Prediction: Ram 1500 TRX Will Return – As a Hybrid
By Edward A. Sanchez — Nov. 9, 2023
While reception has been generally positive for the Ram 1500 Ramcharger (except for the use of “unlimited” to describe the range), truck guys have a more mixed reaction to news that the Hemi is going the way of the Dodo in 2025. Particularly galling to some is that the supercharged Hellcat Hemi-powered TRX is also ending after 2024, to be replaced (temporarily) with the Ram 1500 RHO (Ram High-Output). While this model will be packing the higher-output Hurricane I-6 with a not-insubstantial 540 hp, it won’t have the unmistakable V-8 burble or supercharger whine – just a six-cylinder blat and turbo whoosh.
Other than some audio voodoo through the speakers trying to emulate V-8 sounds, any variant of the Hurricane will definitely not replicate the Hellcat’s distinctive soundtrack. But with the application of some off-the-shelf technology from one of Stellantis/FCA’s long-time Tier-1 suppliers, the TRX could make a comeback stronger than ever.
German transmission giant ZF has been the main supplier for Stellantis’ well-regarded Torqueflite 8 automatic transmissions, which are basically in-house branding for the ZF 8HP, considered by many to currently be the best automatic transmission on earth. In 2019, ZF announced the development of a hybrid version of the 8HP scheduled to go into production in 2025. The transmission would be offered in configurations adding between 24-160 kW (32-215 hp) and up to 450 Nm of torque (332 lb-ft) of torque.
Let’s break out the calculator and do some quick math. The high-output Hurricane makes 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque. Adding the maximum output of the ZF hybrid transmission adds up to 755 hp and 853 lb-ft of torque. Stellantis could probably turn up the wick further on the Hurricane, possibly raising the bar even higher for total system output.
An added bonus is that this configuration would almost certainly deliver better fuel economy than the TRX’s dismal 10 mpg city/14 mpg highway rating. It could be offered as both a HEV (non-plug-in) or PHEV, but probably a smaller pack than the 92 kWh offered in the Ramcharger.
The hybrid version of the ZF 8HP transmission could be a game changer for the TRX as it enters an electrified world, offering both power and efficiency.
Somewhat analogous to the situation with Ram, Ford transitioned the F-150 Raptor from a naturally aspirated 6.2L V-8 to a high-output EcoBoost 3.5L V-6 in going from the first to second generation. Later, the supercharged, limited-edition V-8 Raptor R came out. For the lucky few, the Raptor R is a delectable off-road toy. But the transition from V-8 to V-6 didn’t seem to hurt the sales of the “regular” Raptor.
For the time being, the Ram RHO is a good placeholder, with specs that pit it squarely against the V-6 Raptor. Like the Raptor R, Stellantis can carefully curate and tease various rumors about the TRX, as it already has with brand CEO Tim Kuniskis saying the model has been “shelved” for the moment. Notice he did not say, “dead, never to return.”
I envision a series of cryptic teaser videos with animations of turbochargers, hybrid motors, dune jumping, and drag racing leading up to the new TRX’s introduction. As I posited in my post recently, outrage over engine downsizing is now predominantly limited to nostalgic boomers, and those with a size fixation on cubic inches. Most customers care about actual performance, regardless of how its generated. Stellantis has built too much of a mystique around the TRX to squander it completely. It will almost certainly return, but possibly not in the form some may expect.
(Image courtesy Ram)
