V8-powered Ram TRX, Rumble Bees one step closer to Australia
After Australia’s Ram 1500 lineup was whittled down to twin-turbo six-cylinder engines only, the door has been opened for V8s to come back.
The return of the supercharged V8 Ram 1500 TRX SRT to Australian showrooms is almost a certainty, while other V8s in the form of the recently revealed Rumble Bees are under strong consideration.
In January, Ram’s US division revealed the new 1500 TRX SRT, the successor to the first 1500 TRX which was killed off when the pickup brand’s global parent, Stellantis, decided to wind down production of V8 engines in North America.
With a new CEO in charge both globally and of the Ram and reformed SRT (Street and Racing Technologies) brands, the TRX SRT is soon back in US showrooms, though its Australian revival has yet to be confirmed.
However, at the launch of the Ram 1500 Express, a spokesperson for the brand said the 1500 TRX SRT is ‘more likely to come to Australia’ than not, renewing hope for its resurrection.
“Earlier this year, Ram Trucks USA confirmed the return of the Ram TRX. We said at the time, the reborn TRX is under serious consideration for Australia, and that statement remains true today,” the Ram Trucks Australia spokesperson said.
“What we can tell you is that the TRX is more likely to come to Australia than not, but we still have a number of engineering gateways to go through.
“Unlike the grey import market, as a factory backed operation, Ram Trucks Australia has very stringent standards when it comes to engineering and re-manufacturing. Our vehicles are made to factory quality standards, and in order to be thorough, that process takes time.
“We ask our TRX fan to please be patient, and we hope to have some good news to share with you very shortly, and we hope you won't be waiting too long. We can confirm we are working around the clock with our engineering team in Australia and with engineers in the US to make the return of TRX a reality.
“We already have a strong customer order bank for the TRX, with customers placing deposits across our deal network in Australia – and that's before we have even confirmed that TRX is coming, and before we have announced price.
“We want to say loud and clear to our TRX fans, we hear you, and we are doing everything possible to get the TRX back into our showrooms.”
The reborn Ram 1500 TRX SRT may be powered by the same 6.2-litre supercharged ‘Hellcat’ V8 as its predecessor – now producing 579kW and 922Nm, rather than 523kW and 882Nm – but the pickup itself runs on a completely different electrical architecture, leading to additional engineering delays.
Its US return also occurred amid the Trump Administration winding back penalties and emissions targets for new vehicles, effectively opening the door for less efficient models to be made once again.
If the Ram 1500 TRX SRT does come to Australia, it’s not likely to launch until 2027, at which point it’ll face the highest emissions penalties to date locally.
The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is aimed at reducing the emissions of a carmaker’s fleet, with brands fined $100 for every gram per kilometre (g/km) their vehicles are over the emissions limits.
For ‘Type 2’ light-commercial and off-road vehicles such as the Ram 1500, this means a target of 180g/km in 2026, 150g/km in 2027, 122g/km in 2028 and 110g/km in 2029.
The previous Ram 1500 TRX had an official claimed emissions output of 506g/km from its supercharged 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine, equivalent to about $35,600 worth of penalties under the 2027 NVES limits.
This could see a price well above the $224,950 plus on-roads tag it last wore in local showrooms.
It may not be the only V8-powered Ram in Australian showrooms, after the pickup brand last month revealed three ‘Rumble Bee’ versions of the 1500 in the US.
Powered by 5.7-litre, 6.4-litre and the TRX’s supercharged 6.2-litre engines, the 1500 Rumble Bee lineup is effectively a step behind the TRX SRT for Australia, though it hasn’t been ruled out.
“The recently unveiled Ram 1500 Rumble Bee muscle truck is also on our wish list,” said Ram’s spokesperson.
“If it were to come to Australia, it would come after the TRX because of the engineering work required. But if everything goes our way, it might not be far behind.
“To be clear, the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee is not confirmed for our market, but we can reveal today we are in close talks with the factory about securing an allocation for Australia. It is too early to speculate on which of the three Ram 1500 Rumble Bees we would bring to Australia – the 5.7 litre Hemi, the 6.4-litre Hemi, or the supercharged 6.2.
That is all part of the process we are undertaking right now: determining which of the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee models will best suit Australian buyers. We think no matter which one, all ones we bring in, they will be a hit.
“Australia has a deep history with high-performance utes, and we know a Ram 1500 Rumble Bee will be right at home, down under.”
