The Ram 1500 has consistently been the best-selling, American-sourced pickup in Australia since its Australian introduction a handful of years ago, but increasing competition and an overall turn away from the segment has seen its sales slip.
From a peak of 5922 deliveries in 2023, the arrival of the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, plus increased popularity for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, saw 2674 Ram 1500s delivered in 2025.
This has coincided with the pickup market also falling by about 15 per cent across the same period, though the biggest contributor to the Ram 1500’s dip in deliveries has been the changeover from a V8 to a twin-turbo straight-six engine.
The more potent six-cylinder initially arrived in just two grades, later expanded to three, each priced from more than $140,000 plus on-road costs, allowing the F-150 and Silverado 1500 to undercut them.
Now Ram is aiming to get back its key buyers, launching the 1500 Express Black Edition in Australia from June 2026, priced from $109,950 plus on-road costs.
That represents an increase of $6050 compared to the last time the V8-powered Express was on sale in 2022, though it undercuts the 1500 Laramie Sport and Rebel – the most affordable six-cylinder 1500s to this point – by more than $30,000.
To reduce the price, there are a number of equipment changes for the Express compared to the Laramie Sport, such as a much smaller 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen (down from 14.4 inches), and a 7.0-inch TFT within analogue gauges (down from a 12.3-inch full digital cluster).
The 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system has been swapped out for a six-speaker setup, while the leather-trimmed seats have been replaced with cloth upholstery, while also losing their power adjustment, heating and ventilation.
Gone too is the 10.25-inch front passenger infotainment touchscreen found on other Ram 1500s in Australia, replaced by an open storage area. The power tailgate has also been swapped out for a manually opening damped tailgate.
On the outside, the Express Black Edition is denoted with its black grille, badging, side mirror caps, door handles, exhaust tips, side steps and 20-inch wheels, while its bumpers are body-coloured. It also gets a bulged ‘sports hood’.
Powering the Ram 1500 Express Black Edition is the ‘Standard Output’ version of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre ‘Hurricane’ straight-six engine, producing 313kW and 635Nm.
Shared with the Rebel and Laramie Sport, this engine offers higher outputs than the old 5.7-litre ‘Hemi’ V8 (291kW/556Nm), and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive system.
“The Ram 1500 Express Black Edition brings a new entry price to the updated MY26 Ram 1500 Series,” said Ram Trucks Australia general manager, Jeff Barber,
“With the Ram 1500 Express Black Edition we have reduced the price gap between mid-size utes and our full-size Ram 1500 range.
“Our customers have been asking for a package like this and we’re pleased to be able to deliver it.”
Deliveries of the Ram 1500 Express Black Edition begin in June 2026.
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