February confirmed the return of action and excitement to the National Off Road Circuit with a route that had to be done in the first two weekends due to the large number of applicants. But, along with the complexity and unrepeatable landscapes experienced in these two days, the route served as a test bed for the Ram 1500 TRX 2022 who was under the orders of Juan Bosco, leader of Bosco’s Camp and an expert in off-road driving.
The sandbanks of the Popocatépetl volcano were the final exam for the Ram 1500 TRX. This area, full of inclines and descents with difficult angles, punctuated by sand traps and jumps, were a minuscule part of the number of challenges that this high-performance pickup had to overcome.
To travel on these types of roads, it was necessary to use the driving mode TRX Low, which calibrates 4-wheel drive, steering, assists like Traction Control, and suspension stiffness, to improve your ride and avoid getting stuck on sandbars or stay in control.
For the sand traps, the 4low mode with rear differential lock was necessary to bring the total torque generated by the engine to the wheels and thus not get stuck. Added to this are the metal protections on the lower parts such as the transmission case, transfer case and gas tank, as well as the stirrups and the wheels with Beadlocks. Thanks to its capabilities and equipment, Ram 1500 TRX managed to reach an altitude of 4,300 meters above mean sea level.
shocking once again
Inside, the sporty details stand out, such as carbon fiber inserts, a 12″ vertical screen, paddle shifters on the steering wheel, a Harman Kardon audio system with 19 speakers, 10 subwoofers and a power of 900 watts, among others.
For the 2022 model, the 5th generation Uconnect system debuts, in addition to maintaining the wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Power
Under the hood remains unchanged the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine developing 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. For its part, the suspension has 2.5″ Blintsein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shock absorbers.
Challenge in the heights
The second route of the 2022 National Off Road Circuit began with great activity, gathering 45 4×4 vehicles. Due to the number of participants, this journey was divided into 3 weekends. The ascent began at Paso de Cortés located at 3,600 meters above sea level, a point where there is also a hostel for visitors. The complexity of the route began when the explorers had barely traveled the first kilometer, as they came across a road made up of ditches. From that point the ascent was constant until reaching 4,000 meters above sea level.
The altitude began to affect the engines as the loss of oxygen was a constant. The biggest challenge for the drivers was to keep the engine in the area of greatest torque delivery (without forgetting the effect of lack of oxygen), without forgetting that the driving technique had to be precise because the sandbanks of the volcano stopped the march. with traps, large stones and deep holes.
When passing 4,300 meters of altitude, the conditions changed because the recorded outside temperature was -1 degree centigrade and the gusts of wind exceeded 30 km/h, easily raising dust that did not allow good visibility. Because it is an active volcano, the caravan stayed in place for just over 20 minutes and then began the descent and returned to base camp.
Data sheet:
- Engine: HEMI, V8, SRT 6.2l, Supercharged
- Power: 702 hp
- Torque: 650 lb-ft
- Transmission: Aut: 8-speed
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