Yahoo Autos 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel First Drive: More heavy duty than rock crawler
PIONEERTOWN, Calif. -- A vocal subset of Ram truck enthusiasts has long clamored for a particular combination: a Power Wagon with a Cummins turbodiesel. Well, they still aren’t getting one. But the 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel is meant to be the next-best thing, as it does indeed offer that long-coveted turbodiesel, while adding and subtracting in a few places to create something that’s more heavy-duty truck and less rock crawler.
First, what the Rebel shares with the Power Wagon. The only body choice is a Crew Cab and 6-foot-4 bed, with a choice of five- and six-passenger seating. Buyers can choose between the same BorgWarner part-time transfer case, with a choice of electronic or manual shift operation regardless of engine. It includes 4Hi and 4Lo (crawl ratio of 2.64:1), with the latter requiring you shift into Neutral. At the rear, the Rebel inherits the same electronic locker and electronic limited-slip differential. The 20-inch wheels are wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain rubber. The same skid plate package is shared, as is the same general look apart from a slightly different grille mesh and 20-inch wheel design. Basically, apart from the lack of POWER WAGON sticker on the bed side, it would be awfully tough to tell the two apart.
Standard on the Rebel is the Power Wagon’s only engine option: the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 good for 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. A ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic is standard.
Now, what the Rebel does not get. Up front, there’s no electronic front locker, nor the disconnecting sway bar and extra rear suspension joint that allows for the Power Wagon’s absurd suspension articulation. To that same end, the Power Wagon has softer springs at the rear than other 2500 Rams, but the tradeoff for all that rock-crawling articulation is a considerably lower tow rating of 10,590 pounds and payload of 1,630 pounds.
The Rebel gets firmer rear springs, which zaps articulation, but allows for massively upgraded heavy-duty trucking. The tow rating jumps to 16,870 pounds with the 6.4-liter, while the payload goes up to 3,140 pounds. Towing goes down by about 2,000 pounds with the Cummins since the engine weighs so much more. What you gain, though, is nearly twice the torque. The 6.7-liter inline-six sends 370 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic. Sorry, you can’t get the 1,075-lb-ft High Output version, but let’s not be choosers, beggars.
You also can’t get the 12,000-pound Warn Zeon-12 winch when you opt for the Cummins, since there’s basically not enough space up front for both winch and diesel to coexist. That’s a big reason the Power Wagon doesn’t offer the diesel. If you’re OK with the 6.4-liter, though, the winch can be added to the Rebel.
