2027 Ram Power Wagon Cummins First Drive Review: The Diesel You Asked for in the Unstoppable Truck You Want

Ram has been making a lot of noise—both literally and figuratively—with the revival of its Hemi engine in half-ton pickups. Heck, the company even came out with a whole new set of trucks just to showcase the V8. But there’s more engine news in Ram land, and it comes from the heavy-duty side of the shop: the 2027 Cummins Power Wagon is officially here.

This is one of those combinations that has made sense forever, but never happened because of Power Wagon’s capability angle. While the Cummins would fit under the hood no problem, the truck’s standard winch made it prohibitively difficult to cool the thing. Ultimately, the winch was sacrificed to make way for the compression-ignition lump. That could change if Ram’s engineers can work out the plumbing, Ram says, but for now, if you want the diesel, that’s the deal.

And here’s the thing, you really do want the diesel. Normally, I’m wary of oil-burners. I get the appeal from a spec sheet perspective, especially for owners who benefit from the superior highway mileage and towing capability. But they cost a ton up front, and it takes a long time to pay off the difference. I guess if you’re getting paid for your time and you spend a lot of it behind the wheel, that could change the equation for you.

$12,995 is a mighty big figure to balance for most of us, and that’s what you’ll pay for the 6.7-liter Cummins upgrade in a 2027 Power Wagon. That gets you 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque, along with a DEF system and all that entails, plus a 3.42:1 axle ratio and a GVWR of more than 11,000 pounds. Yep, sounds like a diesel.

And remember, this is a Power Wagon, so you’re adding the package that includes locking differentials front and rear, a push-button sway bar disconnect, and factory 34-inch tires. That means you get 13.2 inches of ground clearance, a 26.1-degree approach angle, a 26-degree departure angle, and a 20.6-degree breakover angle. If you’re looking for the ultimate jack-of-all-trades truck, this here is it.

The problem with trucks that claim to do everything is that they typically come with compromises. Big honkin’ duallies with insane payload and tow ratings tend to ride like oxcarts, for example—especially without a load on. The Power Wagon is less extreme than that, as evidenced by its max tow rating of 19,630 pounds—a touch less than the tippy-top for 2500 models. See? Compromise.

But compromise isn’t all bad. In this case, Ram’s choices make the truck a far more pleasant everyday conveyance. The big Cummins is perfectly happy idling along from stoplight to stoplight if that’s all you want from it. There’s no sense that you’re holding back a manic thoroughbred; it simply does what’s asked of it. And if you ask for full-send, you’ll get all 1,075 of those pound-feet right in the small of your back. The only downside? No Hemi bark.

I got two opportunities to drive the 2027 Power Wagon. The first was way back in late June, when we had our first go at the 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT, Second of Its Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, etc. That was a prototype which was missing several physical pieces, but fundamentally worked as a truck. My second came later in July, when Ram gave its test trucks a 48-hour pass to hang with members of the media. As you might imagine, the second round was far more informative since I was no longer distracted by the alluring prospect of taking a 777-horsepower pickup truck flat-out over an expertly constructed jump.

The second truck was also far more complete than the first, and felt subsequently more coherent on the road. It was still a prototype, but honestly, I couldn’t have told you as much without looking at the window sticker. It rides beautifully, especially for such an unstoppable truck with hard-charging off-road credentials. And remember, this is a 2500, so at most, you have the option of a self-leveling rear air suspension, not the benefits of air bags all around. Despite the heavy-duty chassis, it also hides its weight surprisingly well. This just doesn’t feel like that big of a truck, although it quite plainly is. It even feels confidently over-braked, which is a great way to score points with truck buyers.

Put simply, this is all about the Cummins, and the engine is an absolute gem in this configuration. It’s hard to find any faults with the diesel Power Wagon apart from its distinctly non-V8 soundtrack, but it exists in a space that makes sense. Ford offers the Super Duty Tremor with the Power Stroke, and GM does Duramax variants of its heavy-duty ZR2 and AT4X off-road trucks. It’s easy to spend six figures on all of them, so “value” is getting pretty subjective here. If anything, Ram was simply playing catch-up, and its pricing strategy aligns appropriately.

If you were already sold on the Power Wagon save for the gas-only powertrain configuration, well, your truck has arrived.

2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Diesel Specs

Quick Take

The diesel daily sweet spot with just a little extra attitude.