Ram TRX V-8 pickup returns for $100,000

2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX

Stellar

DETROIT – Stellar is resurrecting a V8-powered Ram pickup called the TRX as the company faces fewer federal emissions regulations and enacts a U.S. sales turnaround plan for its brands.

The automaker announced Thursday that the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX will be available in late 2026 for around $100,000. It was initially produced for the 2021-2024 model years before being discontinued as the company shifted its focus to V-8 engines.

The TRX is powered by a turbocharged 6.2-liter “Hellcat” gasoline engine producing 777 horsepower and 680 foot-pounds of torque. The automaker calls it the “fastest and most powerful production gasoline pickup in the world,” capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 118 mph.

“We had to take it to the next level,” Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said at a recent media event. “We’re really excited to see this one come back.”

Although sales have historically been relatively low due to the vehicle’s price, the TRX is viewed as the brand’s “halo” model, or a high-end vehicle that will draw attention to Ram and potentially boost sales of other models. It’s been a successful strategy for Kuniskis, particularly with the company’s SRT performance vehicles.

2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX

Stellar

The TRX’s return is the brand’s latest move under Kuniskis, who has been leading a turnaround plan since leaving the automaker a year ago.

Kuniskis plans to make more than 25 announcements by next year. So far, those have included a return to NASCAR with mechanical bull wheels and a new race truck, the revival of Hemi V8 engines with a new “symbol of protest” and the introduction of a long-promised battery-electric version of its 1500 truck.

The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX starts at $99,995, plus a mandatory $2,595 destination charge that brings the price to $102,590. The initial TRX started 2020 at $71,690, including destination.

Ram also announced Thursday a new 6.7-liter high-output Cummins turbodiesel engine for its 2027 Ram Power Wagon heavy-duty truck with 430 horsepower and 1,075 foot-pounds of torque.

Change plans

Many of the new efforts conflict with Stellantis’ previous plans to phase out gasoline V8 vehicles due to stricter fuel economy regulations and penalties. But these measures have either been weakened or disappeared altogether under the Trump administration.

Kuniskis said the rollback was intended to help sales but would do it “anyway” regardless of the standards.

2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX

Stellar

Kuniskis has again embraced V-8 engines, including with the revival of the TRX, as part of an effort to revive Stellantis’ U.S. sales, which slumped from 2021 to 2024 under former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.

During that time, the automaker – which was formed in 2021 through a merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe – fell from the fourth-largest automaker in U.S. sales to sixth.

Stellantis’ revenue was 6% lower in the third quarter of last year compared to the previous year. Cox Automotive expects the automaker to end the year with 1.25 million sales in the U.S., down 4.4% from 2024 and more than 2 million sales in 2020.

Kuniskis, who also oversees all of Stellantis’ U.S. brands, said both Ram and Jeep – the automaker’s main domestic brands – are “moving in the right direction” to benefit from growth next year.

2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX

Stellar

That could be more difficult than in the past, with auto forecasters like Cox expecting relatively flat or even declining auto sales in 2026. This means the automaker needs to attract buyers from other brands.

“It’s still a strong industry. As long as we get our share of it, we’ll be fine,” Kuniskis said.

Jeep reset

Ram isn’t the only Stellantis brand looking for a revival.

Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf, similar to Kuniskis, has initiated a turnaround strategy for the company’s Jeep brand. Since selling record sales of more than 973,000 vehicles in 2018, Jeep has experienced years of annual sales declines.

The “Jeep reset” plan includes a repositioning of the brand’s pricing, models and standard features, according to Broderdorf.

“This will be, in my opinion, the final piece of the puzzle to reset the foundation for Jeep this year and really get into what makes it special going forward,” Broderdorf said in a Dec. 16 interview with CNBC. “It’s a much better Jeep.”

Kuniskis described the Jeep reset plan as “making Jeep more Jeep.”

The latest moves essentially streamline Jeep’s lineup into fewer models, more content and a pricing strategy with less overlap, from smaller vehicles like the Compass and Cherokee to the larger Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer.

“The entire Jeep lineup is better,” Broderdorf said. “I think we are laying a very strong foundation for next year’s growth and new cars.”

New upcoming Jeeps include a resurrected Cherokee midsize SUV and an all-electric Recon inspired by the brand’s iconic Wrangler off-road SUV.

2025 could be the year Jeep breaks the trend and posts its first U.S. sales increase since 2018, but Broderdorf said in mid-December that the brand would be close to the mark, so it could go either way.

Broderdorf said Jeep remains profitable despite the pricing changes and lower sales as part of its turnaround plan.

“We will grow healthily,” he said. “I think that’s what the brand needs. We’re going to grow.”