- Ram Trucks NZ has announced a new addition to the 1500 line up in the form of the Express Black Edition.
- At $124,990 it will be the cheapest 1500 in the range.
- The Hemi V8-powered 1500 Rumble Bee is also 'under consideration' for our part of the world.
Ram Trucks New Zealand has announced the addition of the Ram 1500 Express Black Edition to its local vehicle lineup, with units expected to arrive in showrooms starting in August 2026.
Positioned as the new entry point for the Ram 1500 series, the Express Black Edition carries a starting price of $124,990 and comes standard with a Mopar sports performance bonnet, side steps, a spray-in bed liner, and 20-inch wheels fitted with 275/55/20 tyres.
Because it's called a Black Edition, there must be some black, right? Oh yes, there certainly is, with the wheels, grille, badging, side mirror caps, door handles, and exhaust tips all coming in for the black treatment, while buyers can choose from several paint options including Diamond Black, Granite Crystal, Bright White, Molten Red, and Forged Blue, while a Silver Zynith option is expected to become available later in 2026.
Like the rest of the 1500 line up the Express Black Edition is equipped with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo in-line six-cylinder Hurricane petrol engine that delivers 313kW of power and 635Nm of torque.
The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a part-time four-wheel-drive system, and the braked towing capacity of 4500kg when using a 2 5/16 inch ball, or 3500kg with a 50mm ball remains unchanged.
"Ram has always been about strength and attitude, and the Express Black Edition takes that even further," said Todd Groves, General Sales Manager of Ram Trucks NZ.
"Bringing this model to New Zealand for the first time, at this exceptional price point, along with Ram’s outstanding towing capacity of up to 4500kgs, is a milestone for us, and we can't wait to see it on Kiwi roads."
The Express Black Edition adds to Ram Truck NZ's line up of 1500s, with the Rebel ($159,990), Laramie Sport ($149,990) and Laramie Night Edition ($185,990) rounding out the range.
Ram Trucks NZ is looking to further expand its range in 2027 and a representative recently told DRIVEN Car Guide that the soon to be released Hemi V8-powered 1500 Rumble Bee "muscle truck" was also under consideration for RHD remanufacturing in Australia in order to sell it here.
The Rumble Bee name is one of Ram's rarer badges, drawing inspiration from Dodge's iconic Super Bee muscle cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Like the Super Bee, the Rumble Bee truck combined bold styling with V8 performance, capturing classic American muscle in a pickup form.
The original Dodge Ram Rumble Bee debuted for the 2004 model year as a limited-edition version of the regular-cab, short-bed Ram 1500. Powered by the 5.7-litre Hemi V8, it featured a hood scoop, unique body kit, 20-inch wheels, yellow-accented interior trim and a numbered plaque identifying each truck's place in the production run.
Now, more than two decades later, Ram has revived the Rumble Bee badge for a new generation of street-focused 1500 performance trucks set for release in the US later this year.
The new Rumble Bee line up consists of four distinct models, starting with an entry-level version powered by a 295kW 5.7-litre Hemi V8, while the Rumble Bee 392 and the 392 Track Pack are powered by a 350kW 6.4-litre "Apache" Hemi V8.
The flagship of the range is the Rumble Bee SRT, which packs the spectacular 579kW 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 from the awesome Ram 1500 TRX hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission, an electronic locking differential, and a full-time four-wheel-drive system with launch control.
The Rumble Bee models sit on a unique frame that reduces the wheelbase by 13 inches (330mm) and increases structural rigidity by 10 percent., while also using the unique combination of a widebody double cab and a short cargo bed, which may throw up barriers to its viability for RHD remanufacture.
Still, we can hope...
