To say Ram Truck fans have been excited about the upcoming 2021 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX is an understatement. Our inbox is flooded with more questions about the upcoming Hellcat-powered off-roader than anything else. People have asked us every question under the sun about the new performance truck, so we figured we would take a more in-depth look at what we know about the upcoming Rebel TRX.
Let’s start with the exterior, Ram already gave us some idea of the direction they were going when they showed us the 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX Concept and we can say a lot of those original ideas carry over onto the production truck. Wider front fenders with vents next to the headlight and in front of the front doors give a more aggressive stance when looking from the front of the truck. According to our sources, the new TRX will wear a new variant of the Rebel grille which will incorporate the headlights from the Limited Black model.
Because of the truck’s wider stance, amber-colored marker lights are required by federal laws. Instead of putting those lights inside the grille like the TRX’s biggest competition the F-150 Raptor, Ram designers incorporated the center three-lights into the top of the new massive ram-air scoop in the hood. The new hood will let the supercharged 6.2-liter HELLCAT HEMI V8 breathe better, while hood extractors will be positioned closer to the front windshield. Hood badging will be placed similar to the current Ram 1500’s performance hood, but we are told that the badging will be set in an identical font as the Rebel TRX concept and will read “6.2L Supercharged”. Just like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, there will be no Hellcat badges present on this pickup, except for the top of the supercharger.
The bedsides are also flared out, with black vents next to the tail lights incorporated into the flares – looking similar to the TRX Concept. Dual blacked-out exhaust tips come out the rear bumper, just like the regular Rebel pickups, however, they are bigger in diameter as we have seen in recent spy photos. Also located next to the rear exhaust, are two big tow hooks for help pulling Raptors out of the deep sand. We don’t know if Ram’s new Multifunction Tailgate will be available on the TRX, but we doubt it. We have also already talked about the new all-LED third brake light, which will more than likely be standard on all 2021 Ram 1500 models with LED lighting.
Inside the cabin, is where we will see the biggest changes. For the first time ever, Ram will get aluminum paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel. Now, while some people might think these will be similar to those found in other Hellcat-powered vehicles, think again. These paddle shifters are similar to those found on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and are extended length. The other big addition is that the rotary dial shifter has been dumped (yes, no rotary shifter). Instead, the TRX will get a center console-mounted shifter similar in design to the one found on the concept, this means the TRX will not have the slideable center console like the regular Ram 1500s.
Everything else looks like it does in a standard Rebel Black with bits of Alcantara and black leather accent the seats. The 12-inch Uconnect touchscreen is there, this time loaded with Performance Pages similar to what is found on other Hellcat vehicles, however, some Rebel TRX-specific pages for off-roading will also be available.
Where the rotary dial shifter is typically located, expect some off-road selectable modes like snow, mud, and sand as well as the rear-locker and natural to be present.
We have been also told by multiple sources, unlike the concept which was rated at 575 horsepower, the production Rebel TRX will get the full 707 horsepower rating. It will be backed by an updated 8-speed ZF-sourced 8HP90 automatic transmission to a locking transfer case from Borg Warner.
Pricing has been the big question. When talking about the Ford F-150 Raptor, a base-model, no options Super Crew model starts at $58,135 USD. For those who opt for the 802A Luxury option on their Raptor, the package we believe aligns with what we expect is coming from Ram’s new TRX. This adds an additional $10,920 to the Raptor Super Crew’s total. This is where we believe the Rebel TRX will fail in terms of pricing, right around the $70,000 mark. While Ram hasn’t announced anything officially, including pricing, we are told to expect it to be very competitive to Ford’s offering. This will be one heck of a shootout between these two off-road capable pickups.
We can expect the 2021 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX to make its official debut at this summer’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan. Being that the truck will be built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) only a few miles away and the show’s new summer date, we think it will be the prime location to show the world the new truck. Our sister site 5thGenRams.com, broke the official launch date of the new TRX as September 8th, 2020.
