New Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel for 2023 has Cummins diesel option

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Ram takes its 2500 Heavy Duty model to a new level for 2023 with the addition of the Rebel crew cab model, which comes with four-wheel drive and the option of a Cummins turbo-diesel engine.
Crafted to feature exceptional off-road capabilities and towing capacity – up to 16,870 pounds – the Rebel (base price $68,840 plus $1,895 freight) was introduced last fall at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. 
Ram chose to use that venue because Texas most likely will be the biggest market for this beast of a truck.
The standard powertrain is a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 gasoline engine with 410 horsepower and 429 foot-pounds of torque, connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
But our test vehicle came with the optional inline six-cylinder Cummins turbo-diesel engine ($9,695) with 370 horsepower and 850 foot-pounds of torque. That engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Rebel model fits in the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty lineup between the Laramie and Power Wagon models, and takes its cues from the lighter Ram 1500 Rebel version.
Its beefy exterior and rough-terrain off-road tires give it a decidedly off-road appearance, and those features are complemented by the Rebel’s standard electronic rear locker and rear limited-slip differential, along with protective underbody skid plates.
Optional, but not included on our truck, is a 12,000-pound WARN winch. It’s available only with the base Hemi engine.
Ram says the Rebel’s rugged suspension system features the best ride quality, handling, load-carrying characteristics and articulation, loaded or unloaded, with an exclusive five-link coil suspension.
 An optional rear air suspension system, also not included on our tester, can further refine the Rebel’s ride and handling qualities, the company says.
The Rebel comes only in the crew-cab configuration with a 6-foot, 4-inch cargo bed, which makes it short enough to handle tighter off-road turns than the Ram 2500 Crew Cab with the 8-foot bed.
Payload for the Rebel is 3,140 pounds.
Our test vehicle came with the Towing Technology Group ($2,095), which added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, a center stop light with cargo-view camera, a Surround View camera system, and trailer-reverse guidance.
With four full-size doors, our vehicle was easy to get into and out of, especially with the optional (dealer-added) steel side running boards for front and rear doors.
 Available safety features include adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward-collision warning plus, Lane Keep Assist, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, automatic headlights, digital rearview mirror with tow mode and rain-sensing windshield wipers. All of these were included in the Safety Group package ($2,040) on our tester.
The Rebel copies the Power Wagon’s structure and off-road features. Ram says the Rebel’s exterior styling cues are shared with Power Wagon, but that the Rebel features unique badging and a bulging sport-performance hood from Mopar. 
There are 20-inch steel wheels, the 33-inch off-road tires, and those skid plates, which protect the fuel tank and truck’s two-speed transfer case.
Cargo tie-downs are standard. Also offered are a spray-in bedliner, LED bed lighting, and a bed step.
The Rebel offers three different seating options, including full Natura Plus leather bucket seats. Our vehicle came with the black leather bucket seats up front, and the three-person bench seat in the rear.
Other seating options include a cloth bench or bucket seat, and a Bristol leather bench or bucket seat.
The 360-degree Surround View camera system includes forward-view camera with grid lines to help navigate off-road obstacles in front of the truck. It also provides a single display-screen view of both sides of a trailer to assist drivers in maneuvering towing setups. 
An available 12-inch frameless digital gauge cluster features nearly two dozen different menus, Ram says. Drivers can choose between analog or digital instrumentation. All cluster settings can be saved to a user profile.
Also included on our truck was the Harman Kardon 17-speaker sound system, along with navigation. The larger vertical screen is built into the center dash.
Exterior color choices include the monotone premium Diamond Black Crystal Pearl Coat ($200). The other color choices are all two-tone, including the Bright White Clear Coat over a Diamond Black Crystal (included on our tester) and Flame Red Clear Cost over Black Diamond, at no extra charge.
Premium two-tone color combos are Delmonico Red Pearl Coat, Hydro Blue Pearl Coat, Olive Green Pearl Coat, and Patriot Blue Pearl Coat, all over the Diamond Black Crystal, each for $200 extra; and Billet Silver Metallic or Granite Crystal Metallic, both over the Black Diamond Crystal, for $250 each.
 We were impressed by the ample legroom in the back seat of our Rebel. Adults sitting back there had room to spare, and there was enough room for three people, even though it’s more comfortable with just two.
The diesel engine was quieter than we expected, and gave us plenty of power, although not quite as much on takeoff as we thought it might provide.
Our only complaint was having limited choices of places to park with this big truck, but that’s going to be the case with any pickup in this class. We also avoided low-hanging fast-food drive-throughs.
The interior was very comfortable, although I’m not a fan of the huge center console between the two front bucket seats. Call me old-fashioned, but I would have preferred the available front bench seat.
There is a functional hood scoop that brings in half of the air for the engine, while the rest of the air comes in through the grille.
Overall, we enjoyed our time in the Ram Rebel 2500, but we did not have the opportunity to tow a trailer or fill the bed with any significant cargo.
Total sticker price of our 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel was $92,875, which is definitely high-end for the class. 
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at chambers@auto-writer.com or on Twitter @gchambers3. His driving partner Emma Jayne Williams contributed to this report.

2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel Crew Cab 4WD 

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