2025 Ram 1500 RHO Is a $71,990 Raptor Fighter

• The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO fills the void left by the outgoing Ram 1500 TRX and gives customers another desert-ripping Ram.
  

• The new Ram uses the high-output 3.0-liter I6 Hurricane for power and sends 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed transmission.

• The RHO starts at $71,990 and is on sale now, with deliveries scheduled for the third quarter of 2024.

The Ram TRX is dead, and along with it the 702 hp from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Well, it’s hard to argue that these desert-racing-inspired rigs aren’t popular. Taking what the company learned from the snarling Ram TRX, meet the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO.

While there isn’t a Hemi under the hood, there is plenty of power from the high-output version of the 3.0-liter Hurricane I6. There are also adaptive Bilstein dampers, plenty of suspension travel, and more hardcore hardware stuffed underneath this Ram’s skin.

While we talked about the two Hurricane powerplants heading to the Ram in our first drive of this latest generation Ram 1500 pickup, here’s a slight refresher for the RHO. Only one version of the 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 is available in RHO trim, and it sends 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic.

From there the power travels through a BorgWarner 48-13 full-time transfer case, the wheels, and eventually the pavement, gravel, or sand. Even though this is basically the same power unit found in other high-output Hurricane-equipped trucks, there is a unique exhaust system.

If you’re wondering how this stacks up against the turbocharged V6 under the hood of its crosstown rival, it’s favorable. The V6-powered Ford F-150 Raptor squeezes out 460 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque.

That puts the base Ram 1500 RHO ahead of the V6-powered Raptor. However, Ford is still stuffing 5.2 liters of supercharged V8 under the hood of the Raptor R for those missing the snarl of a V8-powered sand cruiser.

Of course, an off-road truck, especially one that’s looking at Baja’s desert, is more than just what’s under the hood. Helping give the Ram 1500 RHO its chops is a long-travel suspension that relies on Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive dampers to handle the workload.

These dampers continuously adjust and work with the retuned springs and longer control arms to give you a better footing. This revised hardware gives the Ram 1500 RHO 13 inches worth of suspension travel in the front. At the rear, the five-link suspension helps the full floating Dana 60 axle move 14 inches.

Compared to the standard Ram 1500, the RHO is a staggering six inches wider, and two inches taller. Now covering the 35 inches of Goodyear Wrangler Territory A/T tires is a set of wider fenders and flares at the front. Making the Ram 1500 RHO legal is a set of clearance marker lights in the front bumper tucked away inside the hood scoop.

Joining the wider fenders and flares, a unique grille and hood are heading to the 1500 RHO. Tucked inside the grille is a unique, flow-through Ram logo to give as much air as possible to the heat exchangers. The RHO also comes with skid plates, but you can add on full-length rock rails to protect the RHO’s sheetmetal. You can also add on RHO body graphics to let those unfamiliar know what’s in front of them.

On the inside, the Ram 1500 RHO comes with just about all the amenities from the latest Ram rig. Sitting in the dash is a 14.5-inch touchscreen display, with a 10.25-inch passenger screen also available. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster comes standard, which can bring the grand total of screen space over 50 inches. Oh yeah, and there’s also a head-up display.

The Ram RHO comes with 12-way power and massaging seats. Covering those seats is a variety of leather and microsuede options. For those who wanted a traditional shifter on your ’25 Ram pickup, you’re also in luck: a performance shifter is coming to the RHO’s center console. You’ll also get a special VIN badge affixed to the top of the center console that’s emblazoned with the RHO’s rhino mascot.

While this isn’t a TRX, and doesn’t have a Hemi, there is a massive upside. Ram says the ’25 1500 RHO is on sale now for $71,990, with deliveries expected to start in the third quarter of 2024. That’s expensive, but considering the final edition of the Ram 1500 TRX crested six figures, this almost seems like a bargain.

Do you think the Ram 1500 RHO can fill the void left by the TRX? Tell us your thoughts below.