Inside the Civilized and Tech-Friendly 2021 Ram 1500 TRX

It used to be that if you wanted a vehicle that could handle the wilder parts of the outside world, you had to skimp on the interior amenities. Not so much anymore. With features like adaptive cruise control available on FCA's Jeep Wrangler, it's not surprising that the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is not only civilized inside, but it also houses quite a lot of technology, including things that are new or unexpected for a pickup such as launch control, an optional head-up display, and aluminum paddle shifters.

The 1500 TRX has the expected drive modes, with controls located between the steering wheel and the infotainment display. In addition to the regular Normal mode for on-road driving, it has Wet/Snow, Off-Road, and Baja settings. Baja mode sets up the truck by calibrating the four-wheel-drive, steering, suspension, paddle shifters, and stability control to help you tackle your favorite desert track or other kinds of "undulating, loose surfaces." If you're looking for on-road performance, the TRX also has Launch Control, found in the same bundle of controls as the drive modes. When enabled, it manages tire slip. The 12.0-inch display can be used to fine-tune launch control so that the truck takes off at the driver's preferred rpm.