The facelifted 2025 Ram 1500 range looks set to expand soon, following Australian Design Rule certification of two entry-level Big Horn variants of the upgraded full-size American pickup this week.
As part of a traditional ‘top-down’ launch strategy, Ram Trucks Australia (RTA) released the updated six-cylinder ‘Hurricane’-powered Ram 1500 in mid-range Laramie Sport and flagship Limited forms last month, priced at $141,950 and $156,950 before on-road costs respectively.
At the time, it said entry-level Big Horn and Laramie variants of the facelifted DT-series Ram 1500 will become available when stock of the old Hemi V8-powered Big Horn was exhausted in the third quarter of this year.
Now, federal government approval documents show two variants of the refreshed Big Horn have been certified for local roads, once again including both short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase versions.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now
Both Big Horns will have a braked towing capacity of 4500kg (750kg unbraked) and, like the Laramie Sport, both will be powered by the ‘Standard Output’ (SO) version of the new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder Hurricane petrol engine.
This produces 313kW of power and 635Nm of torque, 22kW and 79Nm more than the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 it replaces.
Likely to again be fitted with a 5.7-foot tray, the short-wheelbase MY25 Big Horn has a 2442kg tare mass, 3505kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), 5916mm overall length and a wheelbase of 3672mm.
The long-wheelbase Big Horn, which should again come with a 6.4-foot tub, has a 2479kg tare mass, the same 3505kg GVM, a 6142mm overall length and a wheelbase of 3898mm.
No payload figures are listed and, for reference, both the Laramie Sport and Limited also have a 3505kg GVM, but kerb weights of 2642kg and 2722kg respectively.
If the updated Big Horns echo the MY25 Laramie Sport, pricing will remain unchanged at $119,950 before on-road costs for the SWB and $120,950 plus on-roads for the LWB.
And like both the Laramie Sport SO and the high-output 403kW/707Nm Limited HO, both Big Horns will offer far more performance despite consuming less fuel than the V8 pickups they replace.
For reference, the downsized straight-six in the Laramie Sport has combined fuel consumption of 10.74L/100km (down about 12 per cent) and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than 6.0 seconds – down from about 7.5 seconds.
The MY25 Ram 1500 Big Horn will bring a similar new-look front-end design to the Laramie Sport and Limited.
In the US, it’s available with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 12-inch digital instrument cluster, missing out on the new, larger 14.4-inch touchscreen and 10.25-inch passenger-side multimedia screen standard in both the Laramie Sport and Limited in Australia.
RTA’s new entry-level MY25 Big Horn variants will be followed at the end of this year by upgraded Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty trucks, and Australia’s official Ram importer, distributor and right-hand drive converter is also considering the launch of several other more expensive Ram 1500 variants.
These include the high-performance RHO already being tested locally, the Tungsten luxury flagship, and even a reborn TRX performance flagship if Ram brings back the Hemi V8 under its returning global CEO Tim Kuniskis and following the relaxation of US emissions regulations under President Donald Trump.
Ram sales slumped by 44 per cent last year in Australia following the discontinuation of the more affordable previous-generation DS-series truck, which continued to be available alongside the fifth-generation DT-series launched in 2020, and due to a bevy of new rivals including the factory-backed Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra.
In 2024, 3239 Ram 1500s were sold, once again making it more popular than the F-150 (2428), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2389), and the Tundra (469), which was only released in November.
MORE: Everything Ram 1500