Have you been wanting a Ram Power Wagon, but couldn’t pull the trigger because Ram won’t sell it to you with the Cummins diesel engine? Well, today, Ram has an answer for you, and it’s the 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel. Officially at least. Go ahead and call it Ram Rebel 2500 HD if you prefer. And if you couldn’t tell by now, it’s heavy duty truck week — Chevy released a refreshed Silverado HD earlier this week, and Ford revealed its next-gen Super Duty shortly thereafter.
Similar to the light-duty Ram 1500 Rebel, the HD version is a pickup with some off-road chops and off-road looks direct from the factory. You’ll quickly notice that it looks very similar to a Power Wagon — Ram says much of the exterior design cues are actually shared with the Power Wagon. However, the Rebel differentiates itself with a Mopar “sport performance hood” and Rebel badging throughout. It comes standard with 20-inch wheels and 33-inch off-road tires, but Ram says 18-inch wheels will be made available later in the 2023 model year. It features a unique off-road suspension (optional rear air suspension), four-wheel drive, Warn Zeon-12 winch rated for 12,000 pounds, rear limited-slip differential, rear electronic locker and skid plates to protect the fuel tank and transfer case. Don’t expect it to best a Power Wagon off-road, though, as it doesn’t get above-and-beyond extras like the front-locking differential and electronically disconnecting sway bar.
The powertrain story might be enough to sway you to the Rebel’s side, however, as unlike the Power Wagon, this Heavy Duty Ram can be had with the diesel engine. Ram still makes its 6.4-liter V8 the standard engine in the Rebel (like it is in the Power Wagon), and it makes a respectable 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. This setup won’t get you maximum towing capability, but the diesel will, maxing out at 16,870 pounds — a Power Wagon maxes out at 10,590 pounds of towing capacity. The 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel inline-six produces 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque in the Rebel. You get a six-speed automatic with the diesel, but the gas engine comes with an eight-speed automatic. Maximum payload is 3,140 pounds, which is another huge plus for the diesel-powered Rebel over the Power Wagon that maxes out at only 1,630 pounds.
Inside, the Rebel can be had with cloth, Bristol leather or “Natura Plus” leather seats. Optional add-ons include a 12-inch digital gauge cluster, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and other driver assistance features. It’s only available in one configuration: Crew Cab with a 6-foot-4-inch bed
Ram says the 2023 Ram Rebel will start at $68,940, including the destination charge. Expect them to roll into dealers during the fourth quarter of 2022 and Autoblog will be driving it in a few weeks. Look for our review Oct. 24.
