, the Warlock V8 is positioned as a different vehicle to the Cummins-powered Laramie, being sold as an off-road and touring ready pickup, rather than an out-and-out heavy-hauling king.

Visually it stands out with black highlights on the front fascia and headlight surrounds, wheel-arch flares, side steps and mirror caps, while the Warlock decals are also a visual contrast.

Under the guards sit 20-inch alloy wheels which are shod in 285mm-wide all-terrain tyres, as opposed to the highway-terrain tyres on the Laramie’s 18s.

The Warlock also gets Bilstein off-road shock absorbers, which are teamed with coil springs all round, with the leaf springs reserved for the big 3500.

Inside the cabin there’s cloth seats instead of the leather upholstery on the Laramie, providing seating for up to six occupants when the centre console is repositioned.

Other features which the Warlock misses out on compared to the Laramie include a power sunroof, heated and ventilated, power-adjustable front seats, and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, among others. The 12-inch infotainment screen remains though.

The Ram 2500 Warlock continues with a full suite of safety features, such as AEB (including pedestrian, cyclist), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring warning, driver fatigue monitoring (new), front and rear parking sensors, lane-keeping assistance (updated), rear cross-traffic alert, rear-view camera, speed sign recognition, and valve-type tyre pressure monitors.

Standard-fit are a tow bar receiver and 12-pin wiring harness, which is enhanced with trailer sway control.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 12,000km, while the Ram 2500 is covered by a three-year, 100,000km warranty.