In late 2023, Ram updated the 1500 in the US, giving its best-selling vehicle revised looks and, importantly, a new twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine.
This came at the cost of its long-standing 5.7-litre ‘Hemi’ V8, which had lower power and torque outputs than the incoming ‘Hurricane’ six, but with the rumbling soundtrack many prospective buyers associated with the model.
At the time, the disappearance of the iconic engine was blamed on management of Ram’s parent company Stellantis, however a recent shuffling of executives – including the return of former Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis – has resulted in the V8’s return.
Speaking to CNBC, Kuniskis said Ram was set to lose more than 30,000 annual sales of its pickups without the Hemi in the lineup, prompting the executive to bring it back for 2026.
“With loyalty running in 75 to 80 per cent in the truck segment, you don’t want to lose any of those customers,” Kuniskis said.
“Everybody, even if you don’t know what Hemi is, you know, the term. ‘Oh, it’s got a Hemi.’
“Hemi is not really just a V8. It’s kind of a brand in and of itself. It’s become a thing.”
According to the executive, sales of the returning V8-powered Ram 1500 are expected to account for about 40 per cent of the model’s volume in the US.
The 5.7-litre Hemi V8 produces 295kW and 556Nm, compared to the 313kW and 635Nm from the ‘Standard Output’ (SO) Hurricane, and 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 is 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.
Ford adopts a similar system for the F-150, which is available with a turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 as its base engine, a 5.0-litre V8 as the next step up and a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 as the flagship, at least before counting the performance Raptor and Raptor R flagships.
Likewise, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can be ordered in the US with a turbocharged 2.7-litre four-cylinder, a 5.3-litre V8, a 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-diesel or a 6.2-litre V8 at the top of the tree.
Toyota’s Tundra offers the most limited engine choices, with its twin-turbo 3.4-litre V6 either available with or without hybrid assistance.
Australian Ram 1500 buyers overwhelmingly opted for the Hemi V8-powered 1500 when it was available, accounting for 28,495 of the brand’s circa-30,120 overall sales, the latter figure including the larger Cummins-powered 2500 and 3500 heavy duty models, as well as turbo-diesel and Hurricane-powered 1500s.
However, the returning V8 pickup still hasn’t been locked in to come back to Australia, while the Hurricane-powered model is only currently available in Laramie Sport and Limited guise. More affordable variants which previously drove V8 sales are expected to return.
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