The least interesting thing about our 2021 MotorTrend Truck of the Year is that it’s powered by a 702-hp supercharged V-8.
The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is a truck that resets the standard of what’s possible. It is a game-changer, both on and off-road: a truck equally capable towing and hauling as it is ripping donuts in a field or whipping sports cars in drag races. The TRX is not just the 2021 MotorTrend Truck of the Year— the unprecedented third consecutive time Ram has won—but the new benchmark that all super trucks must beat.
At its core, the Ram 1500 TRX is an engineering exercise, and a remarkably impressive one, at that. Although the TRX shares its 1500 badge with our 2019 Truck of the Year, truthfully it’s easier to point out the few similarities than the differences.
The extensive reimagining that the Ram team did to create the TRX started with its chassis. Although the TRX is nominally related to the 1500, Ram engineers modified 74 percent of the frame in order to meet the ambitious goal of making the TRX the ultimate go-anywhere performance vehicle. The TRX’s frame is thicker, shaped differently, and boxed, and it uses more high-strength steel to ensure this Ram can avoid the fate that befell many early Ford F-150 Raptors—bent frames from off-road jumps.
The new frame also allowed the Ram team to modify the axles and suspension mounting points to support the TRX’s street-legal trophy-truck mission. The front axle shifted forward to help fit 35-inch Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires (custom specced for the Ram) on 18-inch wheels, and the beefy Dana M250 rear axle is mounted to the chassis via new five-link rear suspension mounting points. Thanks to the new axles and tires, track width increased by 6.0 inches versus the standard 1500.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2021 من Motor Trend.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2021 من Motor Trend.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
THERE’S NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
AGENTS OF ZERO
WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
THEY LISTENED
THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 HIGHLAND FIXES NEARLY EVERYTHING WE HATED ABOUT THE OLD CAR
2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
If you’ve been a fan of Kia’s recent styling direction but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.
2023 Jeep Compass
When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.
2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasn’t ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, we’re pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, there’s some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.