Ram made a bold decision for the 2025 model year refresh, eliminating the Hemi V8 as an engine option entirely. Ram replaced the Hemi with two turbocharged Hurricane 3.0-liter inline-six engines that are more powerful, more efficient, and (one might argue) more pleasant. But Ram buyers weren’t pleased. And facing subsequent sales struggles, the brand responded as quickly as possible.
Ram is returning the Hemi V8 to the 1500 pickup for the 2026 model year. As recently returned Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis noted, “Ram screwed up when we dropped the Hemi — we own it and we fixed it.” The Hemi V8 Ram 1500 arrives this summer and is available for order now.
- Base Trim Engine
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3.6L V6 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-Speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
The 2026 Ram 1500 Will Offer A 5.7-Liter Hemi V8
The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with eTorque returns to the 2026 Ram 1500 lineup as an optional powertrain. It offers the same power output numbers it did when it left the lineup in 2024: 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. It’s what most manufacturers term a “mild hybrid” with a small electric motor generator that can add up to 130 lb-ft of torque to improve efficiency, smoothness, and towing. Every 2026 Ram 1500 with a Hemi V8 comes standard with a previously optional sport exhaust. The trucks display a new “Spirit of Protest” badge, a take on the Ram’s head logo with the Hemi block as the body.
Ram chose the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with eTorque specifically to shorten development time. Ram changed the electrical architecture of the truck for the 2025 refresh, which did not accommodate the Hemi. But Stellantis had used that 5.7-liter V8 with eTorque in a similar architecture with the Jeep Wagoneer.
2026 Ram 1500 Hemi V8 Specs
|
|
|---|---|
|
Engine |
5.7-liter Hemi V8 w/eTorque |
|
Horsepower |
395 hp |
|
Torque |
410 lb-ft |
|
Towing Capacity |
11,470 lbs |
|
Payload Capacity |
1,750 lbs |
2026 Ram 1500 Hemi V8: Trims and Pricing
Ram is offering the Hemi as an optional powertrain on most 1500 trims. Every Ram 1500 trim currently offering the 3.6-liter V6 or standard output Hurricane will offer the 5.7-liter V8 as an option. The Hemi costs an additional $1,200 on the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Bighorn/Lonestar, and Laramie trucks. The Ram 1500 Rebel will offer the Hemi later in the model year. The Limited/Longhorn Ram 1500, which comes with the high-output Hurricane standard, will offer the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 as a no-cost option.
Ram is not offering the Hemi V8 on the super-lux Tungsten trim for 2026. The off-road-oriented RHO pickup does not currently offer the Hemi V8, either, though Kuniskis told assembled media Ram has not ruled out offering it eventually.
Despite the Hemi V8 being objectively less capable and efficient than the standard and high-output Hurricane inline-sixes, Ram expects demand for the Hemi V8 to be high. Kuniskis estimated a 25-40 percent take rate for the Hemi V8 within the Ram lineup. He believes the affordable Express trim with the V8 will be particularly popular.
Related
2025 Ram 1500 RHO Vs. 2024 Ram 1500 TRX – What’s The Difference Between Ram’s Mega Off-Road Trucks
Ram says the RHO does not replace the TRX, but we compared them anyway.
There’s No New V8-Powered Ram 1500 TRX — Yet
Ram has not officially confirmed the 1500 TRX returning to the lineup. But Kuniskis responded to questions about it by referencing a slide detailing forthcoming announcements over the next 18 months. He also noted that the engineer leading the project to bring the Hemi V8 back to the 1500 was a veteran of Dodge’s SRT division, famous for using the 6.2-liter V8 found in the previous TRX. Kuniskis noted that Ram prioritized returning the Hemi V8 for the trucks that produce the most sales volume.
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