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Ram Trucks Australia

We'll help you pick the right RAM ute to suit your needs.

Ben Gribbin

Updated

Feb 5, 2021

Fact checked

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Fast Ram Trucks Australia facts

Ram Trucks Australia is a joint undertaking between the Walkinshaw Automotive Group and Ateco Automotive. Since 2015, it has been remanufacturing brand new left-hand drive US import Ram trucks and converting them locally to right-hand drive. It's expected that the company will make 7,000 utes this year, from its 24-hour production plant in Clayton, Melbourne.

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What to consider
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What to consider when buying a Ram Truck

Importing a truck from the USA and remanufacturing it here is quite a unique process. Why should you buy a Ram 1500 or 2500 over a readily available and popular HiLux or Ford Ranger, for example? And what should you consider when buying one of these super utes?

Ram utes have a throaty and powerful engine. The 1500 sells with either a 5.7-litre petrol Hemi V8 or a 3.0-litre V6 diesel. These engines produce 291kW and 179kW respectively. That makes them especially powerful for the ute segment. Where they really stand out, and where drivers will notice it most, is the maximum torque produced. The V8 churns out 556Nm and the V6 EcoDiesel a cool 569Nm. Most utes have around 450Nm. Only a V6 Volkswagen Amarok gets near, with 550Nm. Drivers will notice the high torque levels when hooked up to a trailer or driving around at low speeds, with the 1500 feeling eager and unstressed in getting moving.
For those who want even more power, the Ram 2500 makes sense. It trumps pretty much everything else in the segment, with its 6.5-litre, straight-six turbo diesel. The powerplant makes 276kW and a startling 1,084Nm of torque. What's interesting, the engine makes peak power at just 2,800rpm and max torque kicks in at a mere 1,600rpm. That means you have more power underfoot at lower revs and speeds.
The typical class standard towing capacity manufacturers aim for is 3.5 tonnes. The Ram 1500 Laramie diesel, which has the lowest towing capacity, will tow that. The rest of the range can handle 4.5 tonnes, payload and axle ratio-dependent.
Then, for those with the correct licence and hitch, the 2500 can handle trailers up to 6,942kg! Ordinarily, you'd have to buy a small truck to tow that much. Plus you'd sacrifice some off-roading ability in the process. That means the 2500 will appeal to those who work in accident recovery, caravan and boat transport, classic car towing and owners of race/track-day cars.
This is one area that you'll have to factor into your decision making. The most frugal utes in class will use as little as 6.5L/100km, like the 10-speed, twin-turbocharged Ford Ranger. The most fuel-efficient Ram Truck burns through 9.9L/100km (the 5.7 V8-engined 1500 Express or 1500 Laramie with an axle ratio of 3.21), while there are no official figures for the 2500.
Looking online, unladen the 2500 might achieve low 12s, which is impressive considering its mass and towing capability. While hitched up to a trailer though, those figures could end up as high as 21.3L/100km.
That's something you'd have to consider. Think of it more like a sacrifice for having a high towing limit and gutsy engine.

Which Ram model is best?

That really depends on what you want to do. Each buyer is different.

Which Ram should I buy for a family car?

Unless you need to tow a crazy heavy trailer or caravan, then the 1500 Laramie with a 5.7-litre V8 delivers the highest spec-level and passenger comfort features.

Which Ram ute is best for towing?

The Ram 2500 with a pintle style tow hitch can handle up to 6.9 tonnes of trailer. That's mind-boggling and nearly double the average "ordinary ute".

Which Ram ute is best for use as a work truck?

The 1500 Express has a long load bed, a cabin that's less equipped and comes in at a minimum price of around $79,950, excluding on-road costs.