A nostalgic Mopar name returns, but the price and missing horsepower raise big questions.
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Old-time racers/tuners whose blood runs Mopar blue will remember Direct Connection as a lifeline of catalogs, performance manuals, and tech-assistance hotlines that connected Chrysler engineering to the folks building cars to run in stock-car, drag-racing, circle-track, off-road, and street-performance events through the '70s and much of the '80s. Stellantis dusted off the name in 2022 to market SRT-developed parts supporting Hellcat, Demon, Drag Pak, and crate-engine customers, and with the 2027 Ram 1500 Direct Connection By Roush Package it’s applying the nomenclature to a turnkey off-road performance upgrade package aimed at Hemi-powered midgrade Rams as an alternative to the Rebel.
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Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 Based
Like the recently introduced Ram 1500 BackCountry model, this package is based on the mainstream mid-grade Big Horn , and while the release doesn’t specify, we’d be gob-smacked if it weren’t also restricted to the short box (otherwise they’d have to tool up two Roush cat-back exhaust systems). Required options include the Hemi V-8, the 3.92:1 electronically locking rear axle, Level 2 Equipment Group, the surround camera system, and all the forced options those items bring with them. Depending on color, it starts out a shade under $63K.
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Let’s manage expectations right at the top: Roush’s signature upgrade is missing here: the supercharger. Owners therefore won’t want to pick any stoplight fights with 650-hp Roush F-150 SC or Nitemare trucks. The only thing that might affect this Ram’s acceleration a smidge (and no numerical power or acceleration-time improvements are claimed) is the aforementioned Active Cat-Back exhaust, which allows for variable noise levels.
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Roush Performance twin-tube coil-over shocks
The balance of the claimed performance enhancement is all suspension, which includes the Roush Performance 2.0 Coil-Over Suspension System. Its claim is “custom-tuned twin-tube hydraulic dampers to enhance off-road performance while maintaining confident on-road drivability.” There’s no mention of any improvement in ground clearance, approach and departure angles and of course four-corner air suspension (available on Rebel) is not offered. And relative to Ram’s own Rebel, the twin-tube shocks don't immediately sound like an upgrade over the Rebel's Bilstein monotubes, but we’ll reserve final judgement for a drive. Another change is the switch to 33-inch General Grabber A/TX tires on 18-inch performance wheels. Are they grippier than the Rebel’s Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs? Maybe?