We all knew it was going to happen. A 6.2-liter, 702-horsepower supercharged V8 in an antisocially large pickup truck can’t last forever, especially not with serious emissions regulations in the pipeline. Despite the Ram 1500 not yet getting Stellantis’ Hurricane inline-six engine yet, a Ram TRX prototype was spotted with an engine sound that sure sounds like the twin-turbo Hurricane six. And, you know what, it doesn’t sound too bad.
In a video posted by Road & Track, it’s immediately clear that the prototype truck is no ordinary TRX. Folks who have been around the current TRX will know that it continually reminds you of its V8 engine. The prototype truck, which has body panels and a stance consistent with a TRX, is quiet while trundling in Detroit traffic. It isn’t until the engineer driving the truck goes full throttle leaving a stop sign that the powerplant is obvious: We’re listening to a six-cylinder.
It also looks fairly powerful, from how much the truck pitched rearward under hard acceleration. While it’s unconfirmed if this is the Hurricane engine, there aren’t many six-cylinders in the Stellantis portfolio that can motivate the heavy TRX in this way. The High Output Hurricane is rated at 510 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque, and this engine sure as hell isn’t a Pentastar. Logic dictates that Ram won’t make a new TRX and reduce power output, so there could be a seriously powerful Hurricane in the works, perhaps one even more potent than the current V8. Or, maybe Ram will offer both powertrains simultaneously. Unlikely, though stranger things have happened.
If there’s a silver lining, the engine in this mule does sound better than any other Hurricane we’ve heard yet, including the one inside the Challenger Drag Pak. And the gearbox paired with the Hurricane has nice, crisp upshifts. Overall, it’s a more elegant sound than the V8, but it’s not the fratbro-at-the-tailgate vibes the TRX so clearly exudes. If nothing else, this confirms that Ram is seriously considering the Hurricane to continue the TRX lineage.
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