2025 Ram 1500 RHO First Look: Can This Six-Cylinder Truck Really Replace the TRX?

Hellcat. Hellcat. Hellcat. The incantation to summon Beetlejuice doesn’t seem to work for snarling V-8 engines despite their similar attitudes. With the official unveiling of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO, it’s time to accept that not even black magic will save the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 from its certain fate.

Ram’s new top off-roader, the Ram High Output, is undeniably very similar to the TRX, but enough has changed that it deserves a fair shot to win us over without the shadow of the Hellcat looming over it. While we can’t forget the 702-hp Ram supertruck existed, if we accept that the RHO is its own thing rather than a TRX replacement, there’s an argument to be made that it could be a Ram’s best sport truck yet.

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A Storm Is Brewing

If you’ve paid any attention to Ram’s refreshed 2025 light-duty lineup, you will be entirely unsurprised that the RHO uses a version of the new Hurricane inline-six engine under the hood. As in other high-dollar Ram 1500s, the RHO’s Hurricane High Output Straight-Six Turbo uses twin low-inertia Garrett turbos to force 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque out of 3.0 liters of displacement, but there are some changes specific to the RHO.

Air destined for the Hurricane’s combustion chambers enters through a water-draining hood scoop before being routed to a high-flow radial filter. The open-top air box design makes it easy to change the filter or shake out debris when you’re out tearing up the dunes. Ram engineers also designed an equal-length dual exhaust with an H-pipe in the middle that makes for more effective exhaust scavenging—as exhaust gas from one bank passes the H-pipe, it creates pressure differential that pulls the next pulse from the other bank. Oil pickups at the front and rear of the oil pan ensure that the lube keeps flowing when you’re running WOT up or down steep inclines.

Ram isn’t claiming new power ratings for the RHO but does say that there is a perceptible performance difference compared to other Hurricane engines. Capping off the RHO’s sport-tuned exhaust is a flow-actuated valve that opens at wide-open throttle to minimze restriction and maximize sound. Before you throw shade at the sound of a six-cylinder, this is no Pentastar V-6. A twin-turbo inline-six usually has a sound worth listening to, and it already sounds good in the other 1500 trucks.

The Hurricane H/O SST weighs 150 pounds less than the TRX’s Hellcat engine, and because of its smaller footprint, the Hurricane sits far enough behind the front axle to shift 30 pounds to the rear axle. That’s effectively 180 pounds off the front end, enough to reportedly improve handling with a more balanced truck from front to rear.

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Let’s Get Rolling!

The RHO has an eight-speed automatic transmission bolted to its Hurricane engine, sending torque through a BorgWarner 49-13 full-time four-wheel-drive transfer case with a 2.64:1 low range. The independent front suspension features forged aluminum control arms and 13 inches of wheel travel. The Dana 60 axle in the rear has full floating axle shafts, an electronic locking differential, and unique hardpoints compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup to allow for 14 inches of wheel travel.

Ground clearance is a forgiving 11.8 inches after a 2-inch ride height increase and 35-inch tires wrapping available 18-inch beadlock-capable wheels. The extra height helps the RHO wade through 32 inches of water.

Borrowed from the TRX, the Bilstein Black Hawk E2 adaptive dampers have been reworked for the RHO. New internals, a new adaptive damping strategy, and new mounts mean the RHO will have its own ride and handling characteristics. Ram says it will be better controlled on- and off-road, which is music to our ears since the TRX’s ride was too stiff in daily driving compared to the Ford F-150 Raptor. The prospect of running it harder and faster off-road and enjoying highway trips in between is a huge plus. Hydraulic jounce control prevents bottoming out the Bilstein dampers when gravity forces the truck back to the ground.

Changing between the nine modes (Auto, Tow, Mud/Sand, Rock, Snow, Sport, Baja, Custom, and Valet) is easy with the drive mode button located to the right of the steering wheel, where you’ll also find controls for four-wheel-drive settings and launch control. Engage launch control, and Ram says you can expect the RHO to hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, 100 mph after 11.7 seconds, and the quarter-mile mark in 13.1 seconds at 105 mph. In MotorTrend testing the TRX did those same deeds in 3.9, 10.2, and 12.5 seconds at 108.3 mph. A top speed of 118 mph means Ram is extremely confident in its customers’ driving abilities or the RHO’s handling really is as good as the engineers claim.

But the RHO was designed to get dirty, so let’s jump to Baja mode. Normally, the off-road torque distribution between front and rear axles is evenly split. In Baja, 75 percent of available torque is sent to the rear, making for better throttle steering on loose surfaces and, frankly, more fun. It’s not that you can’t do doughnuts and launch massive rooster tails of sand in 50/50 four-wheel-drive trucks, but it’s exponentially more fun with more oomph in the rear. Is this another improvement over the TRX? That depends on how attached you were to those two extra cylinders.

But Does It Truck?

Another benefit of the Hurricane? It makes the RHO more of a truck. Go ahead and take a moment to wrap your brain around that one or regain composure after seeing red at the mere suggestion. I love the Hellcat as much as the next guy, but it’s true, and the numbers don’t lie. Because the Hurricane is lighter, towing capacity gets a bump from 8,100 to 8,380 pounds, and the payload climbs 210 pounds to 1,520 pounds. Those figures make it more capable hauler than the TRX and the Ford F-150 Raptor and Raptor R. The numbers don’t improve by a groundbreaking amount, but the improved payload alone means that fully loaded, you can carry an extra passenger or more gear to outlast the other trucks off the grid.

Still a Looker

Ram’s approach to exterior design is different than a lot of its competitors. Instead of creating an aggressive look with a grille that could eclipse the sun, many of the Ram’s features are getting smaller. The all-black LED headlamps haven’t grown but are instead thinner on Ram’s most aggressive 1500, as if it’s staring down its competition. The flow-through RAM badge is larger than on standard Ram 1500s, but it’s shifted up to create the illusion of a larger grille.

From nose to tail, the RHO is by no means small in any other regard, but it’s no bigger than the TRX was. Composite fender flares stretch the RHO 8 inches wider than other Ram 1500s to cover the big off-road tires, which have a 6-inch-wider track. Those fenders give the RHO an 88-inch overall width with a distinct hourglass shape, a design aesthetic that repeats in the automotive world for good reason. It help the RHO nail the Baja truck look.

The front bumper has RHO-specific end caps to accommodate LED clearance lamps, with additional marker lamps in the hood scoop. Center identification lamps inspired by Ram’s heavy-duty trucks sit between the tailgate and RHO bumper. Approach, depart, or remote start the RHO, and an animated light sequence initiates.

The box is wider than a standard Ram 1500’s, but the bezels on the LED taillamps make it possible for the blind-spot monitoring system to work around them. Additional side and hood graphics are available together or separately. Optional full-length rock rails or powder-coated running boards finish off the RHO.

What’s Inside?

When equipped with the optional RHO equipment group, Ram’s off-road truck features 50-plus inches of digital displays spread across four viewable areas. It isn’t as overwhelming as it sounds. The optional 14.5-inch vertical center touchscreen is the largest display in the truck. The 12.3-inch digital cluster allows drivers to scroll through nearly two dozen information displays, and the 10.0-inch head-up display puts things like a digital tachometer, navigation directions, speed, and gear, among other options, in the driver’s line of sight. Passengers can take advantage of the dual wireless phone charger and the standard 10.3-inch passenger screen that shows navigation info, off-road camera feeds, or media played through an HDMI cable. Hands-Free Driving Assist is available as a new option, as well.

As a relief from all the digital stuff, the RHO gets physical auxiliary switches below the center touchscreen, in addition to the digital buttons available in other Ram 1500s. Redundant HVAC buttons line the side of the screen. The 900-watt Harman Kardon audio system has 19 speakers, second only to the 23-speaker, 1,200-watt system found in the Tungsten trim. The interior gets topped off with a serialized center console badge with specs and a rhino graphic, the unofficial spirit animal of the RHO and a constant reminder that the TRX is officially extinct.

What Does It All Mean?

Time for a reality check. Everyone knows what’s coming; a big, bad off-road truck with premium tech and interior means an equally big, bad, off-limits price for most of us. What good is all the potential fun if no one can have it? That’s where the RHO is different. Its best feature is easily the price. Starting at $71,945, it’s more than $20,000 less than the TRX was, with equal or better off-road capability on paper. We all loved the Hellcat, but is it worth a $20,000 premium? Well, for anyone who can afford it, yes. But we would bet plenty of off-road enthusiasts in the market would make the trade for less power if it meant they could finally afford a truck like this.