Why this Well-Known Auto Writers Group Just Gave Ram a Truckload of Awards

If you have ever been to the Lonestar State, you would understand why Texas is considered the number one market for the work and family vehicles. The state is so large and so many people spend their days driving from one rugged locale to another. The Ram brand just earned four major titles at the 2025 Texas Truck Rodeo, an event put on by the Texas Auto Writers Association. The Rodeo gives writers a chance to test the vehicles in a number of different scenarios. The 2026 Ram 1500 HEMI drove away with the title of Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas and Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas. Two other Rams trucks also took home titles.

“Ram trucks once again proved their strength, refinement and versatility in the toughest conditions,” said Cory Fourniquet, TAWA president. “These wins reflect Ram’s dedication to building trucks that meet the demands of Texas drivers and beyond.”

2026 Ram 1500 HEMI

The famed HEMI 5.7L is back for the 2026 Ram 1500. I recently had the opportunity to drive one during a Colorado 4xFall driving event and it performed incredibly well. The sound of the truck firing up draws everyone’s attention, and the truck manages even narrow trails beautifully. When Ram announced the return of the 5.7L HEMI for 2026, it received 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours. All of the Ram HEMI V-8s are the eTorque engines. The truck is rated at 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft of torque. The HEMI is available pretty much across the board in 2026 model-year Ram 1500 Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel, Limited and Longhorn. 

The 2026 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 eTorque engine lassoed the top honors winning Full-Size Pickup Truck & Luxury Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas. This is the eighth consecutive year that the Ram 1500 has won Full-Size Truck of Texas and the 10th consecutive year that it has taken home the honor of Luxury Truck of Texas. 

2026 Ram 1500 RHO

The Ram 1500 RHO earned Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas. The truck features a new Direct Connection MagnaFlow exhaust. The Ram 1500 RHO has been winning awards since the moment it debuted. Last year the Texas auto writers gave the Ram 3.0L Hurricane High Output Straight-Six Turbo its “Best Powertrain” award. As I previously reported, the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO was named to the Car and Driver’s 10Best List, the Ward’s Automotive 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems and the truck was named the MotorTrend Truck of the Year.

The High Output engine is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 lb.-ft. of torque. The RHO will do 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It will also do 0-100 mph in 11.7 seconds. It has a top speed of 118 mph. The RHO’s capability includes a maximum towing capacity of 11,580 pounds and a maximum payload of 2,300 pounds. According to Ram, the new engines, members of the Stellantis Hurricane Twin-turbo family are the most powerful six cylinders in the segment. The inline six turbo-charged engines deliver enhanced fuel economy and fewer emissions while generating more horsepower and torque than other naturally aspirated V-8 and boosted six-cylinder engines in the light-duty segment.

2026 Ram Heavy Duty Warlock

The Ram Heavy Duty Warlock also won the award for  Heavy Duty Pickup Truck of Texas. The winning truck was the 2026 Ram Heavy Duty Warlock with the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel. The 6.7-liter Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel produces 430 horsepower and best-in-class standard 1,075 lb.-ft. of torque. Nearly every heavy duty truck owner uses their rig to tow and the turbo diesel gives the truck incredible towing power.  

Texas Auto Writers Association Truck Rodeo

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized automotive media organizations in the industry. The Truck Rodeo offers a full day of rigorous on- and off-road evaluations, on the rugged terrain of Eagles Canyon Raceway’s off-road campus. Vehicles were judged on performance, capability, value and innovation. 

Ram Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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