When Ram and Roush announced they were working on a project together, it certainly caught our attention. Ram is a big presence in the truck market, but Roush’s willingness to move outside of Ford’s orbit was a risky play wrought with risk.

The two firms have now unveiled the fruit of their respective labors with the all-new 2027 Ram 1500 Direct Connection which aims to bring some of the TRX’s thrills in a slightly saner package.

Direct Connection is your ticket for style

While the name may seem a bit bland, Ram and Roush say the new truck makes up for it by bringing some unique party tricks to customers. The Direct Connection starts out as a Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4×4 but the truck gets a new Sport Performance hood with hood vents, body color matching front bumper, fender flares, Night Edition Package, TRX running boards, rear wheel liners, 18-inch performance wheels, 33-inch General Tire Grabber A/TX tires, red tow hooks, and black exhaust tips.

Style is also on the menu too with buyers being able to choose from five different colors; Bright White, Diamond Black Crystal Pearl-Coat, Forged Blue Metallic, Granite Crystal Metallic, and Molten Red Pearl-Coat. The goal here is to create a distinct and unique personality and on the surface, it appears the Direct Connection has managed to do so since it does have a distinct presence when compared to both the TRX and the RHO.

The interior doesn’t get quite as many changes, but it gets Mopar leather seats, branded center console, floormats, and separate badging on the glovebox.

Hemi Power

Unlike the TRX and the RHO, Ram and Roush resisted the urge to put in a Hellcat V8 or the Hurricane inline-six, and instead chose to use the ancient but still very dependable 5.7-liter Hemi V8. Neither company talked about any power upgrades, but the engine makes 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque in its stock form.

The Direct Connection does feature an active cat-back exhaust system which allows buyers to adjust the exhaust note making it louder or softer to suit their preferences though we suspect the exhaust system also allows the truck to make a few extra ponies due to its more efficient air flow. The truck also comes with a Roush Performance 2.0 Coil-Over Suspension System that features twin hydraulic dampers wth the truck also getting an e-locker and a 3.92 rear axle standard.

How much?

Like other custom specials, the Ram 1500 Roush Direct Connection requires you to put all the pieces together with the base Ram 1500 Big Horn starting at $47,870. After you order that model you have to set aside an additional $15,995 for the Direct Connection package which causes the base price to go up to $78,960.

This pricing is slightly more than the Ram RHO’s, but it is also a noticeable discount from the top-dog TRX. This discount is expected to draw buyers in especially those who want performance and capability but aren’t willing to part with TRX sized money.