American pickups have a hard-working image about them. The biggest appeal they have is the ability to tow big trailers, machinery and even horse floats.
But Ram’s newest 1500 is here to play hard.
The Ram 1500 Rebel joins the Laramie Sport and Limited in an expanding lineup of new models powered by the brand’s ‘Hurricane’ engine. The 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine replaced the beloved ‘Hemi’ V8 and Ram Trucks Australia is committed to it long-term.
The Rebel isn’t as outrageous as the short-run TRX, but it is clearly designed for fun in mind, both for whoever is behind the wheel but also for wherever you want to go.
It gets Bilstein off-road suspension with a one-inch lift, 32-inch all-terrain tyres, underbody protection and a unique look – with a bulging bonnet and standard ‘Rebel’ stickers on the back. It also isn’t available with the RamBox storage system, instead getting a spray-in liner, so it’s big enough to fit a dirt bike in the tray – no need to tow it or have the tailgate hanging open.
In short – this is the ‘fun’ Ram 1500.
How fun? Well, Ram let us loose at the Lang Lang Proving Grounds, on road and dirt, to experience what the Rebel has to offer.
Starting with the engine, which is obviously still a key talking point for V8 fanatics. This is a textbook case of emotion versus logic, because on-paper there is really no debate. The new Hurricane twin-turbo six makes more power, more torque and is more efficient than the Hemi V8.
For the record it makes 313kW and 635Nm, which is significantly more than the 291kW/556Nm the Hemi V8. Of course, numbers aren’t everything and the Hemi made a sweet sound and all that torque was delivered in silky smooth fashion.
But driving the Rebel, the new Hurricane feels maybe not quite as smooth and doesn’t make the same noise, but it delivers a bigger punch when you put your foot down. It’s not a genuine performance ute, like the TRX was, but it certainly has more than enough grunt to haul this big truck along.
The Rebel is more than just an engine though, and it was impressive to experience it at Lang Lang, where you can sample every challenge the Australian roadways and trails will throw up at you in just a few kilometres.
On the winding handling circuit, the big Rebel felt remarkably composed for something so tall and heavy. The steering is nice and direct too, and leaves you feeling confident about where you’re placing the car.
Then, on the high-speed off-road test, the Rebel manages to feel incredibly poised and confident on the loose surface. It soaks up the bumps with ease and leaves you feel surprisingly isolated in the cabin.
Finally, we sampled it in the muddy, wet off-road course and, once again, the Rebel had no trouble scrambling through the tricky conditions.
So, whether you want to go dirt bike riding down a winding country road, through a gravel trail or down a muddy bog, the Rebel will get you there with ease.
It will also do it in comfort too, with another big part of the appeal of these American utes being the spacious cabins. There is room for four adults to sit comfortably in the well-appointed interior that is similar in size to a large SUV.
The Ram 1500 Rebel is an impressive machine, but it needs to be for the asking price of $141,950 (plus on-road costs). That obviously a lot of money for any vehicle, but especially a ute. But when you consider the performance, practicality and level of comfort (not to mention the work down in Australia to convert them to right-hand drive) then you can understand why these big US utes are so expensive.
But what price can you put on fun…
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