In a 180-degree turn from the truck brand’s decision to discontinue the HEMI V8 in the Ram 1500, Ram is bringing the 5.7L V8 back to its best-selling truck’s options list for the 2026 model year. This will make the 2026 Ram 1500 a closer competitor to the V8-powered versions of the Chevy Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle them defines you. Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI – we own it, and we fixed it,” said Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis. “We’re not just bringing back a legendary V8 engine; we’re igniting an assertive product plan and expanding the freedom of choice in powertrain for our customers.”
Kuniskis announced his retirement as the head of the Dodge and Ram brands in May 2024 and was re-hired by Stellantis the following December. The controversial decision to only offer six-cylinder engines under the hood of the 2025 Ram 1500 was made during Kuniskis’s original tenure in 2023, but there’s speculation that disagreement over this move motivated his temporary exit from the company. Kuniskis publicly calling the HEMI’s discontinuation from the Ram 1500 a mistake strengthens that speculation.
“Ram will continue to offer the more powerful and more efficient Hurricane Straight Six Turbo, but we heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic HEMI V8. At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not to statisticians or ideologues. Data be damned — we raise our flag and let the HEMI ring free again!,” added Kuniskis.
V8-powered models will use a new fender emblem that Ram calls the “Symbol of Protest.” Rather than the word “HEMI,” it’s a new design with an aggressive ram’s head at the front of a cartoony V8 engine.
The returning HEMI V8 produces 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. These performance specs fall in between GM’s 5.3L V8 L84 and 6.2L V8 L87 engines available in its competing full-size pickups from Chevy and GMC. The HEMI uses the eTorque 48V mild hybrid system, which saves a little fuel and adds a little torque when needed.
Orders are open now for the 2026 Ram 1500, with the V8 optional in all but the RHO and Tungsten trims, in which the high-output version of the Hurricane 3.0L I6 is standard. Deliveries begin this summer.
Comments
Hallylujah to Mopar Jesus Tim Kuniskis 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Freedom of choice. How very American. The climate cultists will need to mask up and get in their “safe space”
I like the hemi’s return. The cartoon Ram engine is a little weird. I suppose they can modify it a little to look more like the Super Bee emblem?
I agree that the cartoon Ram engine is a little weird, I believe it would look better on a Matchbox car & there will be a certain number of Symbols of Protest being scraped off the
vehicles by thieves.
Trump effect, hopefully, gm will fire mary barra next.
we want v8’s to v16’s, we want a variety.
GM has offered a V8 for the past 70 years and is currently developing a new generation of V8 engines. Where have they dropped the ball on V8 engines? Not sure how much market demand there would be for a V16, as cool as that would be.
Imagine if they had spent the money they spent on the hurricane on an all aluminum hemi with direct injection 🤦🏼♂️
I’d be slower and worse on gas than the Hurricane. Not sure I understand this choice just for sound, it is in every way worse than the Hurricane. I don’t think sales lost was mostly due to demand of the Hemi, they have quality control problems pushing people away as well as a turn in economics. This engine can’t survive too long. From a business standpoint this was a knee jerk reaction, the Hurricane has review insanely well. To each their own, they weren’t in the financial standpoint to make this move, there is a reason GM is in a much better position than the competition. Why a few want Mary gone is beyond me.
I guess Ram is offering some gender affirming choices with the Hemi, since the fragile male ego needs it to feel good about themselves. Proceed with the flaming.
I don’t listen to people with 2 first names as a name
Only listen to your King.
Bring back the 3.6L
It’s none of your wimpy, feminine business what men choose to buy, dunce.
tough guy
As I recall, the Dodge/Chrysler hemispherical combustion chambered “Hemi” V8 first produced in 1953 for the 1954 model year. Its aftermarket uses are boundless and as far as I’m concerned, the best
V8 ICE ever contrived by man or beast. Please remember, the Chev. small block, until recently, was severely limited by the “siamesed” exhaust ports.
How can this engine meet emissions s and cafe? A real question.
Port fuel and two spark plugs because the design has limitations.
Can someone that’s an insider at Chrysler explain. Just seems like an engineering impossibility.
Not speculation please. This is a dirty engine emissions wise.
My 2021 Nissan Titan. 400hp V8. Double overhead cams. Four valves per cylinder. Direct fuel injection. 9 speed trans. Computer controlled. Beats the hemi in the quarter. 21 MPG at 75 mph… On cruise.
And the brains at Nissan have discontinued this great truck due to lack of sales because they never advertised it.
Sad. Sad. Sad
Hopefully they don’t bring it back. That engine a bad engine. It has the same problem as the gmc. Poor oil lubrication on the valves. They need tobe sue like gmc and hope to get the problem solved. I had a friend buy a 2023 and only 60,000 miles and now having problems also my brother buy a 2022 and with 65,000 miles same problem.