History has shown that FCA is indiscriminate when it comes to spreading muscle across its lineup — in cars, pickups and utility vehicles. After introducing the Hellcat engine in the Challenger and Charger, FCA dropped it into the Jeep Grand Cherokee to create the Trackhawk, a blistering SUV option that costs nearly $90,000.
In the early 2000s, Chrysler pushed the envelope with the Dodge Ram SRT-10, a pickup outfitted with a Viper engine. It called the SRT-10 the “Viper of pickup trucks” and earned a Guinness Book of World Records entry for “World’s Fastest Production Pickup Truck.”
With the added horsepower, Mays believes a Rebel TRX would top the Raptor’s $54,800 base price by as much as $12,000. He thinks 20,000 vehicles annually is doable for the TRX, which would serve as a halo for the Ram lineup.
Although the Rebel line is targeted at off-road enthusiasts, Mays doesn’t see it eating into Jeep Gladiator sales.
“This is an engine that they’ve already scaled out to several other products, and so if it’s not a hit, and actually shoppers don’t want it, it’s not a huge loss for FCA in terms of just development,” Mays said. “So putting it out there and seeing what the market will bear, they could probably afford to come in from a higher price point and see what happens.”
Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader, would like to see a bare-bones version of the TRX aimed at true off-road buyers for around $45,000. An “ultra-base” model, he said, could forgo creature comforts such as carpeting. Moody thinks the TRX would play in multiple worlds by appealing to the muscle car crowd as well.
