Tow Test: RAM 2500 2021

Oversized and over here. Australia’s fascination with the humble ute has gone into overdrive in 2021, and the out-and-out success of RAM is a case in point.

Following the lead of the latest RAM 1500, which continues to amass record sales, the new DT-generation 2021 RAM 2500 looms as the current exclamation point on our hay-hauler obsession.

Tasked with taking on the updated GMSV Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty (previously 2500) that arrives in November, the 2021 RAM 2500 has been visually overhauled inside and out and is brimming with new safety and technology features.

Furthermore, it does so while providing what appears to be peerless towing ability for anything this side of a truck licence.

Is it a bridge too far for Aussie roads?

American-produced pick-up trucks that are converted to right-hand drive in Australia have never been especially cheap. And unsurprisingly, the brawny, highly-equipped 2021 RAM 2500 is no exception.

The price of entry climbs to $157,950 plus on-road costs for the solitary RAM 2500 Laramie variant.

As we’ve already reported, that’s an $18,000 increase on the ageing DS-generation predecessor and $12,960 more than its direct competitor, the forthcoming GMSV Chevrolet Silverado HD.

The RAM 2500 is imported by factory-approved RAM Trucks Australia and converted from left- to right-hand drive in Melbourne with full homologation compliance by Walkinshaw Automotive Group. Walkinshaw also converts the GMSV Chevy Silverado to RHD.

To date, RAM has sold about 3000 examples of the smaller 1500, which starts at $79,990 plus on-road costs and tops out at $139,950 plus ORCs.

So then, the DT-generation changes that first appeared in the US in 2019…

The new RAM 2500 is distinguished from its predecessor by fresh styling front and rear, as well as lighter panels which help contribute to a 64kg reduction in weight.

A bold new chrome grille flanks the front-end, punctuated by fresh LED headlights that help achieve a sharper, smarter look than the predecessor’s comparatively bulbous cues.

Standard equipment for the RAM 2500 Laramie includes 18-inch wheels, six seats adorned in partial leather trim, power-adjustable, heated and cooled front seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless entry/start and dual-zone climate control.

A 360-degree camera with trailer reverse guidance and a secondary cargo-view camera are also standard fitment.

Inside, the 2500 is furnished in a decidedly rich mix of materials and technology, including a 12-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-speaker Alpine stereo and 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster.

Five USB-A and four USB-C ports plus a rear power-sliding window are some of the other niceties.

An active noise cancellation system is said to reduce ambient cabin sounds by 10dB – “making it the quietest RAM heavy duty ever”, according to the manufacturer.

The RAM 2500 doesn’t come with an ANCAP safety rating but has been crash-tested in the US under different testing protocols.

It boasts a full suite of airbags, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with active braking, hill start assist, trailer sway control and lane departure warning. Front and rear parking sensors, a ‘digital’ rear-view mirror, 360-degree camera plus forward- and rear-facing cameras are likewise standard.

An optional $1950 ‘Driver Assistance Level 1 Package’ adds blind spot monitoring with rear cross path and trailer detection.

Premium metallic/pearlescent paint is the other major option at $950.

Buyers who opt for the RamBox storage system integrated into the tray will need to spend a further $4950, and will forego some payload and towing ability for the privilege.

The RAM 2500 is backed by a three-year/100,000km warranty through RAM Trucks Australia.

Disappointingly for those in remote locations – or anyone for that matter – service intervals are spaced every six months or 12,000km, more frequent than most other utilities.

The 2021 RAM 2500 is a numbers car, and nowhere are its credentials more exaggerated than in the engine bay.

A familiar Cummins-sourced 6.7-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine does duty underneath the bonnet, producing 276kW and a monstrous 1152Nm of torque – the latter available from 1700rpm.

In layman’s terms, it is like a truck engine, fitted with an exhaust brake, an oil capacity of 11.3 litres and a peak rev range of 3200rpm.

Drive is apportioned via an updated six-speed automatic transmission, mated to a BorgWarner electronic transfer case and new front and rear axles offering greater durability.

RAM does not disclose official fuel consumption or emissions information in Australia, and nor is it required to. The 2500’s gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4495kg precludes it from the government’s 3.5-tonne threshold.

The GVM also sneaks the 2500 under the 4.5-tonne heavy vehicle classification, allowing the pick-up truck, which has a kerb weight of 3660kg, to be driven using a regular car licence.

The powerhouse engine enables maximum braked towing capacity of 4500kg when using a 70mm conventional tow ball hitch plus a payload of 835kg.

Towing capability extends to 8000kg when using an auxiliary gooseneck tow hitch and air brakes.

Those figures are more pronounced when you consider the 2500’s sheer size – 6.06m long by 2.6m wide by 2.03m high.

The RAM 2500’s tray, meanwhile, measures 193cm from the back of the crew cab to the tailgate. It is fitted with eight tie-down points and two rear-mounted lights that illuminate the space at night.

Five-link coil-sprung rear suspension and frequency response damping shock absorbers, combined with a three-link coil front, are attached to the 2500’s ladder-frame chassis.

Braking is facilitated by 360mm front and 358mm rear disc brakes clamped by twin-piston callipers.

Clambering up into the well-appointed cabin of the 2021 RAM 2500 reaffirms the feeling this isn’t a Toyota HiLux Workmate.

Beefy side steps and convenient grab rails make ingress and egress a relatively straight-forward process.

Once inside, quality materials adorn all the contact points and there is a decidedly upmarket vibe to the cabin fitment and finish.

Wide and supportive heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel, help create a cosy armchair environment that is underlined by huge proportions.

A heavy-duty column-mounted gear shifter and dated park-operated foot brake detract slightly from the modern cues, but a plethora of basic storage and nine USB ports dotted around the cabin are redeeming features.

We must applaud the right-hand drive conversion work of Walkinshaw as well. Even upon close examination, it’s clear they’ve left no stone unturned in recreating the panels.

With the exception of some USB port placement and switchgear, it’s almost as if the job has been done from the factory – right down to relocating the bonnet latch to the right-hand side of the vehicle.

Space is plentiful across the two rows, with the added bonus of an occasional sixth pew in the middle front seat. When it’s not in use, the space doubles as a roomy centre console or arm rest ideal for longer journeys.

The rear seat space offers excellent proportions for three adults or three child seats, such is the width, legroom and headroom. Three top-tether and ISOFIX attachment points are provided for child restraints.

The door pockets aren’t as bottle-friendly as they could be, however under-seat and under-floor storage are both noteworthy inclusions.

Up front, the huge centre touch-screen is a cinch to navigate and is complemented by numerous hard-wired climate control switches to enable inherent on-the-go functionality.

Less enamouring, though, is the craftsmanship from the RAM factory itself.

A quick perusal of body panels reveals some concerning inconsistencies that aren’t really good enough given the $160K outlay. The left side panel gap between the front and rear doors varies by about 3mm from top to bottom.

That said, the worst build quality instance on our test vehicle is found around the tailgate, which clearly sits proud of the tail-lights – almost as if it hasn’t latched properly. Moreover, on one side there’s a 3mm gap between tailgate and tail-light. On the other, the distance is closer to 6mm.

It should be noted these inconsistencies are no reflection on Walkinshaw but on the Mexican facility that assembles the 2500.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, the 2021 RAM 2500 is huge. However, it exudes a surprising degree of grace and control on the open road, thanks to its brutish engine, quiet cabin acoustics and ride comfort.

Once you’re spatially accustomed to the long, drawn-out bonnet and hulking length, you begin to feel at ease placing the 2500 on the road, as well as trusting its myriad cameras and mirrors and panoramic outlook, which help to mitigate some of the bulk.

The hydraulically-assisted steering rack is light at low speed, relatively accurate and, at 3.2 turns lock-to-lock, requires only moderate inputs to navigate the 2500 along a twisting road.

Naturally, there’s some freeplay just off centre, but all within keeping of the 2500’s noteworthy off-road and towing pretensions. There’s no sign of any dreaded rack rattle on our tester either.

The driver aids are largely inoffensive and devoid of aimless alarms, and the adaptive cruise control intervenes in linear steps.

Now, granted, you wouldn’t intentionally go hunting apexes in this 3660kg truck, but on undulating B-grade roads the 2500 feels tied down and composed, shaking off mid-corner bumps and soaking up drawn-out imperfections.

The size and weight of the 2500 is most exaggerated upon slowing down and parking. A long, spongy brake pedal action is the first warning shot; it requires a considered application from the driver to really arrest speed but in our testing it is immune to fade.

The body control and structural rigidity at play is such that the RAM 2500 ambles along broken surfaces and undulating road in a perfectly pleasant fashion. A long wheelbase and the high-strength ladder-frame chassis ensure it irons out most imperfections and absolves any jitteriness that tends to afflict smaller utes.

The 2500 is taller than many run-of-the-mill undercover car parks and will struggle to fit in conventional spaces, too. It means a lot of the time you have to plan ahead with parking or getting in and out of tight spaces, especially given the mammoth 14.6m turning circle.

That brings us to the sweet spot of the RAM 2500: its engine.

The inline six-cylinder feels as though it is tailor-made for the job. It spins up eagerly, is smooth, offers seemingly boundless torque and is devoid of any real hesitation.

The matching six-speed automatic doesn’t read like the latest word in gearbox technology, but the engine’s towering torque means its interventions are minimal – and when it is called upon, the auto does what’s required.

Pulling power is supreme in all scenarios, irrespective of speed, revs or road conditions.

The soundtrack? Rich and equally enamouring. This is no diesel rattler.

Across our 600km worth of testing (which didn’t include off-road trails on this occasion), the RAM 2500 averaged 14.0L/100km in a mix of conditions. No doubt it would move north of that mark with any serious weight on board or in tow.

It’d be remiss of us not to at least throw some kind of weight behind the hulking new 2021 RAM 2500.

With no fifth wheel or air brakes fitted to our test model and with the family Malibu ski boat in for its annual service (Ed: he’s kidding himself), we decided to opt for the outdoor enthusiast’s lottery pack: a dirt bike in the tray and a Kawasaki Teryx side by side loaded onto a car trailer in tow.

About the only bone of contention is a full-size motocross bike doesn’t fit lengthways in the 2500’s tray with the tailgate up. You have to fit it diagonally.

In any case, the circa-2000kg extra mass is barely noticeable behind the 2500 in terms of acceleration, braking and outright stability.

Engaging the tow/haul mode, exhaust brakes and making use of the rear-facing camera means the task doesn’t get much easier.

Let’s face it, towing is the 2500’s modus operandi. For anyone not regularly making use of its astronomical pulling power, the smaller RAM 1500 – or even a mainstream dual-cab ute – is probably a better fit.

To those who do demand more, the RAM 2500 is in a league of its own, but not for long.

Cue the comparison test with the forthcoming GMSV Chevrolet Silverado HD…

How much does the 2021 RAM 2500 Laramie cost?
Price: $157,950 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 6.7-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 276kW/1152Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.0L/100km (on test)
CO2: N/A
Safety rating: Not tested