The Ram 1500 full-size pickup was up to date earlier this yr, and the vary is already increasing.
Becoming a member of the V8-less dual-cab lineup is the Ram 1500 Insurgent, an off-road-focussed variant that has lengthy been touted for Australian launch however has by no means been offered right here by official importer Ram Vehicles Australia – till now.
As with the remainder of the US-sourced Ram 1500 vary, the Insurgent is subjected to an intensive remanufacturing course of by Walkinshaw Automotive in Melbourne, the place it’s transformed from left- to right-hand drive.
This doesn’t simply contain swapping the steering wheel from one aspect of the cabin to the opposite. As an alternative, lots of of latest parts are designed and engineered for RHD autos by firms together with people who provide elements for the unique pickup, following an intensive Australian growth program.
Meaning you not solely get a factory-backed and warranted automobile, however a Ram that’s constructed to what are successfully the identical requirements as the unique, and also you gained’t be capable to inform that all the pieces’s been taken aside to swap it throughout – together with ‘de-marrying’ the cabin from the chassis solely.
Watch: Paul’s video evaluate of the Ram 1500 Insurgent
Past all that, the Insurgent provides some distinctive gear to the already well-equipped 1500. This features a one-inch (25.4mm) suspension elevate, Bilstein shocks, 32-inch all-terrain tyres, and a revised entrance bumper, all of that are meant to make it extra succesful off-road.
Inside, you’ll discover bespoke pink upholstery and a plethora of ‘Insurgent’ badges, and only for good measure you additionally get an enormous Insurgent decal on the perimeters of the bathtub. Beneath, there are underbody skid plates for improved safety, and a full vary of 2WD and 4WD drive modes.
Energy comes from the ‘Normal Output’ (SO) model of Ram’s new downsized Hurricane petrol engine, a twin-turbo inline-six that changed the long-running 5.7-litre Hemi V8 within the facelifted MY25 Ram 1500 vary. The V8 has since been reintroduced within the US, however there’s no affirmation of that occuring in Australia but.
Is the Insurgent a worthy addition to Australia’s official Ram 1500 lineup?
How a lot does the Ram 1500 value?
Regardless of including a spread of worthwhile off-road {hardware} to the Ram 1500 Laramie Sport on which it’s primarily based, the Insurgent is priced the identical at $141,950 earlier than on-roads. That isn’t low cost, however it’s almost $20,000 lower than the top-spec Restricted – sufficient change to purchase a Kia Picanto, for instance.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2025 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport | $141,950 |
| 2025 Ram 1500 Insurgent | $141,950 |
| 2025 Ram 1500 Restricted | $159,950 |
It’s additionally on par with the equally off-road-focussed Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, which is priced at $141,500 earlier than on-roads and stays the one full-size pickup nonetheless out there through manufacturing facility channels with a petroleum V8.
Each are dearer than the Ford F-150, which tops out at $140,945 earlier than on-roads for the flagship Lariat LWB, however each are nonetheless extra inexpensive than the Toyota Tundra.
There are two variants of the Tundra: the Restricted at $155,990 earlier than on-roads, and the Platinum at a whopping $172,990 plus on-roads.
Ram Vehicles Australia is anticipated to additional increase its Hurricane-powered Ram 1500 lineup with new variants together with a less expensive Large Horn range-opener by the tip of this yr.
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What’s the Ram 1500 like on the within?
It’d look even harder on the skin, however the Ram 1500 Insurgent is as luxurious as ever inside.
There’s greater than sufficient room to swing a cat, as one would anticipate in a automobile this dimension, which makes for a supremely comfy area. It seems like your passenger is sitting in one other postcode, and a few additional private area isn’t a foul factor lately.
After which there’s the tech. The images you see right here don’t do justice to it on this expansive cabin. It’s outstanding that any automobile could make an enormous 14.4-inch infotainment show look small, however within the steel you’ll discover the portrait-style touchscreen dominates a lot of the free area on the big dashboard.
There are a great deal of menus and icons right here, too many to element on this evaluate. Virtually all the automobile’s settings are adjusted right here, when you even have the benefit of wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivety, although the latter solely takes up half of the display screen.
There’s native satellite tv for pc navigation too, which could be additionally programmed through the passenger-side touchscreen. As with most passenger shows, the 1500’s unit is extra of a novelty, and it’s coated in a particular movie that fully blocks it from the motive force’s view to forestall distraction.
It’s disappointing that this display screen lacks extra performance, because it seems to don’t have any Apple or Android integration. Nonetheless, this and the automobile’s central infotainment system look good and are responsive, they usually’re clearly labelled that can assist you determine all the pieces out.
It’s an identical story with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which sports activities distinctive ‘Insurgent’ branding alongside its prime border and through its startup animation. It boasts sharp decision, and whereas there isn’t a lot customisation out there right here, there’s sufficient happening to maintain you .
The Insurgent’s bespoke inside accents have an identical impact, with loads of pink splashed round to distinguish it from the opposite 1500 variants, within the type of metallic bits on the steering wheel and sprint, in addition to pink seat upholstery with ‘Insurgent’ stitching.
All of it appears to be like pretty tasteful, with the correct amount of pink highlights to forestall it showing cheesy.
Our solely complaints with the cabin relate to ergonomics. For one, the Insurgent misses out on aspect steps, which makes it a good climb to get inside – there are at the least giant seize handles and beneficiant door openings to provides you loads of area to tug your self in.
Then there’s the large steering wheel. Though it’s leather-wrapped and feels good within the arms, it’s colossal, making it tough to achieve the drive mode and equipment selector buttons within the center. There aren’t any paddle shifters both; the buttons behind the wheel are for audio as a substitute.
There’s just one stalk and the local weather system is generally digital, aside from a few shortcut buttons on both aspect. None of those are dealbreakers, just a bit unintuitive. Every thing feels rock-solid and also you’d by no means realize it’s all been taken aside and swapped from left- to right-hand drive.
You gained’t have any points with storage or connectivity both, as there’s an enormous centre console with a great deal of room, together with a sliding and removeable tray. Close by aren’t any fewers than 10 USB-A and USB-C retailers, an HDMI port, twin wi-fi cellphone chargers, and a 12V outlet in a small tray above the infotainment show.
The second row isn’t any much less palatial. There’s an unbelievable quantity of leg and head room, greater than you’re prone to discover in most limousines.
You possibly can comfortably match three totally grown adults again right here, but it surely’s no much less of a hike to get in than it’s up entrance. The ground is totally flat too, which implies passengers within the center seat gained’t have any points with driveline tunnels robbing room from their toes.
You’ll additionally discover the complete impact of the brand new pink/black upholstery, the large panoramic sunroof, and the rubber flooring overlaying, all included as customary. That rubber hides a pair of storage holes within the flooring, that are good for something you wish to hold secret – extra space could be unlocked by lifting the seat bench up too.
The again of the extensive centre console homes twin air vents, an extra 4 (sure 4) USB-A and USB-C ports, and buttons for the outboard seat heaters. It’s all supremely comfy, even with out the rear seat air flow or massaging entrance seats of the 1500 Restricted.
And naturally the bathtub is huge too. To place it within the context of Australia’s hottest dual-cab utes, the Insurgent’s tray is greater than 200mm longer than that of the Ford Ranger’s, and it’s simpler to entry through a tailgate that options each energy opening and shutting.
A sprig-in bedliner can be customary, however Ram’s trademark RamBox storage containers are nowhere to be seen. The American model says it’s because it wished to maximise tub area within the Insurgent for typical weekend actions, which is why you see a full-size dust bike within the press photographs right here.
The removing of these packing containers permits for such cargo to be loaded with the tailgate closed, which makes all the pieces safer when on the transfer. You get 4 tie-down factors as customary, however a tonneau cowl is simply out there as an choice somewhat than being customary as it’s with different Ram 1500s.
Rounding all of it off is a heavy-duty tow bar, customary throughout all Ram 1500s, and a full-size metal spare wheel. Oh, and people black ‘Insurgent’ stickers on the again are customary too, even when they’re non-obligatory within the US.
| Dimensions | Ram 1500 Insurgent |
|---|---|
| Size | 5916mm |
| Width | 2474mm |
| Peak | 2006mm |
| Wheelbase | 3672mm |
| Tub size | 1702mm |
| Tub width | 1295mm |
| Tub depth | 543mm |
| Tub quantity (SAE) | 1.5m³ |
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What’s beneath the bonnet?
The Insurgent will get the ‘Normal Output’ tune of Ram’s new 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six Hurricane engine, which implies it produces 313kW of energy and 635Nm of torque. Solely the Restricted will get the circa-400kW ‘Excessive Output’ model.
| Specs | Ram 1500 Insurgent |
|---|---|
| Engine | ‘Normal Output’ 3.0L twin-turbo petrol inline-6cyl |
| Energy | 313kW |
| Torque | 635Nm |
| Transmission | 8-speed torque-converter computerized |
| Drive kind | Switchable 4-wheel drive |
| Gas economic system (claimed) | 10.74L/100km |
| Gas tank capability | 98L |
| Kerb weight | 2612kg |
| Payload | 893kg |
| Braked towing capability | 4500kg (70mm tow ball), 3500kg (50mm tow ball) |
| Gross automobile mass (GVM) | 3505kg |
| Gross mixture mass (GCM) | 7711kg |
| Emissions customary | Euro 5 |
We didn’t get sufficient time in anybody Insurgent to file a consultant gas economic system determine, however after a 30-minute drive we noticed a determine of 13.3L/100km on one automobile’s journey pc.
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
How does the Ram 1500 drive?
Many of the Insurgent’s mechanical enhancements relate to journey and dealing with, which implies it’s simply as fast as earlier than.
It could solely be out there with the low-output Hurricane turbo-six, however the Insurgent can definitely nonetheless boogie. We didn’t get the possibility to conduct efficiency testing on the Insurgent launch, however we did handle a greatest 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds with the SO engine on the launch of the MY25 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport and Restricted earlier this yr.
That stated, it was a really moist day on the proving floor, so getting energy to the bottom was tough. We’re assured the Insurgent would handle a 0-100 dash time of round six seconds, which might be a lot faster than the outdated 5.7-litre V8-powered Ram 1500s however slower than the most recent HO Restricted and barely off the tempo of the SO Laramie Sport because of its much less grippy all-terrain rubber.
This must be performed within the automobile’s 4WD Auto setting, which manages front-rear energy supply in accordance with street circumstances. Making an attempt to speed up laborious from a standing begin and even onto a soggy freeway in 2WD mode could be sketchy, and a bootful of throttle noticed the Insurgent wheel-spinning all the way in which to 100km/h on the launch drive.
That exposed a reasonably primitive traction management system, which waits for the tyres to fully lose traction somewhat than pre-emptively dulling energy. It’s not the tip of the world although, and it lets you’ve gotten some enjoyable amid the comparatively bland word of the Hurricane.
It’s simply unattainable for a turbo six to match the brutal roar of a naturally aspirated V8, and anybody with some caveman of their DNA will agree the SO Hurricane engine particularly falls properly wanting the Hemi V8 on the subject of aural rewards. The Hurricane-powered Ram 1500s are sooner – albeit not that rather more economical – than their Hemi predecessors, however in addition they lack the soul of the Silverado 1500’s V8.
All that stated, the efficiency of the SO engine is greater than you’ll ever want, particularly in case you’re going to be taking your Ram 1500 off-road. The HO could also be an much more brash American pickup, but it surely’d be far an excessive amount of to deal with on the paths.
Earlier than we delve into that, we’ll contact on the Insurgent’s on-road behaviour. The Insurgent options off-road-focused Bilstein dampers and a raised journey top, however is in any other case much like the Laramie Sport’s all-coil suspension association.
It feels composed on the street, as a 2600kg automobile ought to. There’s some minor chatter and harshness over abrupt holes and bumps, however the journey is fairly plush and doubtless much more comfy than the Ram 1500 Restricted with its four-corner air suspension.
Its steering is appropriately heavy but direct, which makes it simple to put the 1500 on the street regardless of its width of greater than two metres. It’s going to nonetheless take some getting used to in case you haven’t spent a lot time driving giant pickups, particularly in tight areas, however physique management is saved properly in test round turns and the Insurgent shrinks round you on the open street.
Outward visibility can be good, although the Insurgent’s bonnet bulge dominates the view out of the windscreen. The mirrors are giant, and there’s a considerable array of parking sensors, nonetheless, a surround-view digital camera is a disappointing omission given the value.
However the Insurgent begins to make extra sense when you hit the paths. It’ll at all times really feel unsuitable bush-bashing a circa-$150k automobile, however that isn’t actually the purpose right here.
Certain, it’ll take loads of hardcore off-road abuse if want be, however the Insurgent is extra meant for the outback trek or to get you to a distant campsite or the beginning of a mud bike, mountain bike or mountain climbing path, for instance. Assume Ooodnanatta Observe somewhat than Rubicon Path.
And for these functions it is going to be sensible, with all of the enhancements you want for loads of all-terrain functionality.
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A full 4.5-tonne towing capability (with a 70mm tow ball) ought to make hauling giant caravans, boats or horse floats a breeze, whereas the elevated floor clearance and under-body safety ought to cease you damaging an excessive amount of over giant rocks and ruts.
In reality, a tough and muddy path at Lang Lang didn’t trigger any severe issues for the Insurgent, although there have been a couple of minor front-end scrapes when tackling significantly deep holes. We prevented getting caught at the least, thanks partly to the additional off-road traction from the all-terrain tyres.
The one drawback is the large bonnet can block your imaginative and prescient on the path, making automobile placement tougher. Nonetheless, it’ll take a fairly large boghole or a really snotty hillclimb to cease the Insurgent in its broad tracks – take a look at the CarExpert YouTube channel for an in depth have a look at the Insurgent’s off-road efficiency.
When it comes to security gear we had no points, with solely the passive lane-keep system flaring up once we acquired too near the sting of our lane.
| Off-road dimensions | Ram 1500 Insurgent |
|---|---|
| Observe entrance and rear | 1741mm entrance, 1729mm rear |
| Floor clearance | 240mm (entrance axle), 221.5mm (rear axle) |
| Strategy angle | 20.9º |
| Departure angle | 22.2º |
| Ramp breakover angle | 19.2º |
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What do you get?
There are at present three variants within the MY25 Ram 1500 lineup, although extra are anticipated to comply with.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport tools highlights:
- Normal Output Hurricane engine
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- 275/55R20 tyres
- Full-size alloy spare
- Reflector LED headlights
- LED entrance fog lights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Panoramic sunroof
- Proximity entry with push-button begin
- Energy tailgate with one-touch shut perform
- Energy sliding rear window
- Rear privateness glass
- Lockable, drainable and illuminated RamBox storage compartments
- Spray-in tub liner
- Digital parking brake
- Trailer brake controller
- Automated reducing and retracting aspect steps
- 5 drive modes (Auto, Sport, Tow, Snow, Off-Street)
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.4-inch infotainment display screen
- 10.25-inch entrance passenger infotainment touchscreen
- Wired and wi-fi Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Twin wi-fi smartphone chargers
- 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
- 5 x USB-C retailers
- 1 x HDMI port
- Energy-adjustable pedals
- Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
- Energy-adjustable entrance seats
- 8-way adjustment
- Driver’s reminiscence
- 2-way energy lumbar
- Heating
- Air flow
- Heated outboard rear seats
- Second-row in-floor storage bins with detachable liners
- Twin-zone local weather management
The Insurgent provides:
- 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels
- 32-inch Falken Wildpeak 275/65/18 all-terrain tyres
- Bilstein off-road dampers
- Underbody skid plates
- Distinctive grille
- Insurgent decals
- Powder-coated entrance and rear metal bumpers
- Crimson and black inside
It misses out on RamBox cargo models, energy aspect steps, fold-down rear centre console and ventilated entrance seats.
Over the Laramie Sport, the Restricted provides:
- Excessive Output Hurricane engine
- 22-inch alloy wheels
- Air suspension with three modes (Regular, Aero and Off-Street)
- Projector LED headlights and tail-lights with unlock animation
- Daytime operating lights
- Proximity lighting with Ram emblem projection
- Massaging entrance seats
- Ventilated outboard rear seats
- Digital rear-view mirror
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
Is the Ram 1500 protected?
The Ram 1500 hasn’t been examined by ANCAP.
Normal security tools highlights:
- Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Junction help
- Pedestrian and bicycle owner detection
- Adaptive cruise management
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Evasive steering help
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Lane departure warning
- Lane-keep help
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Reversing digital camera
- Tyre stress monitoring
The 1500 Restricted provides:
- Driver fatigue detection
- Evasive steering help
- Intersection help
- Visitors signal recognition
- Encompass-view digital camera
- Entrance parking sensors
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
How a lot does the Ram 1500 value to run?
All Ram autos offered in Australia are backed by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee. Servicing for the 1500 is required each 12 months or 12,000km – whichever comes first.
| Servicing and Guarantee | Ram 1500 |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 3 years, 100,000km |
| Roadside help | 3 years, 100,000km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 12,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | – |
Ram Vehicles Australia doesn’t provide capped-price servicing.
To see how the Ram 1500 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
CarExpert’s Tackle the Ram 1500 Insurgent
It’s simple to see why the Ram 1500 is Australia’s favorite full-size American pickup, and the Insurgent delivers one other stage of all-terrain functionality for many who need it.
However the very best half concerning the Insurgent is that it’s no costlier than the Laramie Sport, the entry-level variant of the facelifted, Hurricane-powered vary (thus far). We’re used to harder off-road variations of smaller dual-cab 4×4 utes just like the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota HiLux sitting on the prime of their respective lineups, typically commanding significantly increased worth premiums than appears affordable.
In fact it’s a bit completely different right here, the place the MY25 Ram 1500 is already priced from greater than $140,000, however the reality you possibly can have an ordinary Ram or this off-road model with out paying any extra sits properly with us, given the gorgeous helpful package it brings to the desk. And the one actual trade-off is barely much less grip on sealed roads.
No, there’s not lots to dislike concerning the Insurgent, and we’re to see the place Ram takes the up to date 1500 lineup subsequent. We nonetheless miss the Hemi V8, although.
CarExpert can prevent hundreds on a brand new Ram 1500. Click on right here to get a terrific deal.
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