Budget-Friendly Ram 1500 Express to Join Lineup for 2026
Despite a major update to its 1500 pickup for 2025, Ram’s sales are plummeting, not least due to the discontinuation of the HEMI V8 and the Ram 1500 Classic based on the previous-generation truck.
It's all but confirmed at this point that the former will return to the lineup for the 2026 model year. As for customers who want a full-size pickup that's not too expensive, the company today said it will add a new Express model slotting between the entry-level Tradesman and the Big Horn.
Details and pricing for the Canadian market will be announced at a later date, a Stellantis spokesman told us.
In the U.S., where orders are already open for the first deliveries this summer, the 2026 Ram 1500 Express offers Quad Cab and Crew Cab body styles as well as 4x2 and 4x4 configurations. Five body colours, a black grille surround, 20-inch wheels and limited badging are all part of the mix, to which a Black Package can be added.
Under the hood, there’s still no V8. The 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 (305 hp) returns as the standard engine, while the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder Hurricane (420 hp) is available as an option.
Surprisingly, the Ram 1500 Express is not even among the 25 new products that brand boss Tim Kuniskis has promised to announce between June 8, 2025 and the end of 2026. One of the most eagerly awaited is certainly the midsize pickup that will be produced in Illinois starting in 2027.
