The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Isn’t the First TRX Pickup—There Were Much Lamer Ones

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the American truck and van brand’s first real attempt at producing a true high-performance, off-road pickup. But it’s not the first Ram to bear the TRX badge—and no, we’re not talking about the Ram Rebel TRX concept from 2016.

Back in 2005, when Ram was but a Dodge, the TRX moniker was applied throughout Dodge’s truck line. That included the midsize Dakota, full-size Ram 1500, and monstrous Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups. Mind you, these TRX-badged pickups were far from the 702-hp monster that is the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. Rather, these trucks are better viewed as precursors to the likes of today’s Ram 1500 Rebel. In other words, think of the original TRX kit as more of an off-road-oriented package with a styling bent than a thoroughly reworked, trailblazing model unto itself.

Dodge Dakota TRX

Introduced for the 2006 model year, the Dakota TRX welcomed trim-specific 16-inch wheels wrapped in knobbier off-road rubber, a set of painted monotube shock absorbers (for that extra off-road-ready look), a limited-slip differential, and TRX decals on its bedsides. Notably missing from the standard features list, however, was four-wheel drive. That’s right, the Dakota TRX was a rear-driver.

Fortunately, four-wheel drive was available on the appropriately named Dakota TRX4 Off-Road. Opting to send the engine’s grunt to the front and rear axles netted other goodies for taking on tougher environments, including a 1.0-inch lift, underbody skid plates, and the additional cooling capacity and uprated battery of the truck’s Heavy-Duty Service package. 

While both the two- and four-wheel-drive TRX trims initially appeared on the updated 2008 Dodge Dakota, the less capable rear-drive TRX was eventually axed for the 2009 model year. The TRX4 Off-Road trim, meanwhile, lived on until Dodge eventually pulled the plug on the Dakota model line following the 2011 model year.

Dodge Ram 1500 TRX

Like its smaller Dakota stablemate, the Ram 1500 added a TRX variant to the fold for the 2006 model year. Available in two-wheel-drive TRX or four-wheel-drive TRX4 forms, the truck brought 17-inch wheels wrapped in off-road tires, red monotube shocks, a body-color grille surround, and model-specific graphics to the truck. An even harder-core TRX4 Off-Road variant had sizable tow hooks, a limited-slip differential, and skid plates to protect the front suspension and four-wheel-drive system’s transfer case. 

The TRX moniker was initially carried over to the redesigned 2009 Ram 1500 but was replaced by the Outdoorsman trim for the 2011 model year.

Dodge Ram 2500/3500 HD TRX

As goes the Dodge Ram 1500, so go the Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty models. Predictably, the big Dodge pickups welcomed the TRX nameplate to the fold for the 2006 model year. Like the Ram 1500, the Ram HD offered TRX, TRX4, and TRX4 Off-Road packages. All three variants sported red-painted shocks, all-terrain tires, a body-color grille surround, and special graphics, and, as with the others, the TRX4 Off-Road got a little tougher thanks to big tow hooks, a limited-slip diff, and various skid plates for the transfer case and fuel tank.

A redesign for the 2010 model year brought the big truck’s styling in line with that of the 2009 Ram 1500. The TRX model remained. However, for 2011, Dodge’s HD pickup swapped the TRX nameplate for the Outdoorsman moniker.

The post The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Isn’t the First TRX Pickup—There Were Much Lamer Ones appeared first on MotorTrend.

from MotorTrend https://www.motortrend.com/news/dodge-dakota-ram-1500-hd-trx-history/