Ram Trucks Australia is reviving the local car manufacturing market. The company imports brand new utes from the US and converts them to right-hand drive with locally produced components at the Walkinshaw Automotive Group.
The Ram 1500 Express is sold in the following colours:
The Ram 1500 Laramie is available in a wider range of paint colours:
Ram Trucks Australia sells the 1500 in either Express or Laramie spec. These models come with a monstrous 5.7-litre petrol V8. Check out information about the 1500 Laramie 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel. The engine pumps out 291kW@5,600rpm and a peak torque of 556Nm kicks in at 3,950rpm.
Both the Ram 1500 Express and Laramie use an 8-speed automatic transmission supplied by gearbox specialists, ZF Friedrichshafen.
The Laramie has more equipment. Externally, it has chrome bumpers and a chrome grille, plus 6-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels. It has longer sidesteps, a rear electric sliding window, folding side mirrors, wheel arches, automatic high beams and dual-function projector headlights. The Laramie also gets a rear dimming mirror, front and rear parking assist, rain-sensing wipers and power-adjustable pedals.
The Laramie also has extra internal storage cubbies, additional speakers and a subwoofer by Alpine, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus heated front and rear seats, front-seat ventilation and steering wheel heating. In the Laramie, the climate control isn't manual, but an automatic dual-zone AC system.
Passengers in the back row will be more comfortable thanks to rear air vents on the Laramie and drivers can keep the window clear with a rear window defroster that the Express lacks. There's also a power sunroof on Laramie edition 1500s.
Laramie models also have a 5-foot, 7-inch tray as opposed to the Express's 6-foot, 4-inch load bed. In a Ram 1500 Laramie, you also get a larger 7-inch multi-view cluster and a bigger 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation. The rear seats on the Laramie can also be split 60/40, as opposed to the Express' solid bench.
Also, the Laramie has a tighter turning circle of 12.1 metres, versus the 13.9 metres you'll need in a 1500 Express. The Express is the better ute to go for if you want to carry loads, as it has a longer tray and can carry an extra 45kg (845kg payload).
Here are the key dimensions of the Ram 1500:
| Length | 5,817mm |
| Tray length | 1,939mm |
| Width between rear wheel wells | 1,295mm |
| Vehicle width | 2,017mm |
| Towing, unbraked | 750kg |
| Towing, braked | 3.92 axle ratio: 4,500kg (using a 70mm ball) 3.21 axle ratio: 3,500kg (50mm ball) |
| Payload | 845kg |
| Fuel economy (combined) | 9.9L/100km (3.21 axle ratio) 12.2L/100km (3.92 axle ratio) |
| Kerb-to-kerb turning circle | 13.9 metres |
| Ground clearance (lowest point) | 235mm (9.25 inches) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 121 litres |
| Length | 5,817mm |
| Tray length | 1,712mm |
| Width between rear wheel wells | 1,295mm |
| Vehicle width | 2,017mm |
| Towing, unbraked | 750kg |
| Towing, braked | 3.92 axle ratio: 4,500kg (using a 70mm ball) 3.21 axle ratio: 3,500kg (50mm ball) |
| Payload | 800kg |
| Fuel economy (combined) | 9.9L/100km (3.21 axle ratio) 12.2L/100km (3.92 axle ratio) |
| Kerb-to-kerb turning circle | 12.1 metres |
| Ground clearance (lowest point) | 235mm (9.25 inches) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 98 litres |
Ram sells the 1500 Express from $79,950, not including on-road costs.
The 1500 Laramie, with its higher specification, will cost around $99,950.
Why would you buy the gigantic imported ute?
The Express has a best-in-class load bed, it's huge. It might not be able to carry the heaviest of payloads, but it will swallow up long loads more than any other pick-up on sale.
The Laramie model is legitimately very well specced internally for a ute, so if you do a lot of long-distance travelling, it could offer one of the most luxurious pick-up interiors.
Drivers who tow a lot will appreciate having the power and ability to comfortably tow up to 4.5 tonnes. That's at least one tonne more than most "ordinary" utes.
Being such a large and weighty ute itself, critics say it's a very surefooted tow vehicle.
The engines of the three bestselling utes, the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton, are made to look puny in comparison to the V8 under the bonnet of this monster ute.
It's capable of churning out 291kW of power and 556Nm. That should make light work of even a fully loaded 1500 pulling a heavy trailer.
The Ateco Group, the distributors of Ram Trucks, imports left-hand drive US-spec models and convert them at a facility in Victoria. As of April this year, the group had 160 employees and sourced locally designed right-hand drive conversion parts domestically. Buying a Ram 1500 will support Ram and maybe encourage other manufacturers to follow suit, replenishing the national automotive manufacturing industry.
No vehicle is perfect. The 1500 is no different. With a thumping great 5.7-litre V8, it's not the most fuel-efficient ute. The turning circle might also make it a bit of a handful around town.
The Ram 1500 sold in Australia was first released in the US back in 2008, as the fourth-gen. In the US, it has been renamed the "Classic", but is still on sale alongside the fifth-generation Ram.
News reports online suggest that Ram Trucks Australia plans on bringing the DT, fifth-generation Ram 1500 here. There's no official acknowledgement yet, so it could be next year or it could take a few years to arrive. In the US, the new ute has a mild-hybrid system too, which would make it a very unique vehicle for its class.
Ram Trucks Australia backs up both the Express and Laramie with a 3-year, 100,000km warranty. Buyers also receive equivalent roadside assistance.
Servicing intervals are 12 months or 12,000km. The company doesn't offer capped price servicing and we couldn't find any maintenance costs online.
There are 52 dealers located nationwide.
Running costs for the Ram 1500 are going to be pretty high. With a combined fuel usage of 9.9L/100km on 3.21 axle ratio models and 12.2L/100km on the 3.92 axle. For buyers who really desire the additional towing capacity over a traditional ute, this will be an acceptable (and expected) trade-off. To be fair, brochure fuel economy numbers aren't too far off some of the least economical (and much smaller) competitors.
With a ridiculous 6.7-litre diesel engine and over 1,000Nm of torque, the Ram 2500 Laramie is a heavy-duty towing machine.
Learn all about the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel ute. It's a US truck, converted to right-hand drive in Australia.
