The 2026 Ram 1500 lineup has expanded to include a new entry-level Express Black Edition, which becomes the most affordable full-size pickup in Australian showrooms.
Set to arrive in June with a price tag of $109,950 before on-road costs, the 1500 Express Black Edition takes over from the $114,950 Ford F-150 XLT as Australia’s cheapest full-size pickup.
It easily undercuts the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which starts at $134,990 before on-road costs, and the Toyota Tundra, which kicks off at $155,990 before on-roads.
Within the Ram 1500 range, the Express Black Edition is considerably cheaper than the Rebel and Laramie Sport model grades, which are both priced from $141,950 before on-road costs.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
The Express name appeared on the most affordable Ram 1500 model between 2018 and 2024, before the $119,950 Ram 1500 Big Horn took over the entry-level role.
With the overhauled, inline-six-powered 1500 range arriving in 2025 – and the Big Horn thus far not returning – it’s the first time the Express badge has been used on the ‘DT’ generation Ram 1500 in Australia.
Despite its role as the new price leader, the Express Black Edition boasts the same ‘Hurricane’ 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine as the Rebel and Laramie, with identical 313kW/635Nm outputs powering all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Its core attributes match or better the 1500 Rebel’s, including a 4500kg braked towing capacity, 1014kg payload, 3505kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and 7711kg gross combination mass (GCM).
Like the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup, it’s offered solely in a dual-cab short-wheelbase (SWB) pickup body style.
Externally, the Express Black Edition is distinguished by a ‘power bulge’ bonnet, with body-coloured bumpers plus badges, mirror caps, door handles, side steps and twin exhaust outlets finished in black, along with black 20-inch alloy wheels.
There are six exterior colour choices, with Bright White offered at no extra cost and Diamond Black, Granite Crystal, Silver Zynith, Molten Red and Forged Blue costing an additional $950.
Inside, there’s cloth seat trim with black highlights, as well as a 7.0-inch instrument cluster and 8.4-inch infotainment display – down from 12.3 inches and 14.4 inches respectively in the Rebel – but there’s still remote start and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There’s also rear privacy glass and a six-speaker sound system, while standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, and trailer brake control.
The tray has a standard spray-in tub liner and there’s a full-size spare mounted underneath it.
Safety watchdog ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) hasn’t crash-tested the Ram 1500 – nor any of the full-size pickups on sale here – but gave it a ‘Gold’ rating after a collision avoidance test in 2025.
The Express Black Edition arrives, amusingly, after Ram delivered 666 examples of the 1500 in Australia between January and April 2026, making it the top-selling model in the full-size pickup category.