The Ford F-150 Raptor finally has some competition. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has confirmed that the Ram Rebel TRX off-road performance pickup truck will go into production sometime before 2022. The announcement was made during a presentation of FCA’s latest five-year plan during an investor meeting in Italy.
No further details were given, but if the production truck stays close to the original TRX concept, it could be a contender. Introduced at the 2016 State Fair of Texas, the TRX concept boasts a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 with 575 horsepower, as well as beefed-up suspension and aggressive styling.
A production TRX could be the perfect rival to Ford’s F-150 Raptor, which has the uncanny ability to cover rough terrain at high speeds. The only truck currently in production with a similar skill set is the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, but it’s a smaller midsize model. The TRX will likely be based on the Ram 1500, making it more of a direct rival to the Raptor. With a powerful V8 engine under the hood, it should be able to match the Ford’s pace.
Online chatter indicates that the V8 may be different than the TRX concept’s, but in a good way. Motor Authority points out that an official press photo of the interior of the 2019 Ram 1500 shows the clock reading “7:07,” a possible reference to the 707-hp “Hellcat” Hemi V8 currently installed in other FCA vehicles. Ram has denied plans for a Hellcat-powered truck in the past, but perhaps the brass have changed their minds.
Posters on the Allpar forums claim the TRX will share a new generation of aluminum Hemi V8s with other FCA products — including a resurrected Dodge Viper sports car. The new engine family is rumored to include a naturally aspirated 7.0-liter Hemi with 520 hp, and a second-generation Hellcat engine maintaining the same specifications as its predecessor.
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