Ram TRX Sandblast 2022: 523kW ute is a mean, sand-spitting American creation

Stellantis has taken to the Ram full-size pick-up and made it even more outlandish than before with the announcement of the Ram TRX Sandblast Edition. 

This special edition is basically the most unleashed pick-up truck yet and is fitted with a 6.2-litre supercharged ‘Hemi’ V8 that produces total outputs of 523kW/880Nm. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ram claims that “the 1500 TRX is the quickest, fastest, and most powerful mass-produced pick-up truck in the world”. 

You may be familiar with the TRX’s supercharged V8 engine, and that’s largely because this unit has also been installed in various other Stellantis vehicles such as the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. 

Ram has increased the specification of the TRX to Sandblast level, which basically means exterior colour and graphics, unique 18-inch beadlock alloy wheels, a dual-pane sunroof, spray-in tray, and tray bed tie-downs.

On the inside of the TRX Sandblast, this edition features light-frost accent stitching on the seats and door trims, a head-up display, and a unique leather and carbon-fibre steering wheel. Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and pedestrian AEB. 

How much is the Sandblast Edition and can you buy it in Australia?

At this stage, the Ram TRX Sandblast Edition is only going to be available in the United States, where these sorts of vehicles are extremely popular.

In the US, the starting price of the TRX Sandblast Edition is US$98,285. Once on-road costs are calculated, this extreme ute equates to roughly $140,000 in Australia (at the time of writing). 

It’s certainly not cheap, and you may not be able to ever buy it from the factory in this country, but an alternative might be to look at the upcoming Ford F-150 and the petrol V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado instead.