RAM 3500

Overview

The 2026 Ram 3500 sold in New Zealand is a heavy-duty, full-size pickup built in North America and then remanufactured to factory-standard right-hand drive on a dedicated production line in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Automotive Group. That single RHD remanufacturing programme supplies both the Australian and New Zealand markets; in New Zealand the 3500 is distributed by Ateco Group NZ and sold through the Ram Trucks New Zealand dealer network. This is a factory-supported remanufacture, not an aftermarket steering conversion.

For 2026, New Zealand receives a single, fully-equipped specification: the Laramie Crew Cab, dual-rear-wheel (DRW), 4x4, powered for the first time in this market by the High-Output 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel inline-six paired with the Heavy Duty TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission. Headline figures published for New Zealand are 313 kW, 1,458 Nm, a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 5,352 kg (NB2 vehicle category), and payload of up to 1,652 kg — putting the 3500 at the top of Ram's heavy-duty range for towing, hauling, and commercial or agricultural use.

Variants

For the 2026 model year, Ram Trucks New Zealand offers the 3500 in one confirmed specification. There is no separate Tradesman, SLT or Limited grade listed on the official Ram Trucks New Zealand site or on New Zealand dealer configurators at this time.

This is the first New Zealand appearance of the High-Output Cummins tune paired with the 8-speed TorqueFlite — the local heavy-duty range previously topped out with a lower-output Cummins tune.

The delivered price for this vehicle is generated through the Import Price Calculator on this listing rather than shown in this specification.

Engine & Performance

Engine: High-Output 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel inline-six, producing 313 kW and 1,458 Nm — figures published directly by Ram Trucks New Zealand for the 3500 Laramie.

Transmission: Heavy Duty TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic with driver-adaptive, tow-calibrated shift logic.

Drivetrain: Part-time 4x4 with an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case (2H/4H/4L plus Neutral). This transfer-case detail is published for the Australian-delivered 3500; it is carried over here because both markets share the same Walkinshaw-remanufactured driveline, but New Zealand-specific transfer-case documentation was not located on official NZ pages.

Braking: Diesel exhaust brake with a 'smart' function, standard — confirmed on the New Zealand product page. Heavy-duty four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, plus integrated trailer brake control with built-in trailer sway control.

Suspension: Heavy-duty leaf-spring rear suspension (a 3500 characteristic, versus the 2500's coil-spring rear) supporting the higher GVM and payload; carried from documentation for the mechanically identical Australian-delivered truck, as the same DRW leaf-spring rear axle assembly is used across both markets.

Dimensions & Capacities

New Zealand's official pages confirm GVM, payload and cargo bed length directly. Overall length, width, height, wheelbase, ground clearance, kerb weight, turning circle and tyre sizing are not itemised for New Zealand; those figures are carried from documentation for the mechanically identical Australian-delivered Laramie Crew Cab DRW (both markets share the same remanufactured body and chassis) and should be treated as indicative pending dealer confirmation — not hardened into unqualified fact.

Gross Combination Mass (GCM) is not published for New Zealand. The New Zealand documentation states only that the truck cannot be operated at maximum payload and maximum towing capacity at the same time, and that keeping the combined laden vehicle-plus-trailer weight within GCM is the driver's responsibility. No GCM figure should be assumed without dealer confirmation.

Exterior Colours

The official Ram Trucks New Zealand product page for the 3500 Laramie currently pictures the truck in Bright White, and that is the only colour confirmed directly from New Zealand sources at the time of writing.

Because colour availability on remanufactured right-hand-drive builds depends on build-slot allocation from the Melbourne production line, confirm the current New Zealand palette before ordering.

Features & Technology

Safety & ADAS

• Adaptive cruise control
• Forward collision warning with active braking
• Blind-spot monitoring with trailer detection
• 360-degree surround-view camera with trailer reverse guidance
• Cargo-view camera integrated into the centre high-mount stop lamp
• Trailer brake control with built-in trailer sway control
• Diesel exhaust brake with 'smart' function

Infotainment & Connectivity

• Uconnect 5 NAV with 12-inch touchscreen and split-screen capability
• Dual wireless charging pads

Comfort & Interior

• 6-passenger seating with leather-trimmed front bucket seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 60/40 split fold-down rear bench

Exterior

• Sport Performance Hood with black accents
• 18-inch black-finish alloy wheels
• Fully damped tailgate with power release
• LED cargo bed lighting

Optional Equipment

• Heavy Duty Tow Bar
• RamBox lockable in-bed storage

Towing & Hauling

New Zealand's published towing figures for the 3500 Laramie differ from Australia's and should not be conflated.

New Zealand's official documentation caps maximum braked towing at 6,900 kg with genuine Ram tow bar and coupling accessories. That is notably lower than the roughly 8-tonne gooseneck/fifth-wheel figure quoted for the equivalent High-Output truck in Australia, where the higher rating is specifically tied to the genuine gooseneck hitch and ball-kit accessories. New Zealand's product pages do not currently publish a fifth-wheel or gooseneck-specific towing figure for the 3500, so none is stated here — this is a genuine market difference in homologated towing accessories, not an oversight.

The vehicle cannot be operated at maximum payload and maximum towing capacity simultaneously; the combined weight of the loaded vehicle (including tow-ball download) and trailer must stay within GCM, which is the driver's responsibility to observe.

Warranty & Service

The 2026 Ram 3500 sold in New Zealand comes from the right-hand-drive remanufacturing programme that also serves Australia: trucks begin as left-hand-drive North American builds and are rebuilt to factory-standard right-hand drive on a dedicated Walkinshaw Automotive Group production line in Melbourne, then distributed in New Zealand by Ateco Group NZ through the Ram Trucks New Zealand dealer network. This is a factory-supported remanufacture programme, not an aftermarket steering conversion.

Ram Trucks New Zealand operates a service-booking system and a roadside assistance programme, but does not itemise specific coverage duration on the pages available at the time of writing. Reporting on the remanufacture programme describes a comprehensive warranty of three years/100,000 km with roadside assistance for New Zealand buyers of the heavy-duty range; current 2026 model-year terms should be confirmed with Ram Trucks New Zealand or an authorised dealer, since that figure was not independently reconfirmed on the current site.

IPAS sources this vehicle ex-works Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. The New Zealand domestic warranty described above is a local retail programme for vehicles registered and serviced in New Zealand — it is not a transferable factory warranty that follows the vehicle into export, and IPAS does not extend or guarantee any manufacturer warranty coverage on exported units. Arrange servicing through a Ram-capable workshop in your market.