RAM brings desert and leather to Busan: RHO and the premium 1500 at BIMOS 2026

© A. Krivonosov / SPEEDME

At BIMOS 2026, RAM looked almost defiant: EVs, UAM and robots all around, and on the stand — a full-size American pickup with a chest-of-drawers hood, a wide grille and desert landscapes on the screen. The main draw is the RAM 1500 RHO, the truck that arrived as a lighter and more balanced alternative to the TRX and until recently was the only performance version in the lineup — already without the supercharged V8.

Under the RHO’s hood sits a 3.0-litre inline-six Hurricane High Output with two turbochargers: 540 hp and 706 Nm. That’s less than the 702-hp HEMI of the TRX, but the new engine is lighter, and the truck is still quicker than most ordinary pickups. According to RAM, the RHO comes with all-wheel drive, an 8-speed automatic, beefed-up suspension and 35-inch all-terrain tyres. Ground clearance is around 280 mm, while payload and towing are enough for a boat, an ATV or a heavy trailer.

Right next to it stood a black RAM 1500 in a more urban guise: glossy bodywork, black wheels, a power running board, a tall vertical screen in the cabin, a leather-trimmed second row and the feel of a luxury SUV with an open bed rather than a work truck. That contrast matters. RAM is selling not one image of the pickup but two: the RHO — for those who want the desert and Baja, and the regular 1500 in a top trim — for those who want status, space and American comfort.

In a Korean context, hardware like this looks almost exotic. Genesis, Hyundai and Kia rule here, alongside compact SUVs and EVs, and a full-size pickup nearly 6 m long is not a rational purchase. In cramped Seoul, the RAM will be more of an image car than a convenient daily driver. But for owners of country houses, campers, boats and off-road gear, it covers a niche that ordinary crossovers don’t even try to touch.

RHO prices in the US start at around $73,800. That’s less than the TRX cost in its final years, but still markedly more than most midsize pickups. The Ford F-150 Raptor remains the direct benchmark: similar philosophy, less power in the V6 version, but stronger credentials in the Baja-pickup segment. The Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 is simpler in terms of dynamics and cheaper in terms of image, but closer to a classic work-and-trail truck.

The old TRX’s main argument was its insane V8. The RHO’s argument is different: quicker, lighter, more modern — but without the very thunder that made many people love RAM in the first place. That said, the brand has quietly brought the argument back: on 1 January 2026 RAM revealed the new Ram 1500 SRT TRX as a 2027 model year — once again with a supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI, dialled up to 777 hp and 922 Nm. So the V8 thunder hasn’t left the RAM lineup, it just lives on a parallel track now — for those for whom 540 hp of an inline-six isn’t enough.