Ram 2500 Warlock brings Hemi V8 back to Australia

The V8-powered Ram 2500 Warlock heavy-duty pickup has been confirmed for Australia, priced from $157,950 before on-road costs, ahead of first examples arriving in showrooms across the country this month.

The off-road-focused Warlock will become the entry point to the larger Ram 2500 range, with its 6.4-litre Hemi V8 producing 306kW of power and 582Nm of torque, and driving through an eight-speed automatic transmission to an off-road four-wheel drive system with high and low range. Braked towing capacity is a mammoth 6700kg.

As the new Ram 2500 price-leader, the Warlock sits below the Laramie, which is powered by a 6.7-litre turbo-diesel Cummins inline six producing 313kW and 1458Nm, and priced from $172,950 before on-road costs.

The Cummins engine is also available in the Warlock in the US, but the locally converted Australian version will be offered exclusively with the petrol V8 for the time being.

“Australian customers told us loud and clear they wanted the Hemi V8 to come back, and the Warlock was our first opportunity to do so,” said Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber in a statement.

“We had also been exploring the option of an off-road inspired Ram 2500 Heavy Duty model for some time, so the Warlock was the perfect opportunity to bring the HEMI V8 back and deliver customers a broader choice.”

While it’s the first Hemi V8 offered in any Ram Trucks Australia model for almost two years, it’s also the first Hemi-powered 2500 available locally in a decade.

“We have seen a market shift towards Heavy Duty in recent years, as customers get even more serious and more demanding with what they want from a truck – whether it’s for work or play,” Mr Barber said.

“So, when we were assessing the suitability of the Warlock for our market, we decided to go all-in and bring the Hemi V8 back with it.”

V8 power will also return in the fire-breathing Ram 1500 TRX ‘apex predator’, which has been confirmed for Australian launch in 2027, packing a 579kW/922Nm 6.2-litre supercharged V8.

The Warlock’s V8 is paired with a 3.73:1 final drive ratio, although 3.42:1 and 4.10:1 ratios are also offered in the US. It comes with a 117-litre fuel tank, although no official fuel consumption figure has been supplied.

The Warlock will be offered exclusively with a four-door Crew Cab body and a 6ft 4in pickup bed with a spray-in bed liner. It has a 3786mm wheelbase and measures 6066mm long, 2220mm wide and 2043mm tall.

Its off-road focus sees it ride on 20×8.0-inch alloy wheels (the largest fitted to a 2500 sold here) with 285/60 all-terrain tyres, along with Bilstein off-road shock absorbers and coil-spring front and five-link rear suspension.

Ground clearance for US-specification models is a big 333mm and it's expected to be the same for Australian versions, which have a 22.9-degree approach angle, 25.8-degree departure angle, and 22.0-degree ramp-over angle.

The Warlock has a kerb weight of 3220kg and a 1275kg payload, along with a 4485kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and a 10,001kg gross combination mass (GCM).

Its braked towing capacity is 3500kg with a 50mm tow ball, increasing to 4500kg with a 70mm tow ball. Like the Chevrolet Silverado HD, it offers an optional gooseneck hitch which, when teamed with an aftermarket air-brake package, increases its towing capacity to 6700kg.

A tow receiver with a 12-pin wiring harness, trailer sway control and valve-type tyre-pressure monitors are standard on the Warlock.

The exterior receives black treatment for the headlight inserts, grille, bumpers, wheel-arch extensions, mirrors and side steps and tailgate 'RAM' lettering, along with LED headlights.

Inside, there’s grey cloth upholstery for its standard six seats and a 12.0-inch Uconnect infotainment touchscreen, plus a reversing camera and both front and rear parking sensors.

While the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) doesn’t crash-test large pickups, the smaller Ram 1500 achieved Gold status in a 2025 ANCAP evaluation of its collision-avoidance systems.

The Warlock comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, as well as adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

MORE: Explore the Ram 2500 showroom