The return of the Hemi V8 has been big news for Ram Trucks in the US, where it is set to return to the 1500 ute in 2026. However, Australian V8 fans will be waiting long – possibly forever – for the return of the 5.7-litre unit.
That’s because the Ram 1500 is converted to right-hand drive locally, in a partnership between Ram importer Ateco and Walkinshaw Automotive Group. Put simply, reviving the V8 alongside the new 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder ‘Hurricane’ engine would be an incredibly complex and costly program.
Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber made it clear that while nothing is officially ruled out, any chance of the V8 returning in the short-term is not possible.
“ The inline six, or the Hurricane, is going incredibly well, we see that as a future,” Barber said. “If at some point in the future we are offered a Hemi and there is consumer demand for it and as a solid business case, we’ll have a look at it. No guarantees. But any decision like that takes a long time to consider and, and bring to market. So nothing in the next couple years, that’s for sure.”
The key in that comment is the ability for Ram Australia to make a “solid business case” for doing all the additional work on engineering and converting the V8 to right-hand drive alongside the Hurricane six-cylinder models.
Adding to the challenges of bringing back the V8, is the new Hurricane is not only more efficient but also offers more power and torque. But while it is a technically better engine, consumer preferences for V8 engines may ultimately force Ram into a difficult decision.
One way for the V8 to return, without impacting the Hurricane, would be reviving the limited edition TRX. The hero model of the 1500 range, the TRX was powered by a 523kW version of the ‘Hellcat’ supercharged 6.2-litre V8.
Ram is expected to bring the TRX back to the US line-up in the near-future, which could open the door for it to be added locally given its previous success. Barber admitted the $200k performance ute blew past all sales expectations the local operation had when it arrived here in 2023.
“TRX did incredibly well here,” he said. “As I said before, we thought the air was incredibly thin up there, but we sold 983 units between Australia and New Zealand, and that’s just ridiculous. Even our counterparts in the US can’t believe we sold that many. I still can’t believe it. So, yes, it was a very significant model to us. There is speculation around the world as to, you know, what might happen with that. I don’t want to talk to that speculation. It’s up to the US to determine what they’re gonna do with that.”
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