Ram has finally revealed its 2025 HD and Chassis Cab lineups, incorporating many of the flashy upgrades that have already hit the standard Ram 1500 pickup. But there’s more to this overhaul than a fancier cabin and a new grille. The 2025 Ram HD and Chassis Cab both benefit from a couple of key mechanical upgrades too.
Most significantly, Ram HD pickup buyers are down to just two engine options for 2025. This year, you’re selecting from the standard 6.4-liter Hemi V8 or the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel I6. The former offers 405 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, while the latter packs 430 horses and a whopping 1,075 lb-ft of twist. That’s the standard (and only) diesel offering for 2025; the old low- and high-output option has been scrapped. The gas V8 is down a few ponies this year, but the diesel gets more hp than even the old high-output.
Plus, for those who care, the 6.7-liter Cummins now comes with glow plugs. Really! That’s a first for these diesel-powered Ram HD trucks as they’ve always made do with grid heaters in the past that may or may not cause the engine to fail catastrophically.
There’s another big change for the Cummins: the old six-speed automatic is out. The diesel now mates up to a new, higher-output version of the ZF TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic used in the gas model. Ram’s engineers say the shorter low gears offer more torque to the wheels taking off, while the taller high gears reduce RPMs at cruise by 25%.
What’s better, every new Ram HD has a column shifter. The people have successfully warded off the rotary dial shifter another year.
The new gearbox carries over to the Chassis Cab, which is also offered with both the Hemi V8 and Cummins I6, but both have lower outputs. The Hemi makes just 375 hp and 429 lb-ft while the diesel makes do with 360 hp and a positively sensible 800 lb-ft of torque. The Chassis Cab gets another major win out of the gearbox upgrade in the form of a new, more versatile power-take-off solution. The new hookup is compatible with left- and right-hand mounting configurations and both can be used simultaneously. Its new remote-throttle setup allows for finer control at low engine speeds compared to the old turbine-driven setup, and is even capable of using PTO-driven accessories at crawl speeds.
The interiors of both benefit from many of the same upgrades that were introduced with the 2025 Ram 1500, especially in the HD pickup, which clones it almost entirely—right down to the new 14.5-inch touchscreen display and available passenger screen. Capability-wise, nothing much has really changed. The upgrades across the line appear to have come at the expense of some additional chassis weight, as both the HD and Chassis Cab’s maximum tow ratings were adjusted down slightly for 2025. The pickup checks in with a maximum trailer weight of 36,610 pounds (from 37,090); the Chassis Cab dips to 34,540 pounds (from 35,150 last year).
As for when you’ll see the 2025 Ram HD, it’ll be as soon as possible. They’ll be on sale by the end of the quarter if un-retired Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has anything to say about it. The 2025 Ram 2500 HD starts at $47,560 including destination with the Ram 3500 kicking off from $48,565.