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 snug 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 setting,” as certainly one of Ram’s crew referred to as it contains rubble, small boulders, and plenty of whoop-dee-doos, amid stretches of extra-fine sand that I’ve a hunch may slick up good within the rain.
Significantly, it’s possible essentially the most excessive off-road terrain in Michigan south of the thumb—thus my passenger using shotgun, veteran Stellantis high-performance off-road automobile improvement and validation engineer Toon Tan calmly suggestions me to not grasp 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 “whenever 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 steadiness system and energetic 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 sooner 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 really enjoyable a part of the day is but to come back, 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 automotive with an teacher, and I do know the pace is essential not only for stability however for a way you come back to the bottom, and never each automobile 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 will 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 instances over the course of the day.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
What the RHO rides on is totally different than the rest 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 arduous factors in order to actually 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 structure. Total, floor clearance is as much as 11.8 inches, resulting from a 2.0-inch ride-height enhance 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 power of the automobile at these factors the place the truck really goes airborne or smacks into a type of whoops at a excessive velocity.
And, it seems, the suspension really primes the RHO for a secure touchdown. Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive efficiency dampers are fabricated from inflexible aluminum and have their very own enhanced urethane jounce bumper to forestall bottoming out. They repeatedly alter 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 will adapt to yaw, pitch, and roll to stabilize the physique and the habits is managed through drive modes—so it’s supercar-level chassis dynamics, for the messy stuff. And actually, the aim of the suspension is to essentially handle that wheel journey, and ship full experience consolation whether or not on the street or on the path.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Not a Hellcat however a Hurricane below the hood
What’s below the hood of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is similar 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, cast 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 twin exhausts all the best way again, with a circulate 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.
In response to 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 instances 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 energetic switch case, bringing a low vary of two.64:1.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Getting the RHO out on the street for a loop on the freeway and a few backroads, it grew to become clear what had been lacking within the RHO versus the TRX expertise is the drama of it. Whereas the V-8 delivers a guttural shake—and a growl, and the whizzing of peaky assisted respiratory—the HO engine all the time appears 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 will really feel simply as a lot at residence in a German sport-line luxurious convertible. Engineers confirmed there’s no sound supplementation occurring 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 enhance appears to have its draw back and provides it a pause that’s not in contrast to some diesels. Mash your proper foot to the ground, with sufficient traction obtainable in Sport mode, and it’s as if the engine torque have 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 fast.
Every mode adjustments the drivetrain’s character just a little bit, although. Baja mode does change (and elevate) the shift factors at reasonable throttle. Mud and Sand extra actively controls the wheel slip, together with a mode to work its method by. Rock crawling provides a cut 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 general, with 180 kilos coming off the entrance wheel primarily based on a extra rearward heart of mass of the engine, leading to a a lot better weight distribution.
So whereas the RHO is basically carry-over from the TRX, every part has been retuned for the brand new weight and weight distribution, reiterated chief automobile synthesis supervisor Doug Killian. “Each valve within the shocks was retuned…the switch case, transmission, every part’s been retuned,” he summed.
That’s a degree to be underscored. For a considerably lighter, considerably extra nimble truck—by no means thoughts that “rhino” codename, I suppose—the RHO is a extra finely honed rally-racing instrument.
It prices lots much less, too. The RHO begins at $71,990 (together with the $1,995 vacation spot price). Stellantis says it delivers essentially the most energy per greenback, and it claims the RHO to be the very best efficiency off-road truck in the marketplace. To check, the TRX Ultimate Version began at $119,620.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
2025 Ram 1500 RHO
Choice highlights for the RHO embrace a gaggle that for $9,995 provides 14.5-inch infotainment, 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio, L2 hands-free, passenger display, twin wi-fi chargers, leather-based seats, tender sprint supplies, heated and therapeutic massage entrance seats. A tow group and tow mirrors are provided as standalone choices, in addition to a mattress utility group with a spray-in bedliner, plus cargo administration techniques and a step. Mopar alternatives embrace a bed-mounted tire provider, 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 might be 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 carry to the instrument panel particular gauges, charts, and graphs, plus real-time shows to indicate 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 house for a brand new TRX
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 formulation as much as 11. It had ripping cliche-busting, stump-pulling torque from low rpm, plus most or all of this skill set. The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO may do precisely what it must do, however what it’s emerged lacking is something near the TRX’s perspective.
That pesky drawback already has an answer. Ram has teased {that a} new flagship Ram will slot above the 1500 RHO. After which it could change into clear why, for this mannequin, Ram left room to dial it as much as 11 as soon as once more.
