Ram 1500 2026 review: Express Black Edition – Australian first drive

If you were considering a new American ute from one of the brands doing factory-backed conversions here in Australia, you might be about to save yourself some money.

This is the new Ram 1500 Express Black Edition, and the brand reckons it’s so affordable people might even consider it over a top-end mid-size ute.

Read More About RAM 1500

• US pick-up truck maker confirms smaller ute, with 2028 Ram Rampage to take on Ford Maverick and potential Toyota RAV4-based ute
• Big 2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee on local arm's wish list, with 6.2-litre supercharged V8 grunt to blow past 2026 Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado
• New Ram 1500 Express arrives to undercut the 2026 Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado

The Ford F-150 XLT is $5000 more expensive before you jump twenty grand to the Chevy Silverado.

But there is a decent list of features given you’re still paying six-figures for what would be a work ute in the US.

There’s LED headlights and fog lights, 20-inch wheels, spray-in bed liner for the tub, and the ‘Power Bulge’ sports bonnet.

Inside, an 8.4-inch touchscreen is smaller than you get in the rest of the line-up, as is the 7.0-inch driver display. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a six-speaker sound system keep entertainment covered, and there’s cloth seats, unlike other variants.

An electric rear window, damped tailgate, remote start, and a decent set of safety kit including collision alert, auto emergency braking (AEB), rear cross-traffic alert and lane-keep aid ensure the 1500 Express feels current decade.

No prizes for guessing what colour a lot of the trim on the Black Edition is. The grille, the badges, the exhaust tips, the wheel covers, even the body paint.

You can get the Express Black Edition in red, white, or blue - very American - as well as grey, silver, and of course black.

It doesn’t look much like a base model from the outside, especially with the aforementioned ‘Power Bulge’ bonnet. But a little giveaway is the plastic covers on the 20-inch alloys, which are actually alloy wheels but the covers are there for the looks.

Another giveaway is the cloth trim inside. That and the smaller screens are pretty noticeable compared to other variants of the Ram 1500.

That’s not to say it looks ‘cheap’, especially when I couldn’t reach the passenger door from the driver’s seat even if I wanted to.

The central storage bin and additional trays for storage means it's less cupholder and more ‘mealholder’. It really is an interior so spacious the European mind could not comprehend.

Even if the screens aren’t as big as other variants, the tech is straightforward and phone mirroring means not having to mess around if you prefer your own apps and settings. The more basic driver display is probably preferable for people who don't want big screens everywhere.

Also, the more old-school, manually adjustable seats are comfortable and finding a seating position is easy. The cloth itself is also preferable to leather when it gets hot.

The rear seats are similarly very comfortable and there’s no shortage of space, plus if you need more room than the tub will afford you there’s the option of folding up the rear seats for some interior space.

At the back, there’s even a little kick-down step for easier access to the tub if you need to reach the tie-down points or grab something out without climbing in.

The Ram 1500 also retains its 4.5-tonne towing capacity with the Hurricane engine as long as you use a 70mm towball, and the engine itself feels like it’s certainly up to the task.

It’s a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six unit that makes 313kW and 635Nm, sent through its eight-speed torque converter auto to the rears, or all four wheels if you engage the part-time 4WD.

It comes with a fuel consumption claim of 10.7L/100km from Ram, and on our short test loop we averaged 12L according to the computer.

The new engine is also more powerful and torquier than the 5.7-litre V8 it replaces (291kW/556Nm) and, while there is just something ‘correct’ about the sound of the Hemi V8 as you put your foot down in previous 1500s, the six is no slouch.

There's little lag from its turbochargers and the eight-speed gets to work quickly making the most of its ratios, while the power and torque on tap is enough to grant 100km/h in what feels like about six seconds.

In terms of steering and cornering, the Ram 1500 doesn't quite feel its size and weight, and holds relatively flat around bends for something at 2.5 tonnes.

There's no massive dead spot in its steering, and while it's relatively light it doesn't entirely lack feel or accuracy.

Even its brakes do a pretty good job of pulling the giant ute up if you find yourself needing to avoid disaster.

On that, it’s got six airbags for passengers but it’s also worth noting that, as a light-commercial vehicle, the 1500’s ANCAP rating is ‘gold’ rather than a star rating, denoting 70 per cent performance. When it comes to safety, ANCAP ranks it higher than the Toyota Tundra and Chevrolet Silverado.

There’s a three-year, 100,000km warranty but no capped-price servicing, with intervals every 12 months or 12,000km. It’s not only a bit behind the industry standard there, but also rivals like the Ford F-150 and the Tundra that beat it with five-year warranties.