There was a bit 0f a rebellion at the TFLtruck office, it was announced that we were given the “okay” to pick up a 2019 Ram Rebel from Arizona and drive it back to our office in Boulder, Colorado. Along the way, we decided to take the all-new 2019 Ram Rebel to Moab, Utah for an off-road run. Every journalist, videographer and intern wanted to go; however, once the dust settled, TFLtruck editor Andre Smirnov and I were slated to go.
Laughing (triumphantly) out loud was ill-advised, so we quietly departed for the airport Thursday, March 15th – at dawn.
Landing in Phoenix, Arizona a few hours later and receiving our 2019 Ram Rebel at a nearby ranch – we immediately filmed high-speed off-road passes through the Arizonian desert. Even in low range – the Rebel showed an uncanny resemblance to a stadium truck on the fast, sandy trails in the desert. It was during this part of the video shoot that we got a feel for what this truck is all about. It was an extraverted example of how this 2019 Ram platform was a vast improvement over the previous generation; despite having the same power-plant.
The eTorque system (basically, an electric motor that assist the gas engine) is not available yet. That system will debut shortly, and we’ll be on hand to drive it as soon as possible. Despite being the same 5.7-liter HEMI V8 as the previous model, and despite having a similar eight-speed automatic transmission, the entire powertrain felt smoother, easier to modulate at any speed and it appears to be more efficient.
In this video, Andre and I get a chance to shake out the new Ram and get a feel for what the new Rebel variant is all about. Along the way, despite sickness (I was recovering from strep throat) a serious lack of sleep and challenging weather, we had an absolute blast. We also got a real-world highway MPG number for you!
Enjoy the video!