Ram 2500 2026 review: Warlock – Australian first drive | Chevrolet Silverado rival tested

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

7 / 10

As well as the six-cylinder Ram 1500 line-up, the 2500 range will continue with the Cummins diesel-powered Laramie and is now expanded with the V8 Warlock variant we’re dealing with here.

Price for the Warlock is a hefty $157,950, plus on-road costs, but that puts it in pretty good company with other big pick-ups such as the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 ZLT ($168,900), Ford F-250 XLT ($175,000) and Toyota Tundra ($155,990).

It also recognises the fact that the Ram is imported into Australia as a left-hand drive vehicle and re-engineered as a right-hand drive. That’s a lot of labour and attention to detail, not to mention the engineering and development that needs to be amortised across what is a low-volume vehicle.

The equipment list is a reasonably long one, including:

• 20-inch alloy wheels (up from the 18s on the diesel 2500)
• All-terrain tyres (to make the most of the vehicle’s recreational off-road ability
• LED headlights
• Fender flares
• 12-inch central multimedia screen
• Rear-view camera
• Towbar (something a lot of brands charge extra for)

It's also worth mentioning that the Warlock is a six-seater with a three-and-three layout, although the front-centre seat precludes access to the centre console. Nevertheless, accommodating six people is not something the majority of dual-cab utes can boast and it might be the difference for some families.

What you don’t get is the ritzier trim and leather upholstery of the Laramie 2500, and the Warlock is based on the more cost-conscious tradesman-oriented trim package. That means a lot more plain, grey plastic and cloth seats.

The main option is metallic paint at $950, although the various optional tow-balls and hitches will also be common fitments

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Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

8 / 10

The original Dodge Warlock looked like a motor-show special with its (typically) jet-black body, timber side-steps and almost quaint gold coach-lines and pin-striping. The blacked-out theme has been continued for the new Warlock, too, and the 2500 gets a black front fascia and grille, wheel arch extensions, side-steps and even black front and rear bumpers.

Like the original, this Warlock is available in a range of colours, but bank on black being a pretty popular one.

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

8 / 10

Towing is the name of the game here, and with a 50mm tow ball, the Warlock can lug 3500kg. But that’s just phase one. Fit a 70mm ball, and you’re suddenly looking at 4500kg and, if you stump up for the genuine 'goose-neck' towing package and fit your trailer with air-brakes, that limit rises to 6700kg.

That’s all set against a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 10,001kg (nobody could tell me why it’s 10,001 and not a round 10,000), and a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 4495kg, keeping the Ram car-license-friendly. Total payload is 1275kg, which means if you max out the GVM, you still have 5506kg of towing capacity up your sleeve.

The flip side is that with a kerb mass of 3220kg, and, say, 500kg worth of people, fuel, tools, Big M and sausage rolls on board, the legal payload in the tray suddenly shrinks to 775kg.

Hitch up the full 6700kg of load, and you’re left with just 3301kg of vehicle and payload, so that huge towing limit is perhaps more theoretical than practical. This is by no means a Ram-specific issue, but one that owners need to be familiar with to stay on the right side of the law and their insurance. And none of which, either, means the Ram won’t haul 4500kg pretty smartly with payload to spare.

It’s a long way up into the cabin of the Warlock, but there are grab handles and side-steps to make it physically possible. And, once you’re in place, the view out is absolutely magnificent; as if you’re sitting in a tennis umpire’s chair, looking down on the world.

One of the first things you notice is the Warlock has ditched the up-spec interior trim of the 1500 Ram line-up. So the glossy, anodised trim elements are replaced by rather more dowdy grey plastics, and the passenger’s side info-screen of the 1500 Laramie is gone, replaced by a huge storage bin (which is probably of more use to most people anyway).

Even though the Ram is converted to right-hand drive in Australia, a cost analysis demanded the indicators and column-mounted gear-shifter remain on the left and right hand side of the column, respectively. You’ll get used to it. The column itself features tilt, but no reach adjustment.

The seat trim is cloth rather than leather (which also works for a lot of people) but the front seat area is huge with vast stretching room in every direction. Even the centre console (which becomes the sixth seat when you need it) is high and wide and incorporates cupholders, storage cubbies and a writing surface.

There’s a 12-volt outlet in the top of the dashboard, and USB ports aplenty. But more impressive is the way Ram has stuck with physical switches rather than touchscreen menus for the important functions.

So, the climate control stuff is all contained within the centre stack, the entertainment controls are below that and the four-wheel drive mode switch is placed down low, left of the steering column; just where you want it off-road. Even stuff like the tow and haul mode switches are physical buttons.

The rear seat is absolutely huge, too. There’s more than enough knee and headroom for pro basketballers and the seat is wide. But, for some reason, the centre-rear position’s cushion depth is compromised by the placement of a pair of cupholders on the floor. Odd.

There is, however, a huge storage bin under the rear bench, and there are air vents but no climate controls in the rear. You do get grab handles and steps for easier access, and the entire floor is covered in sturdy looking rubber mats with a decent lip to contain mud and spills.

Thanks to all that wheelbase, the tray is vast despite the enormous cabin. The tailgate is spring-assisted, but still opens with a fair clunk if you let it drop, and the load height is going to make heavy loads a chore. Getting into the tub is made a bit easier, though, with a flip-down step on the rear-left corner.

There’s no standard tonneau, but you get a spray-in liner and there are LED lights on either side of the tub as well as eight tie-down points; four down low and four higher up the tray-sides.

A full-sized spare tyre is included.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

7 / 10

Here’s where the headline stuff lives. The Hemi V8 measures 6.4 litres and cranks out a solid 306kW of power and 582Nm of torque, albeit at a fairly high (for a pick-up) 4000rpm.

The paradox, of course, is the V8 makes less power and torque than the turbocharged inline six-cylinder Ram sells in the smaller 1500 model (and replaced the V8 in that vehicle). In fact, even the most conservative tune of the turbo-six makes seven kiloWatts and 53Nm more than the V8, while the HO version of the six absolutely stomps on the V8 with 403kW (up 97) and 707 Nm (125 more).

So what’s the buying proposition? It’s a great question, but it’s not as simple as it appears on the surface. While Ram Australia did, indeed, replace the Hemi V8 with the inline six-cylinder for the 1500 series of pick-ups, the V8 has not returned to that line-up. Instead, the V8 is only available in the 2500 Ram – as the Warlock, no less - which is a pretty effective line in the sand.

Beyond that, the existence of the non-turbocharged V8 is largely down to the refinement it offers and that warbling soundtrack that has inspired enthusiasts since the Cadillac Type 51 introduced the V8 concept to production cars in 1914.

Meanwhile, The Ram V8 runs on premium ULP and is paired with an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission. In turn, that feeds into a transfer-case with high and low ratios for a traditional mechanical four-wheel drive layout. The differential ratios have also been shortened compared with the diesel 2500, as a means of ensuring the V8 is in its power zone for more of the time.

The off-road proposition is boosted by decent clearance and approach and departure angles and the Warlock uses coil rear springs rather than the more typical leaf springs of many similarly sized utes. High-end Bilstein dampers are also standard on the Warlock.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

6 / 10

Vehicles in this market segment aren’t required to claim an official fuel consumption number, but it’s no secret the Ram V8 will drink its share. Oh, and it requires 95 RON fuel, too, so add another few bucks per tankful over the cost of standard ULP.

On our on-road test, we averaged a reasonable 13.7 litres per 100km, but on a gently highway cruise, that would improve a little, thanks to the cylinder deactivation system that sends the V8 on to four cylinders when the extra grunt of all eight is not needed.

But hitch up a caravan or select low-range four-wheel drive and the numbers will pretty soon descend into fairly frightening territory. In reality, the around-town average is likely to be 15 litres per 100km or maybe even a bit more. That’s physics for you.

With the 177-litre tank and our on-road average, you could expect to travel for about 800km before looking for a service station.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

7 / 10

It might seem a bit odd, but the Ram pick-ups of this era have usually offered up a pretty refined, un-truck-like experience. It’s all down to plenty of sound-proofing, coil-sprung suspension and classy drivelines that merge effortlessness with clever, smooth transmissions.

And that hasn’t changed here. Although the sheer size of the Ram 2500 takes a bit of getting used to, everything from the dual-view exterior mirrors to the huge cabin glass area is designed to make it all a little less intimidating.

The V8 engine is muscular rather than brutal in the way it delivers, and it feels as though 0-100km/h would take about eight seconds to achieve. But it’s the manner, not the speed at which the Ram gets there that’s most impressive.

The engine is mellow and feels free-revving, and it works particularly well with the eight-speed automatic transmission to take out any torque deficits and keep it all rolling along with zero fuss. If you watch the tachometer, you might notice the engine is revving a little harder in each gear than you expected, with 5000rpm cropping up regularly if you start to get a bit enterprising with your progress. But the engine is so willing and so smooth in the process, this remains an observation rather than a criticism.

The steering feels light and takes a while to haul on the lock, but that’s probably a function of the vehicle’s off-road orientation. Speaking of which, it’s pretty good on a rough track, too, with lots of wheel articulation. The caveats for off-roading, however, include the huge bonnet that blocks the way forward when cresting lumps (a forward-facing camera would be a great addition) and the fact that the Ram’s wheel tracks are a lot farther apart than the four-wheel drives that have created Australia’s many bush tracks.

Staying with that theme, the Ram’s obvious girth can be an issue in tight driveways and parking stations, but that’s nothing new. We’ll also mention the engine can feel a bit grumbly when it drops on to four cylinders at low-speed cruising, and that the all-terrain tyres contribute a bit of noise on some coarse bitumen surfaces.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

7 / 10

The Ram 2500 is pretty well equipped from a safety point of view. Modern ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) features are present, starting with autonomous emergency braking which incorporates a forward-collision warning and can identify pedestrians and cyclists.

Beyond that, the safety list includes:

• Radar cruise control
• Speed sign recognition
• A rear-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Blind zone warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver fatigue monitoring (new for this version of the 2500)
• An improved lane-keeping assistance program
• Trailer sway control
• Tyre pressure monitoring

What’s missing? A 360-degree camera would be great (and possibly should be mandatory) in a vehicle of this size. The higher Ram Laramie specification offers a 360-degree camera view as standard, and this really should be added to the Warlock.

The Ram features six airbags with full side-curtain coverage and two front airbags, but no knee airbag which suggests it doesn’t need it anyway. The real shortfall is a lap-only seat-belt for the centre-front passenger. Three child restraint points are fitted in the rear seat.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

6 / 10

Big trucks don’t carry the same generous warranties as passenger car buyers are accustomed to. So the Warlock’s three-year/100,000km warranty might seem a bit rude. But trust us, it’s par for the course in the trucking world.

Service intervals for the Ram are every 12 months or 12,000km, which, again, seems a bit short but reflects the likely conditions under which a Ram 2500 will operate and the need for more regular oil changes and other servicing.

Ram includes 24-hour roadside assistance for the first three years of ownership, too, but there’s no capped price servicing plan on offer.

There are 77 Ram dealers in Australia covering all states and territories, including key rural and regional areas.

Verdict