For the longest time, the most dominant purpose-built lifestyle truck in the Philippine market is none other than the Ford Ranger Raptor. But that’s no longer the case as RAM Philippines has officially brought in its own monster and its none other than the 2022 RAM 1500 TRX.
The 2022 RAM 1500 TRX
So, what does this new beast of a truck offer to the Philippine market?
Exterior
To start off, one should be aware that the TRX is actually based and is a variant of the RAM 1500. Sure, the regular 1500 in of itself is already a behemoth compared to the more familiar midsize trucks popular locally, but the TRX takes it to a whole new level.
For instance, the TRX is significantly larger than the regular 1500. It measures 5,915mm long, 2,235mm wide, and 2,054mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 3,685mm, and a curb weight of 2,920kg. It also provides an impressive 299mm of ground clearance.
It's much more imposing than the regular RAM 1500
Mainly, the TRX’s size difference over the regular 1500 is attributed to its wider fenders, and a larger bespoke ladder frame chassis. This was given to the said model to accommodate its beefier suspension. More on that bit later.
When it comes to exterior equipment, the RAM 1500 TRX also gets a pair of LED front headlamps, LED front fog lamps, LED taillights, off-road style running boards, a rear tow hook, a power-folding side mirror, rain-sensing wipers, a bedliner, skid plates for the transfer case and front suspension, a dampened tailgate, and plenty of cargo tie-down loops. The truck can also provide power to tools and other equipment via a 115-volt auxiliary rear power outlet
The 2022 RAM 1500 TRX from the rear
To further differentiate it from the regular 1500, the TRX is also kitted out with a sportier-looking performance hood, a set of 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and a more aggressive-looking black-colored grille.
Interior
While the TRX is touted to be a high-performance but work-capable truck, its interior also offers a lot of niceties for its five occupants.
Overall, its interior looks premium, and there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces. The front bucket seats, the shift-knob, feature a combination of leather and red suede. Other interior bits even get carbon fiber trim pieces. The bright red TRX logo is also embroidered on the front seat headrests, and is present as a badge on the center console.
Looks comfy
Amenities inside the TRX include an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, a digital rearview mirror, ventilation for the front and rear seats, as well as a seven-inch TFT full-color driver display. The said truck also provides a heads-up display, a push-to-start button, and a tilt and telescopic steering column for the driver. The pedals of the TRX can also be adjusted for reach.
Occupants are then kept comfortable with a dual-zone automatic air-conditioning system with rear vents. Also present is a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, plenty of interior lighting, among others.
Tech & Safety
For entertainment, the RAM 1500 TRX comes standard with a 12-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The said unit is then linked to a 19-piece Harman Kardon premium speaker system. Also present are USB charging ports, as well as a wireless charging dock.
In terms of safety, the RAM 1500 TRX boasts plenty of active driver-assist features. These include forward-collision warning, a surround-view camera, blind-spot detection, rear-cross traffic alert, automatic high beam control, pedestrian emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Even it's touchscreen headunit is huge
Other safety features found on this RAM model are a tire pressure monitor, stability and traction control, speed-sensing door locks, adaptive suspension damping, active noise control, LATCH child seat anchors, a security alarm, etc.
For airbags, this truck gets a total of six. These include front airbags, side airbags, and side curtain airbags.
Engine & Drivetrain
Like we mentioned before, the RAM 1500 TRX is out to make a huge statement in the local performance truck segment. To do this, RAM gave it a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 HEMI engine.
At maximum, this gargantuan eight-cylinder gasoline mill can crank out up to 702 horsepower and 881 Nm of torque. This enables the TRX to achieve an average 0-100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds, according to RAM. That said, this beast of the truck counts as one of the fastest accelerating pickup trucks you can buy today.
The heart of the beast
As we’ve hinted at when we talked about its exterior though, the TRX is more than just a speed demon. It gets a bespoke ladder frame chassis that is designed to work together with the Bilstein Black Hawk e2 shock system, a set of wider control arms, and a set of dual-rate coil springs which provide 50mm more ride height than the standard RAM 1500.
What this means is the TRX can pretty much handle rough terrain, and with its power it can be called a “factory-made desert PreRunner.”
But with that kind of suspension setup, the RAM 1500 TRX can tow up to 3,600kg, and carry up to 592kg. Of note, the regular RAM 1500 can tow an incredible 5,783kg, and carry up to a ton. So, in the case of the TRX, that’s just the price it has to pay for having a performance-oriented suspension system.
The TRX's Bilstein Black Hawk E2 shock system
Of course, the TRX also has a 4x4 system with multiple terrain modes. Also provided for the truck is a set of performance disc brakes, an electronic parking brake, and an electronic locking rear axle.
For transmissions, it then uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox that can be manually controlled with paddle shifters.
Pricing
If you’re curious about the price of the 2022 RAM 1500 TRX V8 4x4 AT, do contact any of the RAM dealerships present in the country. For Metro Manila there’s RAM Alabang and RAM Greenhills. There’s also RAM Cebu, RAM Clark, and RAM Pampanga.
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