Hemi V8 Power Returns To The Ram 1500, With A Twist

Hemi V8 Power Returns To The Ram 1500, With A Twist​

Story by Steven Symes



Hemi V8 Power Returns To The Ram 1500, With A Twist
The rumors are starting to bear fruit as the Hemi V8 triumphantly returns to the 2026 Ram 1500. After angering a lot of its customer base, the truck brand under the direction of Amsterdam-based Stellantis has brought back the burly engine.

However, the Hemi doesn’t return in its purest form. The only way truck shoppers will be able to get it is with the eTorque hybrid system. Not everyone is going to be loving that fact, but for now that’s what we get.

Keep in mind, some great news could be coming on June 8, including more Hemi V8s added to the Ram lineup.

The 48-volt hybrid powertrain promises fuel savings, something V8s aren’t generally known to provide. It also comes with 395-horsepower on tap along with a stout 410 lb.-ft. of torque. That does mean for those who worship stats sheets the twin-turbo Hurricane high-output will be more desirable since it has 550-hp. Even the non-high-output pumps out 420-hp.

But many love V8 engines for their balanced, smooth power delivery, a broad power band, as well as overall durability. After all, peak output figures are interesting, but they don’t tell the whole picture when it comes to performance or real world practicality.


Image via Stellantis

We’re guessing as a form of peace offering with the fans, Ram is putting a “Symbol of Protest Badge” on every Hemi-powered 1500’s front fenders. We expect it to be a real crowd pleaser since it features a stylized ram head mounted up to a V8 engine bristling with wide open headers.

Pickup trucks are no longer just utilitarian workhorses, they've evolved.
What The 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Price Says About The Future Of New Pickup Trucks

Getting rid of the Hemi V8 was obviously a dumb and unnecessary move. GM and Ford kept their V8s in the Silverado/Sierra and F-Series, even with some alternative powertrain offerings available.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle them defines you. Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI — we own it and we fixed it,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram brand. “We’re not just bringing back a legendary V-8 engine, we’re igniting an assertive product plan and expanding the freedom of choice in powertrain for our customers.”

We’re hoping the Hemi-powered 2026 Ram 1500 models don’t cost too much, but these days everything does and that’s a real problem.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/aut...&cvid=90b28f2e4ad74922b485b27faf96782d&ei=116

 

[tones2SS]

It's a mild hybrid with the MGU doing its thing via the serpentine belt. It's a joke. Added weight and complexity for basically nothing.

Wow. Terrible.

Is this just to appease the government? As ******* crooked and evil as they are? Wow.

 

[johnhenryculver]

I agree that the pricing was a little confusing. @AnthonyRI clarified that in another thread. Here's a quote from that thread...

HEMI is open - here's how the pricing actually works

Tradesman/Bighorn
- V6 Pentastar is STANDARD $0
- SO Hurricane is optional at $1695
- HEMI $2895

Laramie
- SO Hurricane is STANDARD $0
- HEMI $1200

Limited/Longhorn
- HO Hurricane is STANDARD $0
- HEMI optional $0

I was ready to der Laramie as soon as possible, but if e torque is mandatory then no sale for me! I have 2019 Laramie Hemi with no etorque, mds, vvt or any of that b.s., just a straight hemi engine. No problems!

 

[MrBonez]

Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI — we own it and we fixed it,”

^^^ Uh No, you are still screwing up, by keeping eTorque. Dumb-sses.

I MUST agree with the quoted poster here and the following is just an opinion I have about it guys.
Agree, disagree or somewhere in the middle, I'm fine with it since we're not robots to all think alike you know.

So:
Bear in mind Stellantis is a european company and they are going nuts over there with EU regs to push EV's and hybrids out the door, a good example is when VW said a couple of years ago they're going 100% EV and that was it, with other EU makes pushing hybrids and having eventual plans to also go 100% EV later.

Even though the Ram CEO said it's coming back, do note it's return was at the direction of Stellantis, not the CEO himself.

Now, they are bringing the Hemi back with the e-Torque system (Only way you can get it now) but it isn't really popular over here as most (Not all) posts indicate, so it's more of a US market appeasement move.... For now and they are even charging more for it vs all other powerplant options you could choose.

I'm thinking the higher pricing for the Hemi option is partially to discourage buyers from buying a Hemi equipped pickup, based on budget limitations some will have (Could get one but not so easily) while raking in more $$ from those that would have the money and insist on a Hemi - Like me.

I'm also thinking it's a move to try and boost sales in the US market since Ram sales have been in a slump over the past few years and they realized they were shooting themselves in the foot when the Hemi went away from this year's (2025) offerings.
Many, if not most of us are not Hybrid/EV fans anyway and they know it, just a way to spoon-feed it to us for now and push it harder later on once we get "Used" to the taste.

 

[KalboKalbs]

Where will it be made? As I understand it the HEMI has been made in Mexico.

Tariffs may determine where it is built.

 

[d-hunter1]

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

 

[Btp 2332]

No problems with my 19 e-torque

 

[BenWade]

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

It is just another layer of green epa bullsheet that got slapped ontop of the Hemi. Another "system" that adds complexity and little to no benefit whatsoever.

 

[kt4hx]

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

I will let others with first hand experience with etorque answer the question directly. But for myself, as someone who will likely be buying at some point over the coming year, I have some concerns about etorque. Based on my research I haven't found any solid benefits to having it incorporated into the Hemi. Rather it adds complexity and a potential failure point to an otherwise solid engine. Granted there are some who report no issues with etorque, while some have had problems. I guess I question why add it to the engine when there is no real world benefits (that I can see). I am hoping that one of Ram's big announcements will be the introduction of the 6.4L Hemi to the 1500, which does not utilize etorque. Hope that helps in some way.

 

[EdGs]

IMHO, etorque is a waste on the Hemi.

Everybody knows what the Hemi is, and they didn't buy a Hemi for the gas mileage. The Hemi with MDS gets damn good mileage for a V8.

To add a system that restarts the engine every time you are stopped just to save another .2 mpg is ridiculous, and then you have a starter that operates 5x more than a conventional one, plus the extra battery and the system it operates on.

I've driven a few vehicles that have the start/stop feature and I despise it.

 

[JHoward]

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

Simple for me, because I don't want it .

 

[JHoward]

I will let others with first hand experience with etorque answer the question directly. But for myself, as someone who will likely be buying at some point over the coming year, I have some concerns about etorque. Based on my research I haven't found any solid benefits to having it incorporated into the Hemi. Rather it adds complexity and a potential failure point to an otherwise solid engine. Granted there are some who report no issues with etorque, while some have had problems. I guess I question why add it to the engine when there is no real world benefits (that I can see). I am hoping that one of Ram's big announcements will be the introduction of the 6.4L Hemi to the 1500, which does not utilize etorque. Hope that helps in some way.

Absolutely!

 

[kt4hx]

IMHO, etorque is a waste on the Hemi.

Everybody knows what the Hemi is, and they didn't buy a Hemi for the gas mileage. The Hemi with MDS gets damn good mileage for a V8.

To add a system that restarts the engine every time you are stopped just to save another .2 mpg is ridiculous, and then you have a starter that operates 5x more than a conventional one, plus the extra battery and the system it operates on.

I've driven a few vehicles that have the start/stop feature and I despise it.

My wife's Telluride has the start/stop. What I found really irritating about it is that when it shuts down at a light, the A/C shuts off (as one would expect). So typically when I drive it, I use the little button on the center console to shut it off so we can stay cool!

 

[XCELLR8]

I'm thinking the higher pricing for the Hemi option is partially to discourage buyers from buying a Hemi equipped pickup, based on budget limitations some will have (Could get one but not so easily) while raking in more $$ from those that would have the money and insist on a Hemi - Like me.

One thing to remember with the Hemi in2026 is that it gets the Mopar cat back exhaust standard. Which at one time was a stand alone option in the $1,000 range.

 

[MrBonez]

IMHO, etorque is a waste on the Hemi.

Everybody knows what the Hemi is, and they didn't buy a Hemi for the gas mileage. The Hemi with MDS gets damn good mileage for a V8.

To add a system that restarts the engine every time you are stopped just to save another .2 mpg is ridiculous, and then you have a starter that operates 5x more than a conventional one, plus the extra battery and the system it operates on.

I've driven a few vehicles that have the start/stop feature and I despise it.

I know from my years working on mobile industrial equipment in the field that just kills a starter and battery with all the wear it takes.

Now - With that said I'm not saying the starters and batteries they use for it aren't purpose-engineered to handle it, but even with that time takes it toll and it's just another thing to eventually cause a problem that never needed to be due to the cause of it.

The bad thing is if you're at a light (Or wherever), you need it to go and it just quits working for whatever reason - There you are, in the middle of that one and not all of us can simply get out and push one of these out of the way on our own, along with a towing and repair bill to follow in many, if not most cases.

True, things can go wrong with anything made by man at anytime but at a light, stop sign or just whenever you have to stop is not a legitimate reason to shut it off each and everytime you have to stop period.

One thing to remember with the Hemi in2026 is that it gets the Mopar cat back exhaust standard. Which at one time was a stand alone option in the $1,000 range.

I understand your point but in my view, cat back is fine but not the total sum of the purpose for which it's being done for.

What I'm trying to say (In my opinion) is this is a thing about nudging people to accept EV's whether they really want to or not and if you don't accept, you'll just pay more to get what you want instead of what they want you to have.

I've said it elsewhere before:
Someone's suggestion leads to an idea which in turn is made reality, then it becomes an option, from there a standard and at the end of it all, mandatory with no option to opt out... Because it's mandatory.
That's usually how it goes.

We're at the optional/standard point of it right now but the fact you can't get one next year without eTorque is a real push towards mandatory - And having one with eTorque is mandatory next year if you get one with a Hemi, with no option otherwise concerning a Hemi powered pickup.

It is just another layer of green epa bullsheet that got slapped ontop of the Hemi. Another "system" that adds complexity and little to no benefit whatsoever.

Exactly!

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

To be fair, if it's something you want go for it and be happy.

However:
Like it is with anything you can put a name to, you have to accept it all if you get it - The good and everything else that comes with it.

 

[KalboKalbs]

Don't shoot me for asking this question! Why am I reading a lot of negativity about the E-Torque? I would like legit answers not opinions.

Legit?

So you've dismissed all comments in this thread, stating issues with eTorque, as NOT legit.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Rather than "bring back" the decades old 5.7 hemi I think it's time for a new Hemi...maybe something like Ford's 5.0 Coyote...
I heard rumors that even Chevy is building a new small block V8 for their upcoming pickups...
Still, it's nice to see a company pay attention to it's customers somewhat...

 

[Yardbird]

Rather than "bring back" the decades old 5.7 hemi I think it's time for a new Hemi...maybe something like Ford's 5.0 Coyote...
I heard rumors that even Chevy is building a new small block V8 for their upcoming pickups...
Still, it's nice to see a company pay attention to it's customers somewhat...

It would be good to see the HEMI redesigned to overcome lifter issues, but, just because the EPA mandates have been lessened or removed for now, what happens when a new administration renews or goes even further with the regulations that were lessened?

Hundreds of millions could be lost in redesign cost as soon as a different administration is in office.

It's a topsy turvy world these days.

 

[Hemi1569]

Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI — we own it and we fixed it,”

^^^ Uh No, you are still screwing up, by keeping eTorque. Dumb-sses.

Bingo

 

[kt4hx]

Here is someone's take on the return of the Hemi. I am sure some on here would agree with all he says, just like I'm sure many would not.

Everyone’s Hyping the 2026 Ram 1500 HEMI V8 — But Here’s The Truth

The HEMI is back—and it’s raising more than just RPMs.In this video, we break down everything you need to know about the 2026 Ram 1500 HEMI V8, from real-wor...

www.youtube.com

 

[Docwagon1776]

It would be good to see the HEMI redesigned to overcome lifter issues, but, just because the EPA mandates have been lessened or removed for now, what happens when a new administration renews or goes even further with the regulations that were lessened?

Hundreds of millions could be lost in redesign cost as soon as a different administration is in office.

It's a topsy turvy world these days.

Why can Ford and GM continue to update and offer V8 power trains?

Suspected answer: Product diversification, not starved for R&D funding by a neglectful parent company, more global product line