In the fall of 2023, the fifth-generation Ram 1500 pickup family underwent a planned upgrade, which was timed to include a complete rejection of the family Hemi V8 engines. Internal sources in the Stellantis concern assured that this decision was made by Carlos Tavares himself, who thus wanted to reduce the payment of environmental quotas, disregarding the aspirations of customers. Tavares left the company at the end of last year, and V8 engines began to systematically return under the hoods of cars of the American division of the concern. Last week, the Dodge Durango crossover again acquired Hemi engines , and now they have returned to the range of the Ram 1500 pickup truck.
For the 2026 model year pickups, the 5.7 V8 engine (400 hp, 556 Nm) is again available. It is offered as a $ 1,200 option for the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Big Horn, Laramie, Limited and Longhorn versions. Later, the Hemi can also be ordered for the Rebel version. Technically, the 5.7 naturally aspirated engine has not changed: it still has one lower camshaft (two valves per cylinder), a cylinder deactivation system and a 48-volt eTorque starter-generator, which produces 176 Nm during starting. The payload of the eight-cylinder pickup is 794 kg, and the maximum towing weight of the trailer is 5.2 tons.
It is noteworthy that a new Symbol of Protest logo has been created specifically for V8-powered pickups, which is located in place of the usual Hemi badges on the front fenders. It is a stylized image of a cylinder block with huge exhaust pipes and a signature ram’s head. At the same time, the mighty Hemi V8 6.2 engine with a supercharger could become a real “symbol of protest”, but it has not yet been announced even for the top version of the Ram 1500 RHO, which will still be equipped with an inline turbo six Hurricane 3.0 (547 hp, 706 Nm). However, it is possible that the supercharged V8 was saved for the truly extreme Ram 1500 TRX pickup , although the management of the Ram brand is keeping a meaningful silence about the revival of this version.
The Ram 1500 pickup range also retains all the previous engines. This is the base naturally aspirated V6 3.6 (305 hp, 365 Nm) and the turbocharged Hurricane 3.0 six-cylinder, which has two versions: SO (426 hp, 623 Nm) and HO (548 hp, 706 Nm). Sales of the 2026 model year vehicles will begin before the end of summer.
