Apr 04, 2025 by admin

Australia’s most popular full-size pickup has just got better, in every respect except one.

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The Ram 1500 has been Australia’s top-selling US pickup for the past seven years, but now the fifth-generation DT-series has come in for a meaningful midlife makeover and the headline act is Stellantis’ potent new ‘Hurricane’ twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine under its dinner table-size bonnet.

Available in just two premium variants for now, the 2025 Ram 1500 is no pricier at base level, despite also bringing freshened front-end styling plus significant multimedia and luxury upgrades inside its enormous cabin.

The downsized petrol engine makes all versions of the hulking US-built dual-cab 4×4 pickup more powerful, quicker and much less thirsty than the variants they replace.

But that’s because its hallowed 5.7-litre Hemi V8 has been pensioned off, at least for now. So should potential buyers lament the loss of its burbling bent eight?

How much does the Ram 1500 cost?

The MY25 Ram 1500 is initially available in just two upmarket guises, with first deliveries of both model variants commencing this month.

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Model	Price before on-road costs
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport	$141,950 (unchanged)
2025 Ram 1500 Limited	$159,950 (+$3000)

Prices start from $141,950 before on-road costs for the Laramie Sport, rising to $159,950 plus on-roads for the Limited flagship ($3000 more than before).

That means the Laramie Sport is no more expensive than the variant it replaces, but $22,000 pricier than the outgoing Big Horn range-opener, stocks of which will continue to be available until the second half of this year priced from $119,950 before on-roads.

Both the Ram 1500 Big Horn and Laramie are expected to receive the MY25/Hurricane treatment later this year, when they will be joined by the facelifted Ram 2500 Heavy Duty and perhaps the hot new Ram 1500 RHO.

Further afield, Ram Trucks Australia could introduce the Ramcharger range-extender electric vehicle, and even a born-again Hemi-powered TRX monster truck if Stellantis backflips on its decision to axe the V8.

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Ram 1500 like on the inside?

Absolutely massive, just like its three factory-backed, locally converted competitors, the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra.

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Unlike Australia’s most popular mid-size dual-cabs, the smallest Ram can comfortably accommodate five burly blokes, be it on the way to the jobsite or on the Big Lap of Australia.

In fact, rear-seat legroom, headroom and shoulder room easily eclipses that of most limousines, and matches them for luxury too, with acres of white stitched and piped leather trim, or carpet lining almost every inch of both the Laramie Sport and Limited cabins.

But the best seats in this big house are most certainly up front, where both occupants are treated to a commanding view in all directions, and the front passenger now also gets their own infotainment screen, which coated in a privacy film so the driver can’t view it.

They can connect their smartphones to the 10.25-inch unit via a HDMI port to display media including videos, or use it to program destinations into the navigation system that can be shown on the infotainment screen.

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That’s in addition to the bigger 14.4-inch portrait-style central infotainment touchscreen (up from 12.0-inches), which offers both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity that works seamlessly, and fast processing that allows it to load an array of functions as quickly as you can press on them.

The equally clear, classy and well presented digital instrument cluster is customisable and also grows in size, now measuring 12.3 inches and echoing the oversized interior theme that extends to huge storage compartments in all four doors, more cup and bottle holders, and both USB-A and USB-C ports than you can count, and an esky-sized centre console ahead of the enormous, softly padded centre armrest complete with sliding tray.

Dual wireless smartphone chargers and a cracking 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system complete the high-tech cabin package, and the Limited adds to that with a digital rear-view mirror that can be disabled, and a massaging function for the throne-like driver’s seat, which like the front passenger seat is power-adjustable in all directions.

The only blights on the whisper-quiet, high-quality cabin is the lack of electric steering column adjustment, old-fashioned woodgrain trim highlights on the centre console and grime-attracting gloss black surrounds for both multimedia displays.

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Dimensions	Ram 1500
Length	5916mm
Width	2057mm
Height	1971mm
Wheelbase	3672mm
Braked towing capacity	3500kg (Laramie Sport and Limited with 50mm tow ball) 4200kg (Limited with 70mm tow ball) 4500kg (Laramie Sport with 70mm tow ball)
Payload	863kg (Laramie Sport, up 113kg) 782kg (Limited, up 81kg)
Kerb weight	2642kg (Laramie Sport) 2722kg (Limited)
Gross vehicle mass	3505kg
Gross combined mass	7711kg (Laramie Sport) 7285kg (Limited)

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Replacing the Ram 1500’s legendary 5.7-litre Hemi V8, which dates back 74 years to 1951, is the twin-turbo Hurricane straight six available in two different tunes.

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Specifications	Ram 1500 Laramie Sport	Ram 1500 Limited
Engine	3.0L inline 6cyl twin-turbo petrol ‘Standard Output’	3.0L inline 6cyl twin-turbo petrol ‘High Output’
Power	313kW	403kW
Torque	635Nm	707Nm
Transmission	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic
Drive type	Switchable four-wheel drive	Switchable four-wheel drive
Fuel type	91 octane unleaded	95 octane unleaded
Fuel consumption	10.74L/100km	11.79L/100km
Fuel tank capacity	98 litres	125 litres

With no less than 313kW of power and a beefy 635Nm of torque, the ‘Standard Output’ Hurricane engine in the Laramie Sport is up 22kW (7.0 per cent) and 79Nm (14 per cent), while the ‘High Output’ version in the Limited produces 403kW and 707Nm – up 38.5 and 27 per cent respectively.

Equipped with a pair of a pair of low-inertia, high-flow turbochargers, both Hurricane engine variants are matched to an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission and four-wheel drive via a dual-range transfer case as standard – but while the SO has an on-demand 4×4 system, the Limited gets a full-time system.

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Ram 1500 drive?

The new engine makes both upgraded Ram 1500s much quicker than their V8 predecessors, which accelerated from 0-100km/h in about 7.5 seconds.

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Performance testing at the Lang Lang proving ground in Victoria, where the press launch was based, showed the SO-spec six, which itself packs 22psi of boost pressure, easily propels the Laramie Sport to 100km/h in less than 6.0 seconds, which isn’t mucking around for a 2642kg vehicle (kerb).

Best results are achieved in 4×4 Auto mode, rather than 2WD, which when loaded up to about 3000rpm sees the Hurricane-powered Laramie Sport squat its rear-end, grip up and launch with the type of force we’ve not previously experienced before in a Ram 1500 other than the discontinued TRX.

The best 0-100km/h time on the day was 5.8 seconds, but we’re reliably informed the new Laramie Sport is capable of 5.6 seconds in cooler conditions without a passenger. In short, the new Ram Hurricane feels quicker and looks quicker, even if it doesn’t have the engine note to match.

The straight six sounds better than a V6 like the F-150 or Tundra, but not as good as the old V8 or the Silverado, with a raspy, non-descript exhaust note that can best be described as vanilla.

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The high-output Limited, which has two fuel pumps and 26psi of boost, plus different injection and ignition calibration (sorry hot tuners), spins up more quickly, feels freer breathing, and sounds a bit louder – especially in the cabin – but not much better.

It also launches a lot more violently, easily hitting 100km/h in 5.4 seconds on my first attempt, and achieving a best of 5.3 seconds on the day. That makes the Limited HO about half a second quicker than the Laramie Sport SO, and at least 2.0 seconds quicker than the V8 it replaces.

But the latest Ram 1500 is no lead-tipped arrow, as several laps of the Lang Lang ride/handling circuit and an extended drive on the pockmarked sealed and unsealed rural roads towards Phillip Island showed.

The clever, rotary dial-operated eight-speed auto makes the most of the sizeable torque on tap, especially the 700Nm-plus Limited, but neither variant ever felt lacking in performance or leaving me wanting shift paddles, offering effortless highway overtaking and spirited exits from tighter turns.

Both Ram 1500 grades also continue to offer relatively direct and responsive steering, making them surprisingly easy to place on tight and twisty backroads, despite a vehicle length of almost 6.0 metres and a width of more than 2.0m.

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But as before, the Limited’s three-mode, four-corner air suspension and larger 22-inch alloy wheels with wider Pirelli Scorpion tyres deliver a much firmer, busier ride than the Laramie Sport on steel springs and 20s, yet don’t offer any reduction in body roll while cornering.

It’s also a bit strange that the new Laramie ‘Sport’ has a chromed grille surround and RAM logo up front, while the top-shelf Limited gets a sportier gloss black grille, wheels and badging all round.

However, the full complement of driver safety aids worked seamlessly and unobtrusively in both grades, including the Limited’s new traffic sign recognition system, and the driver attention monitor that joins the Ram 1500 range without any of the distracting bing-bongs that blight so many new vehicles today.

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Both Ram 1500s come very well equipped as standard, as you’d expect for circa-$150,000 vehicles.

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Ram 1500 Laramie Sport equipment highlights:

• Standard Output Hurricane engine
• 20-inch alloy wheels
  • 275/55R20 tyres
• LED headlights
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power tailgate with one-touch close function
• RamBox storage system
• Spray-in bedliner
• Automatic lowering and retracting side steps
• 5 x drive modes (Auto, Sport, Tow, Snow, Off-Road) 
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.4-inch infotainment screen
• 10.25-inch front passenger infotainment touchscreen
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Dual wireless smartphone charger
• 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system

Ram 1500 Limited adds:

• High Output Hurricane engine
• 22-inch alloy wheels
  • 285/45R22 tyres
• Air suspension with three modes (Normal, Aero and Off-Road)
• LED headlights and tail-lights with unlock animation
• Proximity lighting with Ram logo projection
• Massaging seats
• Digital rear-view mirror

In terms of hauling and towing provisions, which is the reason for the RAM 1500’s being, both variants come standard tow hitch, soft roller cover, spray-in liner for the 5’7″ tub, push-down rear quarter step, RamBoxes and a one-touch powered tailgate (open and close).

A panoramic sunroof allows lots of light into both classy cabins, which are easy to access via auto-deploying side steps, and Limited’s proximity lighting system includes the largest puddle lights we’ve ever seen.

Colour options include:

• Bright White
• Billet Silver
• Delmonico Red
• Diamond Black

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Ram 1500 safe?

The Ram 1500 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP.

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Standard safety equipment includes:

• Front, front-side and curtain airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Junction assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver fatigue monitoring (NEW)
• Evasive steering assistance (NEW)
• Intersection Collision Assist (NEW)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera

Ram 1500 Limited adds:

• Traffic sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Front parking sensors

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Ram 1500 cost to run?

Service intervals are 12 months or 12,000km, and all Ram Trucks Australia vehicles are backed by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty (whichever comes first) including roadside assistance.

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Servicing and Warranty	Ram 1500
Warranty	3 years or 100,000 kilometres
Roadside assistance	3 years or 100,000 kilometres
Service intervals	12 months or 15,000 kilometres
Capped-price servicing	–

That matches GM Specialty Vehicles’ aftersales program for the Chevrolet Silverado, but falls short of the five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty offered by Ford Australia for its F-150 and Toyota Australia for its Tundra (for private buyers).

Despite their higher outputs, both new Hurricane-powered Ram 1500s are more frugal than the V8s they replace.

The Laramie Sport’s SO engine has a combined fuel consumption figure of 10.74L/100km (making it over 12 per cent more efficient), and the HO-engined Limited averages 11.79L/100km (down about 3.5 per cent).

The Laramie Sport SO consumes 91 RON standard unleaded and has a 98-litre petrol tank, while the Limited HO consumes 95 RON premium unleaded and has 125L of fuel capacity.

To see how the Ram 1500 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Ram 1500

The Ram 1500 is the nation’s top-selling US pickup for good reason, and if you need to tow more than 3500kg or you can afford to tow anything with more ease, space and luxury than a mid-size ute like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux can, it’s still one of the best options out there.

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But there’s also more competition when it comes to full-size, factory-warranted pickups, and if you don’t need a V8 the V6-powered F-150 range delivers almost as much power and more torque than the Laramie Sport, and although they consume more fuel, all versions cost less, at least until the MY25 Ram 1500 Big Horn and Laramie arrive.

Similarly, the single-spec mild-hybrid V6 Tundra has performance outputs in the same ballpark as the Ram 1500 SO, but also uses more fuel, yet it costs almost as much as the Limited HO. But both the Ford and Toyota come with a longer warranty.

However, if you still want a raucous V8, the Silverado 1500 is now your only option. It offers almost identical outputs to the Laramie Sport, isn’t that much thirstier, comes with the same warranty and costs less money, even in ZR2 form.

Interested in buying a Ram 1500? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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