Well, that didn’t last long. Ram nixed the Hemi V8 from its half-ton truck lineup for 2025 in favor of standard- and high-output versions of its Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter I6, but now comes news from Stellantis that it’ll be available on the 2026 Ram 1500.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis didn’t provide a noncommittal, sanitized quote about the reversal of course—he was blunt and brutally honest, saying, “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.” Kuniskis added, “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!”
If that’s the battle cry against forced induction and turbos being the replacement for displacement, then a ram’s head attached to a Hemi V8 is the movement’s Symbol of Protest.
Ram didn’t give the Hemi 5.7-liter V8 with the eTorque mild hybrid system a bump in output (which remains 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque), but it did couple the engine with a standard performance exhaust system and a 33-gallon fuel tank.
As popular as the Hemi is, it’s not the most powerful or capable engine in the Ram 1500’s arsenal. According to Ram, a 1500 with the eTorque Hemi has a payload capacity of 1,750 pounds and a towing limit of 11,470 pounds. The automaker’s consumer website shows the less potent Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 with eTorque has a higher max payload rating of 2,370 pounds. The base Hurricane I6 blows out 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque, and can transport up to 1,980 pounds of payload and tow as much as 11,550 pounds. Opting for the high-output Hurricane bumps the stats up to 540 horses and 521 lb-ft, although the payload and towing specs can’t match those of the Hemi.
You might not have to wait as long as you think to get a new Hemi-powered Ram 1500. The consumer website says, “Now available on select 2025 Ram 1500 models, the HEMI® V8 engine you’ve been craving is back. Go get it.” However, the official press release distinctly mentions the 2026 model and that the new Hemi trucks will be in Ram dealerships this summer. Either way, the Hemi is coming back to Ram’s light-duty pickup. Does this mean there’s a chance Dodge will offer the beloved V8 in the new Charger?
