Both the concept and production TRX are equipped with a 6.2-liter Hemi V-8. The big difference is horsepower. (Image courtesy of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)
After the launch of the 2021 Ram TRX, we noticed a little confusion over the name – and we probably perpetuated some of that confusion. A lot of people were referencing Rebel TRX, but the press materials were saying 1500 TRX.
So, what gives? Are they both right? Is one more correct than the other? How did the confusion even begin?
Well, let’s go back to 2016, shall we?
Rebel TRX Concept (Image courtesy of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)
At the 2016 State Fair of Texas, Ram revealed a concept truck that was built specifically for that event. It was called the Rebel TRX Concept.
This truck had design cues from both the Rebel and Power Wagon on the exterior, with a lot of the interior particularly coming from Rebel.
The concept laid the groundwork for the brawny production vehicle with 37-inch tires (production has 35-inch tires), a BorgWarner 44-45 transfer case (production has a 48-13 active transfer case), a TorqueFlite 8HP7 8-speed automatic transmission (production is a TorqueFlite 8HP95) and front- and rear-wheel travel that is increased to 13 inches (same in production).
The most interesting thing, however, is it was equipped with the same 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 engine – but rather than 702 horsepower, it was only meant to deliver 575 horsepower.
1500 TRX production vehicle (Image courtesy of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)
Now fast forward to August 17, 2020. The production TRX made its debut, and those familiar with the TRX concept likely had “Rebel” stuck in their heads.
However, the press release mentions the word Rebel exactly twice: first, to state the interior of the truck is based on the Rebel layout, and second, to state the Ram badge on the back of the TRX is similar to what’s seen on the back of the Rebel.
That’s it.
So, while the “Rebel” may be implied, it’s not the proper name of the production vehicle.
We would like to point out that from concept to production, however, the design stayed pretty similar. The concept is a little exaggerated with bulging accents, but the overall lines look close.
We had a quick e-chat with our local Ram rep, who stated the first reference of the truck should always be “Ram 1500 TRX,” but any mention thereafter can be truncated to Ram TRX or simply TRX.
Because we were curious, we went to Google Trends and compared 1500 TRX with Rebel TRX, and up until the launch on August 17, Rebel TRX was naturally the dominant search term. Now 1500 TRX takes the lead, but not by a lot. People are still searching for Rebel TRX.
So, I don’t know if there’s a moral of the story here. It’s just a clarification. The official name is Ram 1500 TRX, but if you slip and call it the Rebel TRX, you’re in good company.
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