Ram 1500 TRX Named ‘2021 Pickup Truck of the Year’
Published on Fri, Jan 29, 2021
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
The insane 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has been named the 2021 Pickup Truck of the Year by leading off-road publication FOUR WHEELER.
Ram calls the 1500 TRX the ‘apex predator of the truck world’. Now, that sounds like an imaginary scenario conjured up by a prehistoric-obsessed kid: "A T-Rex would definitely eat a Raptor."
This is seemingly the only reason Ram released the TRX: a Raptor killer.
And now it has some credibility.
The Ram 1500 TRX is powered by the 702-horsepower 6.2L V8 found in the Hellcat. A 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds cements it as the quickest, fastest and most powerful mass-produced truck in the world.
Leading off-road publication FOUR WHEELER has named the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX the “2021 Pickup of the Year”. The award is an annual occurrence, but this year’s might be the wildest one yet.
"We’re incredibly proud to earn this award from the respected experts at FOUR WHEELER and feel validated that we continue to build the best trucks available,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram Brand Chief Executive Officer - Stellantis. “Our new Ram 1500 TRX sets the benchmark for extreme performance pickup trucks and clearly telegraphs the Ram Truck brand’s leadership in the segment.”
Over the course of a week, FOUR WHEELER’s judges conducted a variety of tests spanning more than 1,000 miles of varied terrain that included pavement, gravel, dirt, sand, rocks, mud and snow. A loose-dirt hillclimb and water crossings were included in testing as well. Night driving was also integrated into the competition to gauge each vehicle’s lighting equipment. Judges included staff from various 4x4 media brands, including FOUR WHEELER, 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD, and JP MAGAZINE.
“The Ram 1500 TRX isn’t just a performance truck that absolutely owns the go-fast terrain, but it is also a capable crawler on the trail that offers impressive towing and payload numbers. The TRX easily shames sports cars on the pavement and the interior rivals anything the luxury class has to offer,” said Sean P. Holman, Content Director, Truck & Off-Road Group. “Surprisingly, the TRX is not a one-trick pony. It is one of the best all-around trucks we’ve ever tested, and the TRX just so happens to be able to carry insane speeds in the dirt with over 1,000 pounds in the bed with seemingly the same amount of effort as it takes to go down the highway on the way to work.”
“The Ram 1500 TRX is a breathtaking truck that flat out impresses,” said FOUR WHEELER Editor Ken Brubaker. “From its bad-boy muscular stance to its stunning pin-you-to-your-seat power to its incredible suspension that easily tames the worst terrain, the TRX is the total package.”
FOUR WHEELER’s "Pickup Truck of the Year" award event – now in its 32nd consecutive year – is an invitation-only competition that is only open to all-new or significantly revised pickup trucks for the upcoming model year.
2021 Ram 1500 TRX
The new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the apex predator of the truck world and cements Ram Truck as North America’s off-road truck leader. Designed bolt by bolt to significantly outperform every other truck straight from the factory, the Ram 1500 TRX has been tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme durability. Class-leading, uncompromising performance in the harshest environments is achieved in part through the 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® V-8 engine. Stratospheric power delivers a new level of performance: 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 4.5 seconds, the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 108 mph and a top speed 118 mph. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has been rigorously tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme capability and durability on its way to being the quickest, fastest and most powerful mass-produced half-ton pickup truck in the world.
The Ram 1500 TRX builds on everything the award-winning Ram 1500 lineup delivers – including world-class luxurious interiors with premium materials and incredible attention to detail, segment-leading ride-quality and comfort, and a superior level of refinement and sophistication – and raises the no-compromise benchmark for power, performance, durability, technology and convenience with features never before offered in a pickup.
Class-leading ride and handling are accomplished via an all-new custom suspension composed of the highest possible quality components and tuning geared towards high-speed desert runs, producing even more capability on the street or in the desert. The Ram 1500 TRX boasts a ground clearance of 11.8 inches due in part to a 2-inch ride height increase when compared with the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup, along with aggressive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory All-Terrain 325/65/R18 tires. This combination enables TRX to clear surface obstacles easily and at high speeds.
A luxurious and spacious interior offers authentic, premium materials, colors and textures, including hand-wrapped leather instrument panels for unexpected luxury throughout. As a segment disrupter, the standard Uconnect 4C with a massive 12-inch touchscreen leads the segment in technology, featuring split-screen capability, 360-degree camera views, and exclusive content from SiriusXM with 360L and Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the first vehicle to include the new Know & Go mobile app featuring an immersive experience for customers who want to learn more about their vehicles. Active safety and security systems include adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision Warning, Blind-spot Monitoring and Ready Alert Braking.