The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Is Here to Disrupt the High-Performance Truck Market
After months of spy photographer footage and teasers from Stellantis, Ram showed off its latest Ford F-150 Raptor fighter on Thursday morning. Known as the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO, this high-riding 4x4 brings its own 540-hp six-cylinder engine and trick suspension setup to bear against the crosstown competitor, and it does so at a highly competitive starting price of just $71,990 including destination.
The Ram faithful are surely no strangers to the recipe that makes up the all-new RHO model. While the truck brand is very cagey about fans making comparisons between this rig and the now-defunct TRX, it only takes a single look at the thing to see the familial relationship. That’s because the RHO has benefitted from a huge amount of TRX tech, though that truck’s supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 is notably missing.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Suspension
The RHO features the same high-strength boxed steel chassis, as well as the same independent front suspension setup and multi-link rear end with coils from the TRX. A set of Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks sit at all four corners, complete with rock shielding and nitrogen-charged remote reservoirs. The familiar hourglass-shaped bodywork also adds eight inches over a standard 1500. That extra width allows for six extra inches of track width, improving the truck’s high-speed stability.
You might also recognize the truck’s 18-inch beadlock-capable wheels, which are another direct pull-off from the outgoing TRX. Those wheels come wrapped in 35-inch tires, but don’t expect to go up a size without some modification. Chief Engineer Doug Killian told reporters at the launch that a set of 37s will not go on the RHO without some cutting. Other carryover highlights include a Dana 60 rear axle with hop dampeners, an electronic-locking rear differential, and upgraded upper and lower control arms.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Engine and Power Output
Under the bulging hood of the RHO you’ll find a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine, known as the Hurricane. In High Output spec, the engine is good for 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque. For reference, the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 found in the F-150 Raptor produces 450 hp and 510 lb-ft. The engine was developed from the jump with the RHO in mind, and therefore is largely unchanged from other High Output applications. The RHO does pick up a unique intake design with a removable conical filter, however.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO 0-60 Time and Top Speed
Ram says that sort of output allows the truck to do 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds, before running the quarter-mile mile in 13.1 seconds at 105 mph. Top speed is limited to 118 mph, a result of the speed rating on the truck’s knobbly rubber. The engine comes mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which works with a BorgWarner 48-13 full-time active transfer to provide all-time four-wheel drive. Depending on your drive mode, torque splits range from 45:55, 50:50, and 25:75 rear-biased. Ram says that the RHO provides the most performance per dollar in the segment, with each horsepower available costing buyers $129.60.
Without the blown Hemi in the front of the truck, the RHO tips the scales at 150 lbs less than its predecessor. The Hurricane drops 180 lbs off of the front axle, however, which should make the nose a bit more eager to change direction. That change in weight distribution also required the team to completely retune the shocks, writing new algorithms specific to this vehicle.
The system provides a 40 percent increase in wheel travel over a standard 1500, with 13 inches of total travel up front and 14 inches of total travel in the rear. The truck has 11.8 inches of ground clearance, while the F-150 Raptor provides 12 inches with the 35s equipped. Jump up to the 37s and the Ford offers 13.1 inches of clearance. The truck also provides customers with approach, departure, and breakover angles of 31 degrees, 25.2 degrees, and 21.8 degrees, respectively.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Interior
The interior of the Ram 1500 RHO is quite similar to the outgoing TRX, but it benefits from the mid-cycle refresh coming for all 2025 Ram 1500s. Sporty Napa leather and suede seats ensure that you stay in place during jumps, complete with heat, ventilation, and massage functions. Carbon accents are available as an option if you need more sportiness inside your pickup.
Ram loves its big screens, and the RHO offers almost 50 inches worth of interior screens. Ahead of the wheel sits a large 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, which is flanked by a large 14.5-inch infotainment screen running the latest Uconnect software. The new front passenger screen also measures 10.25 inches. This secondary screen is covered in a unique film to prevent it from being visible from behind the driver’s seat. A configurable heads-up display is also included in the RHO hardware, with unique displays for the different driving modes. You’ll also find a ton of Rhino easter eggs, including on the serialized VIN plate.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Pricing
The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO might not have the extreme power of the outgoing model, but the truck presents a huge value in the segment. With its starting price of $71,990, the RHO undercuts the Raptor by over $8000. The Ford starts at $80,325 including destination charges. The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter models also make things a bit more interesting, as the mid-sizers carry MSRPs of $65,395 and $64,395, respectively.
A few thousand more dollars gets you a lot more truck, which is exactly the goal behind the RHO. Ram wants this thing to be a high-volume machine, which is something it could never really do with the Hellcat V-8-powered TRX. While previous TRX customers may view the RHO as a “downgrade” from their ultra-performance model, the RHO exists in an entirely different pricing realm. It should be interesting to see just how the RHO disrupts the current 4x4 hierarchy.
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