The Ram 1500 Express Black Edition lowers the entry price for a new full-size Ram pickup in Australia to AU$109,950 before on-road costs. The Express name returns after a two-year absence and appears on the fifth-generation 1500 for the first time in the local market, saving buyers AU$32,000 compared with the Laramie Sport and Rebel.
2026 Ram 1500 Black Express arrives in Australia with a lower starting price
Under the hood, Ram keeps the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six in Standard Output specification, producing 420 hp and 468 lb-ft (635 Nm) of torque. The engine works with an eight-speed 8HP75 automatic transmission and selectable four-wheel drive, although the system lacks the permanent automatic mode available on higher trims. Ram Trucks Australia claims fuel consumption improves by around 12% compared with the previous 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which has not returned to the Australian lineup.
The exterior avoids the stripped-down appearance often associated with entry-level trucks. Black finishes cover the grille, badges, door handles, mirror caps and exhaust tips, while 20-inch wheels and a Mopar Sport Performance hood add a more aggressive look. The bed includes a spray-in liner, four tie-down points and a rear step, while maximum payload reaches 1,014 kg, or roughly 2,235 pounds.
Most of the cost savings appear inside the cabin. The front cloth seats use manual adjustment, while the instrument panel combines traditional analog gauges with a 7-inch display. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system uses an 8.4-inch touchscreen, smaller than the displays fitted to other Australian Ram 1500 models, but it still includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical controls remain available for climate functions and towing features.
The lower price does not remove many of the driver-assistance systems that prove especially useful in a vehicle of this size. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and parking sensors work alongside the rearview camera. Ram also includes a trailer brake controller and a heavy-duty hitch as standard equipment.
Every truck starts life in left-hand-drive configuration before Walkinshaw Automotive converts it in Melbourne through a factory-approved process that takes around 12 hours. The conversion gives Australian customers a right-hand-drive truck backed by local warranty coverage and sold through the official dealer network.
The Black Express therefore enters the market with a price advantage over the Ford F-150 XLT, which starts at AU$114,950, while the Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra sit even higher. Ram is using the revived Express name to make its full-size pickup more accessible without stripping away the styling, towing equipment and safety technology that buyers expect from the 1500.
