2023 Ram 2500 Rebel cranks up diesel power with 6.7-liter Cummins

When it comes to factory-direct off-road trucks, Ram has cranked up plenty of torque with its diesel-equipped 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel.

As OEMs continue to step up their off-road packages, Ram’s 2023 heavy-duty Rebel maxes out at an impressive 850 lb.-ft. torque and 370 horsepower.

Towing in the 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel maxes out at 16,870 lbs.RamThat rock spitting, dirt churning power comes courtesy of a 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel I-6 paired up with a 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission which comes standard with the diesel.

Those looking for a little less bite in the dirt and their pocketbook, can opt for the standard 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with cylinder deactivation and variable-cam timing. Numbers there come in at 410 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. torque. An 8HP75 eight-speed automatic transmission comes standard.

Though Ram’s advertised 850 lb.-ft. torque in the 2023 2500 Rebel is impressive, Ford’s 2023 F-250 Tremor off-road package equipped with the new 6.7-liter high-output Power Stroke diesel beats it. We just won’t know by how much until Ford releases the numbers. The current 6.7-liter Power Stroke in the 2022 Tremor available on Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum is rated at 1,050 lb.-ft.

In the meantime, Ram Rebel gets to enjoy the spotlight with some impressive off-road capability that includes a five-link coil suspension with an optional rear air suspension system, rear limited-slip differential and rear electronic locker, 20-inch wheels (optional 18-inch wheels – late availability), 33-inch off-road tires and skid plates that protect the fuel tank and transfer case. Cargo tie-downs are standard while a spray-in bedliner, LED bed lighting and bed step are available.

An integrated front-mounted WARN Zeon-12 winch, rated at 12,000 lbs., is available on 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel models equipped with the 6.4-liter HEMI V8. The factory-installed winch features a unique fairlead and fairlead retainer that utilizes a synthetic line.

Max towing for the 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel is 16,870 pounds while payload tops out at 3,140 pounds. Customers can choose from three different seating options including a cloth bench or bucket seat, a Bristol leather bench or bucket seat and a full Natura Plus leather bucket seat.

RamRebel also features a 360-degree Surround View camera, which includes forward-view camera gridlines to help navigate obstacles. This system provides a single display-screen view of both sides of a trailer to assist drivers in maneuvering towing setups.

An available 12-inch frameless digital gauge cluster features nearly two dozen different menus. The full-color cluster features five reconfigurable tiles for at-a-glance data, or quick and easy access to the most used information. Drivers may choose between analog or digital instrumentation. All cluster settings can be saved to a user profile. Available safety features include adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward-collision warning plus, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross path detection, automatic headlamps, digital rearview mirror with tow mode and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel is available in a crew cab configuration with a six-foot, four-inch box.

The new 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel will roll out to dealers during the fourth quarter of 2022 and will come with a sticker price of $67,045 MSRP plus $1,895 destination.