It’s rugged, it’s refined, it’s the RAM 1500! We traveled to Austin, Texas to jump into the driver’s seat of the updated 2025 RAM 1500, including all the trim levels that we are used to seeing from ram: Tradesman, Big Horn, Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, and Limited. But, we have an all new name to add to the list: Tungsten! Tungsten is top tier when it comes to comfort and luxury, with quilted leather upholstery. Massaging seats and even a suede headliner! And as luck would have it, this is where we spent the bulk of our drive time!

The second you lay eyes on this truck, you can tell the exterior styling is sleeker and smoother. The R-A-M badge is more prominent and has been lifted to increase its presence. You’ll also see 8 unique grill designs depending on the model, along with new lighting, updated wheel options and color choices.

The base engine remains the 3.6-liter Pentastar v6 with an e-torque mild hybrid system. But there is an elephant in the room, or rather, under the hood, that must be addressed. And that’s the new 3.0-liter twin turbo inline-6 Hurricane engines that are replacing the HEMI V8. We can hear the moans and groans from here, but honestly, after driving it in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and now in this 2025 RAM pickup, we’re here to say… this Hurricane-six kicks asphalt!

That loud HEMI growl may be gone, but what you gain in power and acceleration makes up for that in an instant. We tried out the 420 horsepower 468 lb-ft standard output engine as well as the 540 horsepower 541 lb-ft High Output version. Both deliver amazing performance while also improving fuel economy. And when using this truck for more trucklike purposes, there is a maximum payload of 2300 lbs and maximum trailer tow of 11,580 lbs. All three engine options are paired with an 8-speed torqueflite automatic transmission.

“So the twin turbo on this feeds one turbo, each, into a set of three cylinders. And with these smaller turbos, they spool up faster, which means a lot less… if not next to zero turbo lag which is a really great feature when you have to get up to speed quickly.”

2025 RAM pricing starts with the hard-working Tradesman at $40,275 and tops out with the Tungsten trim level at $87,155, plus destination fee.

RAM has put their best foot forward early this year, and we hear that RAM will have more exciting announcements for us in the near future! Until then, keep it locked right here, on MotorWeek!