![]() You don't fully enjoy the V8's soundtrack, though, due to the whine of the supercharger displacing all other noises from the cabin. And what an engine it is, with 702 hp catapulting you to 60 mph in a claimed 4.5 seconds. When you put big loads into the suspension, it rises to the occasion and will absorb huge jumps in Baja mode thanks to pre-emptive Jump Detection, but in everyday driving, you get the impression that the engine gets center stage and not the suspension, as it does in the Ford. It's nearly unstoppable off-road, though, thanks to those tires, the vast ground clearance, and all the driving modes, which include Mud/Sand and Rock. It's not harsh, and there's plenty of travel, but it doesn't glide like the Ford does. The TRX feels tight and sporty, bobbing and moving over expansion joints and broken terrain and exhibiting far sharper steering with way less slack than the Raptor R's. So it initially comes as a surprise that the TRX doesn't want to settle down, exhibiting none of the Raptor R's Rolls-Royce-like low-speed ride quality that blots out every surface imperfection as if it doesn't exist. The TRX's Baja aspirations are underscored by its running gear: 2.6-inch Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks, 35" tires, and a Dana 60 rear axle with a locking differential. It should be even more comprehensively equipped than the Havoc, judging by its $106k price tag. There will also be a limited-run TRX Lunar Edition, and it closely follows the Havoc Edition's template but with Ceramic Gray paint and Surf Blue for all the Havoc's Prowler Yellow interior accents. We don't know what additional equipment will be fitted, but it will reportedly get at least all the contents of the $11k Level 2 Equipment Group and more besides, considering its $104k starting price. Only a limited number will be built, but Ram has not said how many. The interior gets stitching and embroidered front-seat TRX logos in Prowler Yellow, and carbon-fiber accents on the steering wheel. There is a new TRX Havoc Edition painted in Baja Yellow with a black grille, overfenders, bumpers, decals, and other exterior accents. It does gain the rest of the Ram 1500 range's new 12-inch digital gauge cluster (replacing last year's seven-inch display), a LED hitch light, and a rear-seat reminder. While there are changes to lower-tier Ram 1500s, the 2023 1500 TRX stays much the same for the new model year. So is the performance-pickup race over before it even started, with the spoils going straight to the TRX? Let's find out. While the $85k starting price of the 20 TRX may sound like a lot of money, it's a bit of a bargain if you consider the $76k F-150 Raptor brings "only" 450 hp to the party, while the 700-hp F-150 Raptor R that matches the TRX on pace asks for close to $110k. Ram made up for its tardiness by delivering a knock-out punch, plonking a 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 Hellcat engine into the Ram 1500, fitting it with dune-jumping off-road suspension, and sending the fans out to play. It gives Ram a slice of the US truck market that has been dominated by the Ford F-150 Raptor ever since the first F-150 SVT Raptor burst onto the scene in 2009. Ram decided it's also the perfect base for a performance truck, and the new Ram 1500 TRX we review here finally arrived in the USA in 2020 as the halo car in the range. ![]() ![]() The Ram 1500 has been our favorite truck since its local debut as a 2019 model thanks to an upmarket cabin, strong powertrains, and refined ride. ![]()
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