2026 Ram 2500 Warlock review: The 2500 Australia needs

Australians have taken to American pick-ups in a big way, but we’ve generally had to accept a compromise somewhere along the line.

A 1500 gives you the space, comfort and petrol driveline that makes these things surprisingly liveable day-to-day. However, start adding a family, a canopy full of camping gear and a few hundred kilos of tow-ball weight and payload can disappear remarkably quickly. You can fix that with aftermarket GVM upgrades, but once you’re changing suspension and chasing engineering approvals, the simplicity of buying a big truck to do big-truck things starts getting a bit lost.

Step up to a 2500 and you get the heavy-duty chassis, axles and running gear, but the big diesel hanging over the front axle brings plenty of its own weight. Going further again into higher GVM territory can mean stepping into light-truck registration and all the baggage that comes with it. The new Ram 2500 Warlock takes a much simpler approach.

It keeps the proper 2500 underneath, swaps the Cummins diesel for a 6.4-litre petrol HEMI V8 and, in the process, drops 490kg from the truck. At the same 4495kg GVM, that gives the Warlock a whopping 1275kg of factory payload. And that could make this the American truck that suits more Australians than any of them.

Pricing and specifications

The 2026 Ram 2500 Warlock is priced from $157,950 plus on-road costs, with Australian deliveries beginning in October 2026. It pairs a naturally aspirated 6.4-litre HEMI V8 producing 306kW and 582Nm with an eight-speed automatic, part-time four-wheel drive and low range.

At 3220kg kerb weight, the Warlock has a 4495kg GVM, 1275kg payload, 10,001kg GCM and 4500kg maximum conventional braked towing capacity. Standard Warlock hardware includes Bilstein off-road dampers and LT285/60R20E Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RT tyres.

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So, what exactly is a Ram 2500 Warlock?

The Warlock starts with the bones of a proper Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, but takes it in a distinctly different direction to the familiar Cummins-powered Laramie.

Behind the HEMI is ZF’s excellent 8HP75 eight-speed automatic, rated to 750Nm and arguably one of the best automatic transmissions in the business. It’s also considerably lighter than the heavy-duty TorqueFlite HD eight-speed required behind the Cummins, while shorter 3.73:1 diff gearing suits the petrol engine’s revvier nature. Importantly, Ram hasn’t made it a soft-roader.

There are solid axles and five-link coil suspension at both ends, a proper part-time transfer case with 2.64:1 low range and a 2721kg rear axle rating – identical to the Cummins 2500. Underneath all the black trim, this remains a proper heavy-duty truck.

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Ram 2500 Warlock vs Ram 2500 Cummins

The biggest difference between the Warlock and diesel Ram 2500 isn’t power, it’s weight and torque.

The 6.4-litre HEMI Warlock is only 7kW down on the Cummins, but gives away a whopping 876Nm. In return, removing the heavy diesel drivetrain drops 490kg from the kerb weight, turning that directly into an extra 490kg of payload while retaining the same 4495kg GVM.

Black. And then some more black

If you like black, Ram has some good news for you. The Warlock appears to have been designed by walking around a 2500 and asking whether every visible component could be made black.

The grille, bumpers, headlight surrounds, badges, mirrors, side steps and wheelarch flares all get the treatment, with Warlock decals and 20-inch alloys completing the look. Even inside the headlights is black. Personally, I reckon they’ve gone about two tins of paint too far.

Then again, I’ve never thought the Ram was the best-looking of the American heavy-duty pickups, yet it’s comfortably the most popular in Australia, so perhaps don’t take styling advice from me. Either way, there’s no mistaking the Warlock for the chrome-heavy Laramie. It looks tougher, simpler and considerably less interested in subtlety.

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Big truck, big cabin

One of the enduring attractions of a full-size American pickup is simply how much room you get, and the Warlock doesn’t disappoint. Four adults could cross the country in this thing with space to spare.

Technically, it’ll take six. There’s a third seat hidden beneath the folding front centre armrest, while the rear bench accommodates three more. The two centre passengers draw the short straws, but having six seats available at all is a neat bit of practicality.

There’s useful storage beneath the rear seat, although I’m disappointed Ram hasn’t given the 2500 a flat rear floor. The transmission hump means the middle passenger sits with their feet either side of it, while bulky camping gear can’t simply be slid across the cabin floor.

Up front, physical controls remain for temperature, fan speed, volume and important functions such as Tow/Haul. In an increasingly screen-obsessed world, that feels like progress rather than regression.

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What is the Warlock like to drive?

On paper, the Ram 2500 Warlock’s 582Nm looks almost comical beside the Ram 2500 Cummins’ 1458Nm. On the road, you stop worrying about it pretty quickly.

The 6.4-litre HEMI V8 is rev-happy, responsive and piles on speed surprisingly well for something weighing 3.2 tonnes. A lot of the credit goes to the ZF 8HP75 eight-speed automatic, which is beautifully calibrated to the petrol engine. It’s happy to grab another gear or two and let the HEMI rev rather than pretending there’s diesel-like torque hiding down low.

And the noise is fantastic. There’s no point dancing around it: A naturally aspirated American V8 remains a very enjoyable thing. You can also feel the 490kg weight saving compared with the Cummins-powered Ram 2500. The Warlock feels lighter on its feet and more responsive, although unladen it almost feels like it wants a few hundred kilos in the tray to settle the ride.

Steering is suitably easy for a heavy-duty pickup this size. The brakes require a little more commitment: initial pedal assistance feels underdone, but push through that firm pedal and there’s plenty of stopping power. The big towing question remains, but as an everyday Ram 2500 petrol V8 powertrain, the HEMI absolutely works.

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Taking it off-road

There’s something refreshingly old-school about taking the Ram 2500 Warlock off-road.

There are no rock, mud, sand or mountain modes to scroll through. Select low range, point it where you want to go and drive the thing. And it works remarkably well. Solid axles and five-link coil suspension at both ends give the Warlock impressive articulation for a 3.2-tonne heavy-duty pickup. There isn’t enormous droop compared with more dedicated solid-axle 4x4s, but that’s missing the point.

This is still a heavy-duty tow vehicle that can comfortably tackle proper off-road work, not something pretending to be a rock crawler. The 6.4-litre HEMI V8’s torque arrives higher in the rev range than a big diesel’s, but low range largely makes that irrelevant. With eight gears, a useful 2.64:1 low-range reduction and shorter 3.73:1 diff gearing, there’s plenty of gearing available to keep the V8 where it needs to be.

More importantly, losing 490kg compared with the Cummins-powered Ram 2500 makes a difference here, too. There’s less mass hanging over the front axle, and the Warlock feels better balanced and more willing to work with the terrain. Sometimes simple really is better.

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Why its 1275kg payload changes everything

The Warlock’s headline number isn’t 306kW, 582Nm or even that 6.4-litre capacity. It’s 1275kg of payload.

Look at the touring 4×4 builds running around Australia and you’ll understand why. A fully equipped canopy can easily put 500 to 600kg onto a vehicle. Add a bullbar, winch, roof rack, bigger wheels and tyres, suspension and a few other accessories and you can have 800kg tied up in the build before loading your family, water, food, recovery equipment or camping gear. And that’s before putting a caravan on the towball.

Rather than immediately looking for an aftermarket GVM upgrade, the Warlock’s 4495kg GVM and 3220kg kerb weight leave 1275kg of factory payload to actually build the touring vehicle you bought it to become.

There’s proper hardware underneath that number, too. Its 2721kg rear axle rating is identical to the Cummins Ram 2500, while a 220A alternator provides a useful starting point for the substantial lithium battery banks and DC-DC charging systems increasingly fitted to touring builds. And crucially, having all that payload doesn’t mean giving away conventional towing capacity.

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2500 Warlock vs 1500: The payload problem

This is where the case for the Ram 2500 Warlock starts getting particularly compelling.

Ram 1500s can tow up to 4500kg and, on paper, their payload figures aren’t terrible. The 1500 Express Black has 1014kg, while the Rebel has 881kg. But payload is only part of the story. Ram also imposes a combined limit on weight in the tub and on the towball: 520kg for the Express Black and just 500kg for the Rebel.

Take the Rebel as an example. Put a 450kg towball load on it and you’ve got just 50kg of its permitted combined tub-and-ball capacity remaining. That’s before the fridge, drawers, canopy, recovery gear or anything else you planned to carry in the back. And that’s the fundamental difference. A Ram 1500 is an excellent tow vehicle, but turning one into the sort of heavily accessorised touring rig Australians love can quickly become a numbers exercise.

The Warlock starts from the other end. Its 1275kg payload, 4495kg GVM and heavy-duty 2500 running gear mean you can add a serious touring fit-out and still have useful capacity for people, gear and towball mass. For anyone planning a 600 to 800kg touring build, that distinction is enormous.

How much can the Ram 2500 Warlock really tow?

The Ram 2500 Warlock can tow up to 4500kg with a 70mm towball, or 3500kg using a conventional 50mm ball. With the genuine gooseneck setup and air brakes, that climbs to 6700kg.

This is where its 10,001kg GCM becomes particularly important. Take the Warlock’s full 4495kg GVM and add a 4500kg trailer and the simple headline arithmetic comes to 8995kg – still 1006kg beneath GCM. So unlike plenty of tow vehicles, GCM doesn’t immediately force you to choose between using the vehicle’s payload and using its advertised towing capacity.

There is an important qualification. Towball mass forms part of the vehicle’s loaded mass and is not carried by the trailer’s axle load, so you can’t simply add every maximum number together and call it done. The 2495kg front and 2721kg rear axle limits, trailer ATM, towball mass and individual tyre and coupling ratings still need to be respected. However, fundamentally, the Warlock’s numbers give you an unusually large amount of room to work with.

When the Cummins Ram 2500 still makes more sense

There is, of course, a point where the Cummins-powered Ram 2500 starts making a lot more sense.

Build the Warlock into a tourer, hook 3.5 or four tonnes behind it and spend 20,000km dragging that combination around Australia and you’re going to notice those missing 876Nm. The HEMI will do the job, but it’ll need revs and gears where the Cummins can simply lean on its enormous 1458Nm. You’ll notice it at the bowser, too.

A 117-litre fuel tank is reasonable until you combine a naturally aspirated 6.4-litre petrol V8 with several tonnes of caravan, headwinds and Australian highway speeds. For serious long-distance towing, I’d want more fuel capacity almost immediately. That’s really the dividing line. If your Ram 2500 spends much of its life with a massive trailer attached, buy the Cummins. If the trailer comes out occasionally and the rest of the time you need payload, the HEMI equation starts looking much better.

Of course, this is a 6.4-litre American V8. If Mopar doesn’t eventually offer something silly with a supercharger, you can bet the American aftermarket will.

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Verdict: the 2500 that makes the most sense?

On paper, the Ram 2500 Warlock is the US truck that makes the most sense for the greatest number of Australian buyers.

If you’re towing four tonnes around the country, buy the Cummins. If you want something smaller and softer, buy a Ram 1500. But for the increasingly common buyer who wants to build a serious tourer, load it properly, head off-road and tow a decent trailer when required, the Warlock hits a sweet spot neither quite manages.

You get proper Ram 2500 hardware, 1275kg of factory payload, a bloody good naturally aspirated V8 and none of the immediate need to start modifying the thing simply to carry what you bought it for. For once, the numbers actually work before you start spending money.

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Specs