I’m within the driver’s seat of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO—the off-road-focused flagship of the Ram lineup—within the dust, and being invited to get as sideways as I really feel comfy with.
Additional, I’m feeling stoked to be sampling its signature Baja drive mode on a course that Stellantis engineers say actually showcases this rig’s capabilities. The decommissioned gravel-pit-gone-wild is in Holly, Michigan, not removed from Ram’s Auburn Hills hive thoughts, and this “critical work atmosphere,” as one in every of Ram’s crew known as it consists of rubble, small boulders, and many whoop-dee-doos, amid stretches of extra-fine sand that I’ve a hunch would possibly slick up good within the rain.
Critically, it’s probably probably the most excessive off-road terrain in Michigan south of the thumb—thus my passenger driving shotgun, veteran Stellantis high-performance off-road car improvement and validation engineer Toon Tan calmly ideas me to not dangle the tail out as we’re descending “Hollywood Hill,” smirk included.
That previous, we get to a sandy stretch. Tan advises me to certainly get on it and steer with the facility on the rear wheels, and he notes that in any other case off the facility it has “typical four-by-four” dynamics, such that “once you lock it up, you’ll understeer.”
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
In Baja, the RHO is biasing torque supply 75% to the rear wheels whereas controlling the soundness system and lively switch case collectively—mainly permitting the truck to go much more sideways and opening up the dynamics. However I shortly get the sense that the suspension’s the star of this present.
“It’s virtually just like the quicker we go, the smoother it’s,” says Tan, emboldening me to sure over some deep ruts, assuring me that I haven’t but gotten anyplace near pushing the RHO’s suspension capabilities or wheel journey. As a part of tuning and validating the RHO, Toon was among the many engineers taking part in 1,000 miles of desert endurance “racing” in Southern California’s Johnson Valley.
At that time it begins to really feel a bit like a rally-car course, as I achieve extra confidence within the truck and its awe-inspiring brawn and functionality off-road.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Ram 1500 RHO is hard sufficient to…catch some air
However, it seems, the actually enjoyable a part of the day is but to return, and my sense of near-invincibility on this truck faces a brand new problem. Tan has me cease, and clearly lays out my goal speeds for the THREE JUMPS forward: 35, 45, and 45 mph. I’ve jumped a pair hatchbacks in blissful ignorance and a rally automobile with an teacher, and I do know the pace is vital not only for stability however for a way you come to the bottom, and never each car is born to even do that in any respect (I as soon as witnessed a crossover SUV totaled with a comparatively delicate dune bounce).
I do precisely as he says and knock out a trio of superb jumps that may do Bo and Luke Duke proud—with first rate landings, too. I’m giddy to have pulled this off with out breaking myself, Tan, or the truck. And to assume the truck will do that many occasions over the course of the day.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
What the RHO rides on is completely different than anything within the 2025 Ram lineup—apart from the now-discontinued Ram 1500 TRX, which I’ll get to quickly. Essentially, engineers began with the 1500 chassis and moved a few of the onerous factors in order to really lengthen and stabilize wheel journey—with reshaped forged-aluminum management arms, higher and decrease, plus an extended trailing size in again for the five-link coil-spring format. General, floor clearance is as much as 11.8 inches, as a result of a 2.0-inch ride-height improve versus different Ram 1500 fashions, and the 35-inch Wrangler Territory AT off-road tires additionally assist clear hazards.
In all, the Ram 1500 RHO has large wheel journey—13 inches within the entrance, 14 inches within the rear—permitting it to handle the vitality of the car at these factors the place the truck truly goes airborne or smacks into a kind of whoops at a excessive velocity.
And, it seems, the suspension truly primes the RHO for a steady touchdown. Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive efficiency dampers are manufactured from inflexible aluminum and have their very own enhanced urethane jounce bumper to forestall bottoming out. They repeatedly modify damping forces for compression and rebound with digital proportioning valves and a nitrogen-charged distant reservoir and stainless-steel braided hose.
With millisecond-level response to inputs from the wheels and G-sensors, they’ll adapt to yaw, pitch, and roll to stabilize the physique and the habits is managed by way of drive modes—so it’s supercar-level chassis dynamics, for the messy stuff. And actually, the aim of the suspension is to actually handle that wheel journey, and ship full journey consolation whether or not on the highway or on the path.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Not a Hellcat however a Hurricane beneath the hood
What’s beneath the hood of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is identical high-output Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 that’s used elsewhere within the lineup—making the identical official 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque, solid pistons and all—however the RHO will get a contemporary air consumption, pushing denser air straight to the airbox, permitting optimum energy. On the exhaust aspect, it has true duals all the way in which again, with a movement management valve. As engineers identified, whereas the height hp and torque are technically the identical, the RHO’s engine makes extra efficiency in any respect the factors in between.
Ram 1500 TRX, which the RHO successfully replaces—for now—was powered by a 702-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine.
Based on Ram, the RHO can speed up to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, based on Ram, or to 100 mph in 11.7 seconds. Quarter-mile occasions roll in at 13.1 seconds and 105 mph, and its prime pace is 118 mph. Formally, the TRX’s 0-60 mph time was 4.5 seconds, with the quarter-mile at 12.9 seconds and 108 mph, however a consensus {of professional} testing suggests it was fairly a bit faster than that.
The RHO works the engine, transmission, stability system, and suspension, in concord with its BorgWarner 48-13 full-time lively switch case, bringing a low vary of two.64:1.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Upon getting the RHO out on the highway for a loop on the freeway and a few backroads, I discovered readability about what had been lacking within the RHO versus the TRX: The drama of it. Whereas the V-8 delivers a guttural shake—and a growl, and the whizzing of peaky assisted respiration—the HO engine all the time feels like an particularly civilized juxtaposition versus all the remainder of the alerts this truck is sending. The engine sounds good, but it surely’s a candy, cultured word that may really feel simply as a lot at house in a German sport-line luxurious convertible. Engineers confirmed there’s no sound supplementation happening within the cabin, with a slight “blat” merely a manipulation of spark timing because it approaches the shift.
My takeaways on the engine itself are lukewarm. Counting on a whopping 28 psi of turbo increase appears to have its draw back and offers it a pause that’s not in contrast to some diesels. Mash your proper foot to the ground, with sufficient traction accessible in Sport mode, and it’s as if the engine torque had been left to a DJ operating up the fader, cautious that the PA can take all of it. It’s very fast; it’s simply not speedy.
Every mode adjustments the drivetrain’s persona just a little bit, although. Baja mode does change (and elevate) the shift factors at average throttle. Mud and Sand extra actively controls the wheel slip, together with a mode to work its manner by. Rock crawling offers a break up nearer to 50/50. Snow mode splits torque 45/55 entrance/rear, whereas auto mode defaults to 40/60 entrance/rear.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Is the Ram 1500 RHO better-handling than TRX?
Shifting to the six signifies that the Ram 1500 RHO is 150 kilos lighter than the TRX total, with 180 kilos coming off the entrance wheel based mostly on a extra rearward heart of mass of the engine, leading to a a lot better weight distribution.
So whereas the RHO is actually carry-over from the TRX, every little thing has been retuned for the brand new weight and weight distribution, reiterated chief car synthesis supervisor Doug Killian. “Each valve within the shocks was retuned…the switch case, transmission, every little thing’s been retuned,” he summed.
That’s some extent to be underscored. For a considerably lighter, considerably extra nimble truck—by no means thoughts that “rhino” codename, I assume—the RHO is a extra finely honed rally-racing device.
It prices quite a bit much less, too. The RHO begins at $71,990 (together with the $1,995 vacation spot charge). Stellantis says it delivers probably the most energy per greenback, and it claims the RHO to be the very best efficiency off-road truck in the marketplace. To match, the TRX Ultimate Version began at $119,620.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Possibility highlights for the RHO embody a gaggle that for $9,995 provides 14.5-inch infotainment, 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio, L2 hands-free, passenger display screen, twin wi-fi chargers, leather-based seats, mushy sprint supplies, heated and therapeutic massage entrance seats. A tow group and tow mirrors are supplied as standalone choices, in addition to a mattress utility group with a spray-in bedliner, plus cargo administration programs and a step. Mopar picks embody a bed-mounted tire service, decal packages, off-road operating boards, and rock rails.
Simply by its sheetmetal there’s extra of an “hourglass” physique design for the RHO, with cargo-box outers which are wider than for different Ram 1500 fashions. With the fender flares, it’s 8.0 inches wider than these different fashions and has a 6.0-inch wider monitor width.
RHO Efficiency Pages deliver to the instrument panel particular gauges, charts, and graphs, plus real-time shows to point out the way you’re utilizing engine energy, lateral and longitudinal Gs, and extra. There’s a head-up show, too. RHO additionally provides paddle-shifters that may assist with shifts whereas going round corners.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
RHO makes area for a TRX sequel
The issue could merely be that the Hellcat-V-8-powered TRX existed—and that there is a Ford F-150 Raptor R. The TRX brute-force dialed the method as much as 11. It had ripping cliche-busting, stump-pulling torque from low rpm, plus most or all of this potential set. The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO would possibly do precisely what it must do, however what it’s emerged lacking is something near the TRX’s angle.
That pesky downside already has an answer. Ram has teased {that a} new flagship Ram will slot above the 1500 RHO. After which it might change into clear why, for this mannequin, Ram left room to dial it as much as 11 as soon as once more.
