Ram Heavy Duty 2025: muscular for work and trails
Laughlin, Nevada - In the world of the work truck, affectionately nicknamed “HD”, the market comes down to three players: Ford, General Motors and Ram. And for a very long time, these three American giants have been waging a merciless battle to attract or retain consumers who haul and tow with these workhorses designed for tough tasks.
And since Ford and General Motors have recently overhauled their respective truck lines, it's now Ram's turn to raise the bar and reinvent itself in the daily lives of those who need these big vehicles for work and leisure. The manufacturer invited a few members of the automotive press to the state of Nevada so that we could discover the new capabilities of the Ram Heavy Duty range.
A more in-depth revision
At first glance, the facelift seems almost limited to the redesigned front end, but beyond the more aggressive snout - especially on versions equipped with the black grille - the Ram HD hides several important improvements.
At the front, for example, LED headlights are now integrated into all variants of the truck. Under the hood, the Ram Heavy Duty retains its 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine, a gasoline block that delivers 405 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. Instead, it's Cummins' 6.7-liter turbodiesel in-line 6-cylinder that evolves for 2025, with several revised internal components such as the block, cylinder head, stronger pistons, intake manifold, turbocharger, intake and exhaust valves, not to mention the intake and exhaust systems.
And unlike last year, only the H.O. (High Output) version remains in the catalog. This reworked engine develops 430 hp and 1,075 lb-ft of torque, the highest in the segment for a standard turbodiesel engine.
But that's not all, as the gearbox has also been replaced by an 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic unit, two more than in 2024. This choice is motivated by two objectives: to reduce fuel consumption by around 5% and to provide more linear operation with less abrupt gear changes. The axle ratio of the rear limited-slip differential has also been lowered by 3.42, for all diesel variants of the truck.
Not only does this change improve fuel economy, it also simplifies the purchasing process for customers. For the V8-powered Ram HD, the manufacturer continues to offer axle ratios of 3.73 and 4.10.
Inside, regular customers won't be too disoriented by the familiar dashboard. But, technology beckons, the digital offering expands with a new 14.5“ central touchscreen (in addition to the 8.4” and 12“ options) and a 10.25” screen for the passenger. No surprise here, as this option is already available on Jeep's larger SUVs. This additional screen, available in the more premium liveries, allows the right-hand occupant to view content via an HDMI cable, or even to assist the driver by taking over navigation and transferring it to the central screen later.
The 12.3” information display behind the steering wheel is also available, as is the digital rearview mirror. Finally, the induction charging system for smart devices now accommodates two phones at the same time.
But, despite all this technological gear, available as an option or fitted as standard depending on the version chosen, it's another more “traditional” feature that catches the eye in 2025. The steering column-mounted gearshift lever is back in all models, but it's electronic rather than mechanical. It's still a little heavy to handle, but decidedly lighter than the good old levers of earlier models. The knob, which has the advantage of taking up less space, is therefore limited to the 1500 range of Ram vans.
The J2807 standard or the ascent of the Davis Central
An on- and off-road section was naturally set aside to discover the capabilities of the 2025 vintage, but the reason for our presence in Laughlin, Nevada was quite simple: the manufacturer wanted to highlight what it takes to pass the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standards.
The J2807 standard, introduced in 2008 and revised in 2020, is the benchmark for any vehicle capable of towing. Over a distance of around 18 km, the vehicles must travel along Highway 68 between Bullhead City and Golden Valley, Arizona. Laughlin, a much smaller and fainter copy of Las Vegas, lies just a stone's throw away, where the state of Nevada ends at the point between California and Arizona.
The J2807 standard involves a series of tests, but as the temperature was incredibly low for this time of year, the climb wasn't as arduous as in midsummer when the mercury often approaches 40°C. According to the engineers, it's not uncommon to see cars parked on the side of the road with their radiators bubbling away, but on our many passes with several different hitches, we did come across two sedans of a certain age with their hoods open.
We first set off along the route in a Tradesman variant equipped with the 6.4-liter HEMI V8. In this variant designed for fleets (with cloth upholstery, traditional gauges and even a front-row bench seat), with the trailer soaked in sand, the weight reached (with that of the trailer) 8,450 pounds. Although we felt the extra weight, the exercise didn't pose any problems for the truck, except perhaps for an intense thirst for gas, as the engine speed never dipped below 3,000 rpm.
The most emblematic tow of the day was undoubtedly that involving this good old 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 equipped with an 8.4-liter V10 and manual transmission. The total weight of the hitch was just 8,100 lbs, which showed during acceleration at the wheel of a Laramie livery with the turbodiesel engine. With all the torque available, the truck made short work of this towing test.
On the other hand, our towing day ended with the heaviest load of the day, almost 20,000 lbs, with this big Case tractor. With the maximum towing capacity of the Ram Heavy Duty range being 36,610 lbs (with a gooseneck hitch), the big Ram 3500 HD with dual wheels at the rear proved more than capable of pulling this big farm vehicle, whether uphill or even back, as the engine brake came in handy to slow down the ardors of our vehicle “pushed” down by this heavy mass.
And off-road?
HD truck owners aren't the biggest fans of off-road driving, but it's still interesting to see what such a big truck is capable of. At the top of the “off-road” pyramid, the Power Wagon is the best option, with all its hardware to withstand extreme conditions, such as anti-roll bars that can be disconnected to make it easier to negotiate tough obstacles.
However, this new combination of a Rebel chassis with the Cummins engine is very appealing, because even though this livery doesn't have all the Power Wagon's equipment, it never flinched on this course that would have blocked many a popular SUV.
The last word
This redesign was necessary for the Heavy Duty series trucks. Competition in this segment is fierce, and the manufacturer has no intention of giving an inch to its two rivals. What stands out most about this mid-cycle redesign is that prices are up, but only slightly, while the slightly simplified range benefits from a much richer basic equipment package than in 2024.
The turbodiesel powertrain (which already accounts for 80% of sales) has been modernized, as has the cab, which is more techno than ever. As for the Tradesman, Big Horn, Power Wagon, Rebel, Laramie and Limited ranges, they remain very broad to meet the needs of a multitude of consumers.
It now remains to be seen whether these Mexican-assembled trucks will be affected by the trade war between the USA and its two continental neighbors, Mexico and Canada. A question that even the brand's strategists can't answer at the time of writing.
