2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12: The Rebel Enters Its Carlsberg Years

It’s been eight minutes since Fiat Chrysler’s Ram division last announced a special edition trim, meaning we’re overdue for news of an appearance/content tweak designed to make brand die-hards feel special. Thankfully, the automaker made sure we didn’t go into the weekend without one.

The Ram 1500 Rebel, at least in previous-generation guise, remains a favourite among some TTACers. It just looked and felt right for a slightly macho mid-level pickup. Unlike the larger Power Wagon, it wasn’t over the top. Still, there’s always a subset of buyers looking for more in their pickup — just a tad more features, maybe a little more prestige. With maturity comes an appreciation of the finer things.

So, for buyers who like the Rebel and don’t want to climb the model ladder to scratch that upscale itch, Ram created the Rebel 12. It’s like a six-pack of Carlsberg for people who outgrew that two-four of Bud.

I’ll never understand extreme audiophiles — those people who’ll spend anything and go to any lengths for a seemingly unnoticeable increase in fidelity — but they exist, and they might want a Ram Rebel. That’s where this rig’s 19-speaker, 900-watt Harmon Kardon audio system comes in.

While you’re obviously too refined now to lower the tailgate and windows and blast your neighbors away with the system’s 10-inch subs, all the while carousing with high-school friends you’ll drift apart from in a couple of years, the system’s quality might be worthy of a few extra dollars’ expenditure. Metal speaker covers arrive in a Radar Red finish, complementing the Rebel’s color accents.

The “12” designation is seemingly derived from a feature that’s already available in the Ram 1500 line: the optional, vertically aligned 12-inch touchscreen that appeared for the 2019 model year, running FCA’s latest UConnect infotainment system. Stock Ram Rebels carry a measly 5-incher.

Besides these niceties, Rebel 12 buyers gain leather-trimmed heated seats, as few traits scream “luxury!” louder than tanned cow hide. Other than that, the rest of the truck is stock Rebel. Buyers can apply the package to Rebels of any color or configuration, resulting in a truck with an entry price of $46,990 before a $1,695 destination charge. Looking at it another way, it’s a $2,995 option.

Of course, unless you really, really dig the Rebel’s 1-inch lift and chunky, 33-inch tires, you could option out a Laramie with every Rebel 12 interior feature except the 19-speaker audio system and come out about $1,600 less. You’d just be giving up the macho. Maybe the Laramie and Laramie Longhorn are what comes after the Carlsberg years.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]