After regular V8 power returned to the US range last month, Ram may be about to revive its supercharged, 500kW-plus TRX pick-up – but it's no certainty for Australia.
Ram is reportedly due to revive its most powerful pick-up – the 6.2-litre supercharged V8 Ram 1500 TRX – at the start of 2026 after returning lesser V8 power to the line-up last month in its native market.
The TRX was a casualty of a switch across the Ram 1500 line-up from V8 power to turbocharged inline six-cylinder engines, a decision the US pick-up specialist has admitted it "screwed up".
US website Mopar Insiders cites "well-placed sources within the company" as placing the TRX on track to recommence production in "late January 2026", pending any delays.
It would form part of the revived SRT division, the high-performance arm of Ram and sister brands Dodge and Jeep, which was left with a bleak future as each marque axed its most popular V8 models.
The new TRX will reportedly be sold alongside the Ram 1500 RHO, the vehicle introduced as its indirect successor, with the TRX's off-road hardware but a turbo six-cylinder engine rather than the V8.
Mopar Insiders speculates the revived TRX could receive a power boost from its 6.2-litre supercharged V8, from 523kW (702 horsepower) in the superseded model, to 537kW (720hp) or more.
In the previous TRX, the V8 was good for 0-100km/h acceleration in about 4.5 seconds, thanks to an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
It claims the 2026 TRX will incorporate "the same styling and technology updates" introduced with the RHO and updated Ram 1500 range, including tweaked looks and new interior features.
Off-road hardware such as adaptive Bilstein dampers, heavy-duty suspension components, 18-inch wheels, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres, and a wider, taller stance are set to carry over.
The return of the Ram 1500 TRX would follow about six months after the reintroduction of the 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated V8 in cheaper model grades.
There is no guarantee either would come to Australia, however, as changes made to the Ram 1500's electrical architecture with its facelift have made the V8's return more difficult than simply fitting it where the six-cylinder would usually sit.
It means that, should the V8 receive the green light to return to the Ram 1500 in Australia, it would need to pass through the 12- to 18-month process it usually takes for new Ram models to be engineered in right-hand drive.
Over its circa-two-year run in Australian showrooms, 984 Ram 1500 TRX pick-ups were sold.
"Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle them defines you. Ram screwed up when we dropped the Hemi — we own it and we fixed it," Ram global CEO Tim Kuniskis said in a media statement released alongside the 5.7-litre V8's return last month.
"Ram will continue to offer the more powerful and more efficient Hurricane Straight Six Turbo, but we heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic Hemi V8.
"At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not to statisticians or ideologues."
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
