When it comes to name recognition, it’s hard to beat the Hemi – which may help explain why sales of the Ram 1500 pickup took a big stumble when the Stellantis truck brand replaced the gutsy V-8 with a turbocharged 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 last year. Aiming to perk up demand, Ram today announced the 5.7-liter Hemi will make its return this summer as an option on most versions of the full-size truck. More from Headlight.News.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand misread customers when it killed the Hemi V-8.
In his first meeting with reporters since coming out of a brief retirement, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis fell on his sword.
“We own it. We got it wrong and we’re fixing it,” he said during a background briefing at Ram headquarters in suburban Detroit.
By “it,” Kuniskis was referring to the decision to stop offering the legendary Hemi V-8 when an all-new version of the Ram 1500 pickup was launched for the 2025 model year.
For those who want the Hemi instead of the twin-turbo Hurricane V-6 currently offered in the truck, they’ll just have to wait until summer when it becomes available again in most Ram 1500 trims as a $1,200 upgrade.
Fixing your mistakes
All Ram 1500s with a Hemi will get the “Symbol of Protest” badge on their front fenders.
Ram seemed to have a good reason to replace the aging Hemi. The Hurricane V-6 makes impressive numbers, a standard-output package delivering 420 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque. A high-performance package bumps that to 540 hp and 521 lb-ft. By comparison, the Hemi in the 2024 truck mustered a comparatively modest 395 hp and 410 lb-ft.
But, oh, that glorious engine note, Kuniskis admitted. Add that, and while the Hemi might not have made as much power, the automaker quickly recognized there were plenty of traditional Ram customers who simply weren’t going to buy anything that didn’t have a V-8.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it defines you,” said the executive.
When does it arrive?
Ironically, the two versions of the Ram 1500’s Hurricane V-6 make more power and torque than the Hemi.
After returning to Ram as CEO in December following a 6-month “retirement,” Kuniskis laid out a variety of plans to revive sales, several more projects set to be revealed over the coming month, he hinted on Tuesday.
Bringing back the Hemi was one of the first moves he locked down, though it originally looked like that would take as much as 18 months to pull the project together. Pulling together a skunkworks team, that was cut to just eight months, the V-8 set to go back into production over the summer.
It will be offered in a wide variety of 2026 Ram 1500 trims, including the Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Limited and Longhorn. It will be added to the Rebel later in the model year.
For now, however, there are no plans to bring back the beefier 6.2-liter Hemi, nor has Ram confirmed plans to launch a new TRX, whichever powertrain it might go for.
More Ram News
- “The $40,000 Truck is Dead,” Says Ram’s CEO
- Ram Ends Production of Value-Focused 1500 Classic Pickup
- Ram Launching Range-Extender Before All-Electric 1500
The revived Hemi will get the same eTorque mild-hybrid assist system used with the Hurricane V-6.
Hemi gets an electrified boost
One move that helped speed up the return of the Hemi was the decision to retain the eTorque system introduced with the 2025 1500 with the Hurricane V-6. The mild-hybrid technology will add a bit more performance while improving fuel economy, at least based on preliminary information.
“The system replaces the traditional engine-mounted alternator with a belt-driven motor generator unit,” Ram said in a media release. “The motor generator unit works with a 48-volt battery pack to provide quick and seamless engine start/stop, torque addition to the engine crankshaft in certain driving situations and brake energy regeneration, which improves responsiveness and efficiency. The system enables up to 130 lb.-ft. of torque to be available on initial throttle tip-in.”
With the help of the eTorque system, the 2026 Ram models getting a Hemi will be able to tow up 11,470 pounds, with a 1,750-pound payload capacity.
The Hemi will be available as an option on most Ram 1500 trims.
Symbol of Protest
For 2026, the Hurricane V-6 will remain the standard engine in the Ram 1500. Buyers who prefer the Hemi will, on most packages, have to cough up an additional $1,200. Asked how many 1500 buyers will likely opt for the Hemi, Kuniskis forecast long-term demand likely will range “somewhere between 25 and 40%.”
Along with a Hemi, buyers will get a new “Symbol of Protest” badge.
Created in-house with a Ram’s head butting out of a stylized Hemi V-8, the badge will be mounted on the front fenders.
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