EIGHT-CYLINDER purists might baulk at the fact the Ram 1500 has shifted to six-cylinder power. But the petrol-powered and twin-turbocharged ‘Hurricane’ mill is  more powerful, torquier, and more efficient than the long-serving Hemi, and is even priced the same at $141,950 plus on-road costs in Laramie Sport format.

While that is one heck of a sticker price for a ute, it is worth remembering that locally converted American pick-up trucks don’t come cheap (in part because of the price to convert the models to right-hand drive here and in part because of the value of the Aussie dollar against the greenback).

By way of reference, the Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Premium begins from $130,500 + ORC, while the Ford F-150 XLT starts at just $106,950 + ORC. Toyota’s hybridised Tundra Limited is the dearest entry model of the lot at $155,990 + ORC.

To be fair to the Ram 1500, it does offer a generous level of standard equipment for the price, bettering its rivals on almost every front.

In addition to a bunch of driving modes and all-wheel drive, we find LED lighting, 20-inch alloy wheels, digital instrumentation and infotainment screens, a separate passenger screen, a harman/kardon audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual wireless phone charging cradles, a powered tailgate, and leather upholstery with heating and ventilation all round.

There are acres of storage cubbies and trays, a handful of USB outlets, a massive dual-pane sunroof, automated side steps, sturdy grab handles, and a considerable level of safety equipment thrown into the bargain.

As-standard safety kit includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, driver monitor, forward collision warning with steering assistance, front and rear parking sensors, intersection assist, lane keeping assistance, a reversing camera, six airbags, and tyre pressure monitoring.

Three child-seat restraints are offered across the enormous second row bench.

The tray bed is also not without its very own list of features. In addition to commonly found items like a spray-in bedliner and tie-down points, the Ram 1500 offers lockable side storage boxes (known as Ram Boxes) over the wheel arches, a powered tailgate, useful (and retractable) kerb-side step, and an easy-to-use tri-fold tonneau cover.

Payload capacity is listed at 836kg – or about the same as a Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux – and braked towing capacity at 4200kg (or 700kg more than the Ranger or HiLux). There are no useful ‘trailering’ controls or surround-view cameras as offered in some rivals, but there is a trailer brake controller included as part of the deal.

At the other end of the vehicle is the heart and soul of any workhorse truck, the engine.

Displacing just 3.0 litres, the force-fed inline six is offered in two states of tune, with the ‘SO’ (or Standard Output) entry model outputting 313kW/635Nm (+22kW/79Nm more than the outgoing 5.7-litre Hemi V8) and the ‘HO’ (High Output) Limited grade making 403kW/707Nm.

Cogs are shuffled via an eight-speed torque converter transmission, the 1500 also offering a two-speed transfer case and five engine modes including Normal, Offroad, Snow, Sport, and Towing.

The Laramie Sport rides on steel coil springs while the Limited gains air suspension. Braking on both variants is via all-wheel discs.

In the case of the Laramie Sport, fuel is stored in a 98-litre tank (Limited is 125 litres) with the 1500 requiring 91RON regular unleaded at the pump. Ram says the Hurricane engine is in the vicinity of 12 per cent more economical than the Hemi V8, the North American measure quoting between 17-23 MPG (13.8-10.2 litres per 100km) between city and highway cycles.

Ram Trucks Australia backs the 1500 with a three-year/100,000km warranty, matching the duration of the Chevrolet Silverado. Ford and Toyota each offer a five-year warranty which might be enough to push some buyers over the line.

Service intervals are set at 12 months or 12,000km but with no capped-price servicing schedule to speak of.

The Hurricane engine mightn’t have the stirring soundtrack of the good ol’ Hemi, but it’s certainly a more modern engine. Power delivery is more flexible, fuel economy better, and overall refinement appreciably improved.

Acceleration, too, is measurably quicker – some 1.3 seconds faster against the 0-100km/h standard at just 6.2 seconds.

While we’d love to discuss the vehicle’s ability to haul and tow, our time with the car was such that we had only the opportunity to drive our standard test loop – unladen, and without a trailer in tow. Still, the exercise showed how the six-cylinder engine performs in ordinary traffic, easily outpacing the status quo with its effortlessly accessible torque.

The Ram 1500’s TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission is a terrific match for the Hurricane engine. Gear changes are prompt and ratio selection diligent. We never once found the transmission in the wrong gear, even growing used to the volume-style shift selectors on the lower steering spoke when selecting cogs manually.

We also appreciated the vehicle’s seat, column, and pedal box adjustment in helping to achieve that ‘just right’ feel at the ‘wheel. The controls themselves are weighted well to give a sense of presence to the Ram 1500, but not so heavy as to make piloting the vehicle a chore.

We found the braking action respectable, and the suspension setup – being coil all-round – far more comfortable than traditional coil front/leaf rear arrangements, offering an almost SUV-like ride on most road surfaces, and even without a load in the bed.

On the downside, there is a little tyre hum and a significant level of wind noise when travelling at highway speeds. The Ram 1500 has a lot of area to push through the air, and it’s obvious this is a drawback to not only the vehicle’s acoustics, but also its fuel economy.

As impressive as the Hurricane engine is – and while it is undoubtedly more efficient than the Hemi V8 – it shows quickly that without a diesel alternative the Ram 1500 is a thirsty contender, returning a 15.3-litre per 100km average on our 200km test loop.

These figures fall well short of those achieved recently by the hybridised Toyota Tundra Limited, but are still an acceptable number given the refinement, performance, and capability on offer.

While Hemi fans might lament the loss of that throbbing bent-eight iron, there’s no getting by the fact its replacement is an ideal fit for the job at hand – and one we think will raise the eyebrows of most 1500 buyers willing to jump on board for a test drive.