Among electric crossovers, concept cars and Korean premieres at BIMOS 2026 in Busan stood an exhibit from an entirely different automotive universe. The massive Ram 1500 RHO. Backed by a desert-road stage set, a Detour sign and a screen flickering with Las Vegas footage, the pickup looked almost like a frame from an American road movie: tall body, wide track, aggressive Goodyear Wrangler tires and a bold RHO badge on the side.
The real story of the RHO sits under the hood. The era of the thundering Hemi V8 is over. In its place — a 3.0-liter inline-six Hurricane High Output with twin turbos. 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque. A new recipe for a full-size pickup: fewer cylinders, more output, sharper response and far less of that nostalgic V8 roar from the exhaust.
According to Ram, the 1500 RHO accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and from 0 to 100 mph in 11.7 seconds. For a truck this size, that’s almost sports-car territory. But the RHO isn’t pretending to replace a sports car — it’s the heir to the TRX’s desert philosophy. Going fast where the pavement ends.
Underneath, there’s no decorative off-road package — this is serious engineering. The Busan display car shows Bilstein dampers marked Ram Active Terrain Dynamics. The setup includes adaptive Bilstein Black Hawk e2 shocks, a beefed-up off-road suspension, full-time four-wheel drive and 35-inch all-terrain tires. Ground clearance reaches 11.8 inches — roughly 300 mm. Numbers like that push the RHO into proper body-on-frame SUV territory, while it remains, fundamentally, a pickup.
Visually, the RHO leans into pure American brutality. A gray-green body, a black grille with the giant RAM lettering, a hood scoop carrying the Hurricane High Output badge, massive fender flares, power side steps, a short cargo bed. At the back — two big exhaust tips, a tow hitch, a tall bumper and an RHO badge on the right side. It’s not a show-car fantasy. It’s a production spec for buyers who find a normal pickup just too civilized.
The interior, meanwhile, is anything but utilitarian. The cabin offers a large vertical central display, a digital instrument cluster, leather seats, a massive center console, contrast-stitched trim and a signature RHO plate on the armrest. It feels less like a working truck and more like a big off-road grand tourer. Just with an open cargo bed and the structural margin for terrible roads.
