The Ram 1500 founded and legitimised the full-size ute segment in Australia, holding a strong lead for a number of years despite what became an onslaught of competitive rivals.
First, it was the V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado, then the deeply impressive Ford F-150 and more recently dominant market player Toyota confirmed the Tundra would become a permanent fixture of local showrooms after a lengthy and localised testing program.
Ram Trucks Australia no longer offers the fourth-generation ‘DS’, known as the Classic and with a circa-$80k entry point that was previously sold alongside the fifth-generation DT.
After launching globally in 2019, it’s time for the latter DT to undergo a midlife facelift; and while it has received the usual tip and tuck inside and out, its beating Hemi V8 heart has now been replaced with the 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six petrol engine, known internally and amongst brand fans as the Hurricane.
We’ve all seen this story before: a smaller engine replaces a bigger one, making more power and using less fuel than ever before, but at the cost of a little bit of soul… Some vehicles, however, make this exchange far more convincing than others.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Ram’s local division, with the Aussie launch event taking place the very day reports broke that the Hemi V8 would go back into production in the United States.
But it’s likely that this V8 ship has permanently sailed for Australian buyers, with the impending introduction of NVES only making the bent-eight’s potential reintroduction that much more unlikely.
So if it’s a change we have to live with, is it at least a good one? We have reason to believe it is.
What are the 1500’s features and options for the price?
For now, the facelifted 1500 range is available in two flavours: the Laramie Sport and the Limited.
Left: Ram 1500 Limited. Right: Ram 1500 Laramie Sport
With new competitors hot on its heels, the price of the Laramie Sport is identical to the previous version at $141,950 before on-road costs, with the Limited copping a $3000 increase at $159,950.
That price puts the most affordable version of the new Ram just above the top-spec Ford F-150 Lariat LWD ($140,945) and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 ($138,000), but the brand promises that the specification is worth it.
A good deal of the standard features on Aussie-delivered models are optional extras in the US, such as the famous ‘RamBox’.
The Laramie Sport includes the following standard features:
- 313kW/635Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine
- Eight-speed automatic
- On-demand 4WD system
- 98-litre fuel tank
- LED headlights
- 20-inch alloy wheels (275/55/20 tyres)
- 19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system
- Dual-pane panoramic sunroof
- 14.4-inch infotainment screen
- 10.25-inch front passenger infotainment touchscreen
- Dual wireless phone charging
- Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Automatic lowering and retracting power side steps
- Power tailgate
- RamBox storage system
- Spray-in bedliner
- Rear-view camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
Pictured: Ram 1500 Laramie Sport
The Limited includes the following features:
- 403kW/707Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine
- Eight-speed automatic
- On-demand 4WD system
- Locking rear differential
- Air-suspension with three modes (normal, aero and off-road)
- Five driving modes (auto, sport, tow, snow, off-road)
- 125-litre fuel tank
- Traffic sign recognition
- LED headlights and tail-lights with animation on unlock
- 22-inch alloy wheels (285/45/22 tyres)
- 19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system
- Massaging seats (with five settings and three speeds)
- Dual pane panoramic sunroof
- 14.4-inch infotainment screen
- 10.25-inch front passenger infotainment touchscreen
- Dual wireless phone charging
- Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Switchable digital rear-view mirror
- Automatic lowering and retracting power side steps
- Power tailgate
- RamBox storage system
- Spray-in bedliner
- 360-degree view camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
Pictured: Ram 1500 Limited
How does the 1500 drive?
Building revs with my right foot while standing on the brake with my left isn’t the usual sort of way we begin our assessment of full-size utes, but in this case it feels appropriate given the new hire under the bonnet.
The front end surges upwards as I let go of the four-corner disc brakes and keep my right foot pinned as the Ram works its way up through the eight-speed transmission on its way to 100km/h.
We’re told the V8 would typically complete the highway on-ramp drag race in around 7.5 seconds, so when the 313kW/635Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine clocks a time of 6.05 seconds on the VBox timing equipment, it’s clear that we’re off to a good start.
Left: Ram 1500 Limited. Right: Ram 1500 Laramie Sport
Despite offering a 22kW and 79Nm advantage over the old V8, the straight-six in the Laramie Sport is known as the standard output unit. Up next is the high-output tune with 403kW and 707Nm at its disposal.
The difference at take off is immediate and sustained, with the 5.14 second time hardly a surprise.
The point, though, has already been made with the first vehicle: the new 1500 is faster, sure, but it’s also a bit quiet….
Drag racing in an unladen ute is a bit of a silly endeavour, I know, but I’ve pulled out of enough blind T-junctions in this country to appreciate how critical raw horsepower and torque can be. And especially in situations when you’re towing heavy loads up to 4.5-tonnes.
Contrary to common belief, Ram tells us almost all 1500 owners tow regularly with their pick-ups and the vast majority of them live in outer suburbia or regional areas.
Sadly we haven’t yet had a chance to do any towing with the new 1500 but the standard output Laramie Sport feels like enough grunt for most people’s needs. It’s also the one grade currently capable enough to tow 4500kg, while the Limited is, erm, limited to 4200kg.
That restriction is blamed on the more athletic focus of the Limited, also affecting the already fairly average payload of the 1500 at 863kg vs 782kg, numbers that are dwarfed by most midsize utes, though this is common among all ‘standard-duty’ full-size utes.
On the move, the twin-turbo ’six does its best to replicate the linear progression of a naturally aspirated V8, with the high-output Limited strangely offering smoother and smarter calibration of both the transmission and engagement of the on-demand 4×4 system, despite the two systems being common among both grades.
The suspension of the Ram 1500 is marvellous, with the big beast soaking up Australia’s inconsistent road surfaces though the two grades are markedly different in their behaviour.
Neither disguises the size and weight of the 1500, but the twin-tube shock absorber front and five-link coil rear suspension setup of the Laramie Sport feels controlled and well-damped for its size.
It still behaves like a full-size pick-up, with small movements and vibrations a constant as you make your way along the road. The Limited’s four-corner air suspension seeks to solve this by offering segment-unique four-corner air suspension that has to be experienced to be believed.
The active suspension system assists the handling character of the 1500 and irons out these movements. While not infallible, it puts the 1500 above its rivals.
While we didn’t get a chance to go off-road, the air suspension system can also be raised to increase ground clearance and a lockable electro-mechanical rear differential also enhances capability; though, disappointingly and somewhat bizarrely, the Laramie Sport misses out on the latter feature.
What is the 1500’s interior and tech like?
Stepping into the interior of the Ram 1500 is done via an electronic step that pops out from the side skirt of the vehicle, evoking images of the Simpson’s famous “Canyenero” episode (and where ‘Laramie’ was riffed as a brand wholly unrelated to pick-ups…).
It’s easy to make fun of, but it sets the tone of the great many small but meaningful luxuries that dot the interior of the 1500, and much of it is available as standard.
In comparison to many American trucks that ask for a huge sum of money yet still feel lacking in some areas of their specification, the Ram demands just a bit more yet feels like a more holistic and value-driven final product.
Pictured: Ram 1500 Limited
No ute over $100k should, for example, come without a premium stereo or tonneau cover and the 1500 duly provides, with its 19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system fitted as standard in the Laramie Sport. It’s quite lovely to listen to at low volume on the highway in the reasonably quiet cabin.
The 14.4-inch touchscreen controlling it is reasonably sharp, with a healthy repertoire of physical buttons running either side for functions such as climate control.
The portrait orientation is also fantastic for using maps, providing the forward visibility of the route ahead that drivers will need when towing a lengthy trailer.
Pictured: Ram 1500 Laramie Sport
An additional 10.25-inch digital driver’s display sits up front, while the Limited grade scores an additional unit of the same size that can be used for watching movies, playing music and much more.
A ‘privacy film’ blocking the driver’s view is also applied to keep things legal but this also makes the screen quite dim to look at square on.
Build quality feels decent and the left- to right-hand-drive conversion is brilliantly finished. There are still some unwelcome tell-tails of its Stelantis overlords, however, one of them being the excessive use of the gloss black plastic on common touchpoints that dulls the otherwise premium experience.
We also noted some frayed stitching on the door cards of our test unit, which could be user error but certainly isn’t a good sign for a near-new vehicle.
The Limited grade is where things start to get properly plush, with woodgrain inlay around the cabin and massaging seats for the front occupants.
The seats themselves are quite comfortable, featuring eight-way power adjustability (including lumbar) for both, along with acres of room to stretch out your legs and enough headroom to commode seriously tall folk – even with the panoramic sunroof.
Pictured: Ram 1500 Limited
While heated and ventilated seats are already available in the front row of the Larmine Sport, the Limited introduces both to the outboard seats of the back row. Wide and comfortable enough to accommodate three large blokes across, the space is generous and it’s also smart.
The 60:40 split is already useful, but the ability to also fold the bench up to expose an underfloor storage box, or lower seatbacks down, provides a versatile space for long-haul touring.
In the negative column, you’d expect to see three- or even four-zone climate control at this price point and sun pull-up sunshades wouldn’t go astray either. We’d also like to see some more advanced Matrix LED headlights at this price considering they can be had on a circa-$70K Volkswagen Amarok.
In the tray, it’s refreshing to see that the tonneau cover, cargo management system and the famous RamBox setup are standard; when the likes of the Ford F150 Lariat SWB ($139,950) and Toyota Tundra Limited ($155,990) only offering you a bare tray.
Australia is only offered the ‘5.7-foot’(1740mm) bed option, which is a bit of a shame. With intrusion of the RamBox system it’s only 1270mm wide and 543mm deep, so not the biggest bed we’ve seen.
Is the 1500 a safe car?
No full-size ute has been crash-tested in Australia at present, though in the US the Ram has received marginal to good results according to local testing author IIHS.
The locally sold 1500 is offered with a long list of safety features including blind spot monitoring with trailer detection, adaptive cruise control with lane centring, driver drowsiness detection, trailer sway control and a litany of airbags.
A 360-degree camera should be borderline legislated in a vehicle this size, and unfortunately, the Laramie Sport misses out here.
What are the 1500’s ownership costs?
Ram’s warranty in Australia remains the country’s worst, alongside Chevrolet, at three years or 100,000km, whichever comes first.
It’s only slightly longer than Ram’s warranty in America (where coverage is generally much shorter) but here in Australia, it looks insufficient when rivals from Ford and Toyota stretch to five years/unlimited kilometres. It’s a point to consider if you plan on doing a lot of touring.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 12,000km with prices uncapped, again in contrast to the F-150 that offers up to four years locked in.
The more efficient Hurricane engine promises a combined fuel consumption of 10.74L/100km for the low-output engines and 11.79L for the high-output Limited. In our spirited country loop, we saw consumption of 12.1L/100km and 12.6L/100km respectively.
Both claimed figures are impressive for a vehicle this size and offer a genuine strength over the old V8 with its 12.2L/100km claim. Particularly the standard output, which uses 91-octane fuel.
In addition to a more frugal engine, Ram has increased the tank size of both grades to 98 and 125 litres respectively, offering a range of 912 and 1060 kilometres according to the official claims.
**The honest verdict on the 1500
**
With so many Ram owners using their vehicles as towing rigs, it would be inappropriate to give our final verdict before such a test has been completed but our first impressions of the updated 1500 are that the local distributor is looking to stake its claim as the full-size ute king and it’s taking the challenge seriously.
The Hurricane engine is a welcome tenant to the 1500’s engine bay, with the availability of multiple tunes offering buyers the ability to choose either raw performance or efficiency.
The lack of basic tech such as a rear locking differential and 360 camera is an unfortunate misstep for the otherwise solid Laramie Sport grade but it remains the most logical choice, even with the truly impressive ride and handling of the air-sprung Limited.
With time, we should see more affordable and perhaps even the high-performance TRX replacement, the RHO, on Aussie shores as the obvious shortfall in the 1500 lineup is choice, though certainly not quality.
