Ram TRX V-8 Pickup Truck Set Back for $100,000

Detroit — Stellantis The company is bringing back its V8-powered Ram pickup truck, called the TRX, as it faces federal emissions regulations and enacts a plan to rebuild U.S. sales for its brand.

The automaker announced Thursday that the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX will go on sale in late 2026 for about $100,000. It was first produced for the 2021-2024 model year, but was canceled as the company no longer focused on the V-8 engine.

The TRX is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter “Hellcat” gas engine that delivers 777 horsepower and 680 foot-pounds of torque. The automaker calls it “the world’s fastest and most powerful production gas pickup truck,” accelerating from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 118 mph.

“We needed to take it to the next level,” Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said at a recent media event. “We’re so excited to have this back.”

The TRX is considered the brand’s “halo” model, a luxury car that could draw attention to the Ram and boost sales of other models, even though past sales have been relatively low due to the vehicle’s price. This has been a successful strategy for Kunikis, especially with its SRT performance vehicles.

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

Kuniskis aims to have more than 25 releases by next year. So far, these include returning to NASCAR with a mechanical bull ride and a new race track, bringing back the Hemi V8 engine with a new “symbol of protest,” and eliminating the long-promised battery-electric version of the 1500 track.

Pricing for the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX starts at $99,995. However, excluding the mandatory $2,595 destination charge, the price jumps to $102,590. The first TRX started at $71,690 including destination in 2020.

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

Many of the new initiatives run counter to Stellantis’ previous plans to phase out gasoline V8 engine vehicles amid stricter fuel economy regulations and penalties. But these policies have weakened or disappeared under the Trump administration.

Kuniskis said the rollback should help sales, but “we’re going to do it anyway” regardless of the criteria.

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

Meanwhile, the automaker created in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group has fallen from the fourth-largest U.S. automaker by sales to sixth.

Through the third quarter of last year, Stellantis’ sales were down 6% from the same period last year. Cox Automotive expects the company to end the year with sales of 1.25 million vehicles in the U.S., down 4.4% from 2024, down from 2020’s sales of more than 2 million vehicles.

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

This could be more difficult than in the past, as auto forecasters such as Cox expect auto sales to be relatively flat or declining in 2026. That means automakers will have to conquer buyers of other brands.

“This industry is still strong, so as long as we get a piece of it, we’ll be fine,” Kuniskis said.

Rum isn’t the only Stellantis brand aiming to make a comeback.

Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf, like Kuniskis, is embarking on a strategy to rebuild the company’s Jeep brand. Jeep has experienced years of declining annual sales since hitting record sales of more than 973,000 vehicles in 2018.

Broderdorf said the “Jeep Reset” plan includes repositioning the brand’s pricing, models and standard features.

“I think this is the last piece of the puzzle to reset the fundamentals of Jeep this year and really work on what’s special about Jeep going forward,” Broderdorf told CNBC in a Dec. 16 interview. “Jeep is much better”

Kuniskis described Jeep’s reset plan as “making Jeep more Jeep.”

The recent actions essentially streamline Jeep’s product lineup, from small cars like the Compass and Cherokee to the larger Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer, to fewer models, more content and less duplicative pricing strategies.

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

Upcoming new Jeeps include the revived Cherokee midsize SUV and the all-electric Recon, which takes inspiration from the brand’s iconic Wrangler off-road SUV.

2025 could be the year Jeep bucks the trend and increases U.S. sales for the first time since 2018, but Broderdorf said in mid-December that the brand is so close to its goal that it could go either way.

Broderdorf said Jeep remains profitable despite price changes and declining sales during the turnaround plan.

“We’re going to grow up healthy,” he said. “I think this is what the brand needs. We’re going to grow.”