When Ram revealed the updated 1500 DT in 2023, it did so without the iconic ‘Hemi’ 5.7-litre V8 engine, with a more efficient and potent twin-turbo 3.0-litre ‘Hurricane’ six-cylinder replacing it.
Despite offering more power and torque while using less fuel, critics – and the paying public – lamented the loss of the Hemi V8, which had left just the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and its rebadged siblings as the only ones to offer a V8 engine. Now, with former CEO Tim Kuniskis back at the helm, Ram has announced a long-rumoured return of the Hemi V8, starting with the 2026 model year 1500 in the US.
“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 said in a media statement.
READ MORE: Ram set to bring back the Hemi V8
“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.
“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!”
In the US, outputs will be unchanged from the 5.7-litre ‘eTorque’ mild-hybrid Hemi which was most recently in production, which means 295kW and 556Nm. That compares to 313kW and 635Nm from the ‘Standard Output’ (SO) Hurricane, while the ‘High Output’ (HO) six makes 403kW and 707Nm.
However, the Hemi V8 is significantly more powerful than the base ‘Pentastar’ 3.6-litre V6 that comes as standard in most 1500 variants in the US, producing 227kW and 365Nm. In Ram 1500 variants where the V6 is standard (Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Big Horn, Lone Star) the Hemi will be a US$1200 (A$1850) option, compared to the US$1695 (A$2610) Hurricane SO.
The US-delivered 1500 Limited and Longhorn – currently fitted with the Hurricane HO as standard – will see the Hemi become a no-cost option.
While Australia recently received the new 1500 in Laramie Sport SO and Limited HO guise, the revived Hemi is not yet confirmed for a local berth.
“The return of the Hemi V8 is a decision that has been made for the US market,” a spokesperson for Ram Trucks Australia told Torquecafe.
“As it stands today, there is no guarantee the Hemi V8 will return to Australian showrooms.”
When the Hemi-powered 1500 was available, it was consistently the best-selling pickup in Australia, and though it has remained so in the past two months, the V8 engine is still in run-out in the base Big Horn alongside the aforementioned Hurricane variants.
The revival of the Hemi V8 theoretically leaves the door open for the Dodge Charger – also powered by the Hurricane six – to make a comeback with bent-eight power.
Ram has not yet confirmed the return of the wild 1500 TRX, which sat as the brand’s off-road performance flagship, powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre ‘Hellcat’ V8, producing 523kW and 882Nm.
Ironically, Ram’s announcement comes in the same week that Detroit rival General Motors declared it would invest an extra US$888 million (A$1.4 billion) into building its next-generation V8 engine (Gen VI) in Buffalo, New York. This followed a January 2023 announcement in which it said it would spend US$854 million (A$1.3 billion) on developing and producing its sixth-generation V8, with a majority of the funding going towards a factory in Flint, Michigan to produce the engine, while the remaining amount would be allocated for three supply plants in Michigan, Ohio and New York.
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