Those yelling for the Ram 1500 Rebel to come to Australia can now celebrate.
The off-road-focused version of Australia’s most popular full-size American pickup truck is due in local showrooms in September, priced at $141,950 before on-road costs.
That sees it wear the same price tag as the Laramie Sport, with which it shares the Standard Output tune of the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged ‘Hurricane’ inline six producing 313kW of power and 635Nm of torque.
This is mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system.
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Many of the Rebel’s optional features in the US are standard here.
Over the Laramie Sport, it adds:
- Bilstein off-road suspension with one-inch lift
- 32-inch Falken Wildpeak 275/65/18 all-terrain tyres
- Unique 18-inch wheels
- Underbody skid plates
- Unique grille
- Rebel decals
- Powder-coated front and rear steel bumpers
- Red and black interior
This equipment is in addition to that also found on the Laramie Sport, which includes:
- LED headlights
- Locking rear differential
- Spray-in tub liner
- Power tailgate with one-touch close function
- Panoramic sunroof
- Power opening rear window
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.4-inch infotainment screen
- Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- 10.25-inch front passenger screen
- Smartphone media streaming via USB-C to HDMI cable
- Navigation view
- External camera view
- Privacy film
- Heated front seats
- Heated outboard rear seats
- 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
- Dual wireless charging pads
- Adaptive cruise control
The Rebel matches the 4500kg braked towing capacity of the rest of the 1500 lineup when using a 70mm tow ball; with a 50mm ball, this drops to 3500kg.
Payload is 893kg, up from 863kg in the Laramie Sport.
It sits higher than the rest of the lineup too, with 240mm of ground clearance – against 217mm for the rest of the lineup – and an overall height of 2057mm that will see it shut out of some undercover parking lots.
Off-road geometry is improved, with the Rebel boasting an approach angle of 20.9 degrees, a departure angle of 22.2 degrees, and a rampover angle of 19.2 degrees. In contrast, the Laramie Sport has angles of 20.2 degrees, 21.7 degrees and 18.7 degrees, respectively.
The Rebel still has only a 98-litre fuel tank however, unlike the Limited – currently the only 1500 in Australia with the High Output tune of the Hurricane six – which has a 125L tank.
“We know modern ute buyers love the tough-truck look and prefer lots of black rather than lashings of chrome,” said Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber.
“We have identified a niche within the US pickup segment in Australia that leans into the off-road market and weekend getaways.
“For example, we have intentionally included the full-size ute tub on this model – rather than the RamBox – so customers can fit more camping gear, or even put a dirt bike in the back and be able to close the tailgate.
“While we won’t share volume expectations today, we do believe the Ram 1500 Rebel has the potential to become one of our biggest selling models, especially as it is deigned to appeal to younger buyers.”
The launch of the new 1500 variant coincides with Ram Trucks Australia’s 10th anniversary in Australia.
Ram Trucks Australia had previously indicated it would launch a Rebel version of the former DS generation of 1500, but it never eventuated.
The old Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss and new ZR2 subsequently filled this void for a more rugged, off-road-oriented American pickup in our market.
Ram Trucks Australia launched the facelifted 1500 earlier this year, initially only in Laramie Sport and Limited trim levels.
The facelifted 1500 was set to move to six-cylinder power only, but Ram in the US has confirmed the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 is returning. This has yet to be locked in for our market, where Rams are imported in left-hand drive and locally remanufactured in right-hand drive by Walkinshaw Aurtomotive.
That leaves pre-facelift DT-series 1500s, in runout mode, as the only way to get a V8-powered Ram in Australia.
The facelifted, six-cylinder-only lineup is set to expand with a refreshed Big Horn – already approved for sale in Australia – while the more hardcore RHO variant has previously been confirmed to be under evaluation.
Ram Trucks Australia is also keen on bringing the luxury Tungsten and a revived TRX, should such a variant eventuate.
The Ram 1500 lineup is considerably larger in the US, even with the Ramcharger extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and electric 1500 REV not yet available there.
The range opens with the naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6-powered Tradesman, available as either a Quad Cab or Crew Cab, and rises up through Warlock, Big Horn (aka Lone Star), Laramie, Rebel, Limited, Limited Longhorn, Tungsten and RHO variants.
Many of these offer different tub lengths and various option packages, while the return of the V8 makes the US lineup even more diverse.