And the insane TRX isn’t ready to die.
Speaking at the New York Auto Show, Jeep brand boss Jim Morrison explained that the future of performance is not a V8 engine. Ram has other ideas. Speaking with Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr., Motor Authority learned that pickup truck brand isn’t quite ready to downsize to a four-cylinder hybrid like Jeep. Though the Dodge Hellcat models will be phased out after 2023 (and be replaced by all-electric models), Koval said the Ram 1500 TRX would live on. The CEO didn’t confirm that the TRX will keep its 6.2-liter supercharged V8, but hinted that the truck would continue in “its current form.”
There’s a distinct possibility this means the TRX could be the last supercharged V8 FCA product left standing. It may also survive after that engine leaves production, using the new 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six boosted to over 700 horsepower.
We imagine Ram will get access to the Hurricane engine sooner rather than later, but we may not see any smaller engines in one of the company’s pickup trucks for a while. Koval confirmed there are no plans for a turbocharged four-cylinder Ram, like the engine powering the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler 4xe. In those vehicles, the plug-in hybrid drivetrain delivers 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, more than Jeep’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
General Motors currently offers a 2.7-liter four-cylinder in its Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks, while Ford doesn’t offer anything smaller than a V6 in the F-150, but offers a twin-turbo V6 as the most potent engine option.
Koval’s statement has us wondering what will be under the hood of the upcoming Ram 1500 EV, which is set to arrive with a gasoline range extender model. Perhaps the gas-only Ram trucks won’t get a four-cylinder, but the EV might (or even something smaller). The CEO says his range extender EV will “have everything a BEV does but more,” regarding capability and range. We think an electric pickup truck with a small two- or three-cylinder range extender could be the perfect truck to usher in a new electrified era.
For buyers who still want a conventional truck, Ram still has them covered. When asked if there’s a date when Ram will stop making gas-powered trucks, Koval answered, “no.”
