2025 RAM 1500 review: Does the Hurricane turbo-six leave the old HEMI V8 for dead?

The Hemi V8-powered Ram 1500 is no more and in place of the iconic V8 now sits a new inline six-cylinder petrol engine. If you missed out on the last of the V8-powered 1500s, you shouldn’t be worried because aside from lacking that sweet V8 rumble the new Hurricane I6 engine is a beauty.

Hurricane inline-six

With a pair of turbochargers boosting the 3.0-litre mill, claimed outputs are impressive; 313kW/635Nm in standard (SO) trim and a stonking 403kW/707Nm in HO trim.

In the case of the SO that’s 7.6 per cent more power and 14.2 per cent more torque than the 5.7-litre Hemi V8, while the HO Hurricane makes 38.5 per cent more power and 27.2 per cent more torque, which is way more grunt than the naturally-aspirated Hemi V8 ever made! The outputs of the new Hurricane I6 are only surpassed by the supercharged Hemi in the wild Ram TRX model.

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The differences between the SO and HO versions of the engine are more than just a simple tune. The HO has a lower compression ratio than the SO allowing for higher boost pressures, a higher-capacity fuel pump and a 6100rpm redline compared to 5800rpm on the SO.

Initially available in just two models while the V8 1500s are still running out, the Hurricane-powered Rams available at launch are the standard output powered Laramie Sport at $141,950 (+ORC) and the HO-motivated Limited at $159,950 (+ORC). Ram Trucks Australia (RTA) tells us that the new powertrain will become available in more variants in the near future. We always thought that the low-spec Big Horn model was the pick of the range and look forward to its return with Hurricane power.

Midlife makeover

The introduction of the Hurricane engine represents a midlife update for the DT series of Ram 1500.

Also fresh for 2025 is a new look for the front end with LED lights standard on both models, new LED tail lights either side of a power tailgate, and new 20-inch wheels on the Laramie and 22s on the Limited. Inside there’s a new 14-inch infotainment screen and a separate 10.25-inch screen for the front seat passenger.

The passenger touchscreen is able to play movies and streaming while on the move as it is not visible from the driver’s seat. A clever function gives the passenger the ability to look up and find locations on mapping apps while driving and once found can then send that map/info to the main screen for the driver.

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The 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system certainly adds to the streaming/video experience.
In addition to the above upgrades, the Limited model gets massaging front seats, automatic deploying side steps and the aforementioned 707Nm HO engine.

Both Ram models are equipped with heated and ventilated eight-way adjustable front seats with the heating and ventilating extending to the outer seats in the back. Of course, there’s acres of leather covering the large and comfortable pews.

The rear seat is massive and will comfortably accommodate three adults and there is a heap or storage under the back seat. The Ram’s interior feels more like a luxury car than a work truck and this will no doubt tempt plenty of buyers to step up from a midsize ute.

Safety-wise, the Limited gets all the modern features but the Laramie Sport misses out on the 360° view camera, drowsy-driver detection, traffic sign recognition, evasive steering assist, and intersection collision assist features. There’s nothing really missing there that we’d call deal-breakers.

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More important is towing capability, which has always been a strong point of full-size trucks, and the Ram 1500 Laramie retains its maximum braked 4500kg towing capacity, while the Limited makes do with 4200kg.

Payload is never great in these trucks when you consider their size but it’s up in the new Rams to 863kg in the Laramie and 782kg in the Limited; still well short of what you can haul in most of the midsize 4×4 utes but on par with the other 1500-class trucks.

The cargo tub is huge and both models come standard with the Rambox storage system built into the side. There’s also a power-lift tailgate and a fold-down step to make accessing the tub easier. The tonneau cover is a semi-solid one that folds up against the headboard when not in use.

Proving ground: Track time

While towing and load capacities might be important to many Ram owners, RTA wanted to focus on the performance of its new Hurricane engine for the launch of the 2025 models, no doubt hoping to dispel any thoughts that it wouldn’t stack up to that of the V8 engine.

A series of 0-100km/h sprints with onboard timing equipment confirmed what the seat of the pants told us – the Hurricane powered Ram in no slouch!

The Standard Output Laramie knocks over the 0-100km/h dash in a swift mid-six seconds sprint, while the HO powered Limited cuts almost a full second off that time getting down to the mid-fives. This truck really gets up and boogies off the mark, helped by its on-demand 4×4 system sending the drive to all four tyres which were scrabbling for traction as we left the gate.

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A drive loop around the proving ground circuit followed by a road loop demonstrated that the Ram 1500 has the chassis to match the performance on offer but importantly it demonstrated the difference between the suspension of both models.

Considering its size and mass the unladen Ram cruised admirably around the proving ground circuit, dealing with bumps and undulations as well as tightening lines of the various corners on the course.
The lower-spec models in the Ram 1500 range, the Laramie Sport included, use an all-coil spring suspension setup with IFS on the front and a live axle at the rear. The Limited gets an adjustable air-spring suspension setup which, along with its low profile sports tyres on 22-inch wheels, delivers a busy ride over high-frequency bumps and choppy roads.

No off-roading

This drive didn’t include any off road or gravel tracks but our previous experience with the Limited on this suspension and tyre combination showed it to be awful on gravel roads, transmitting all the bumps and ruts through to the passenger compartment.

The steel spring suspension on the lower grades combined with tyres that have a taller sidewall does a far better job of smoothing out such roads and would be my choice every day. The 22s might look good but they are not suited to this style of vehicle. Combined with the air suspension they ruin what would otherwise be considered a luxurious ride.

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When RTA is looking at further models to add to the 1500 range, we’d love to see an option with all the features of the Limited but with conventional steel springs and 20-inch or even 18-inch wheels.

Ram Trucks Australia (RTA) set the agenda for the rise in full-size American pickup trucks in Australia when it started importing and converting left-hand drive Rams back in 2015. Part of the automotive vehicle and accessories giant Ateco, RTA partnered with Walkinshaw Automotive to re-engineer the LHD trucks to RHD and soon found a largely untapped market that has boomed in the years since, with RTA selling more full-size trucks in Australia than any of the brands that have jumped on their tails.

With the introduction of the Hurricane I6 engine to the range RTA should be able to maintain its strong sales, so long as buyers can get over the loss of the V8 and appreciate the better performance of the I6.

Specs