Last week, Stellantis made the announcement that so many Mopar fans have been anticipating – the Hemi V8 engine is coming back to the Ram 1500 lineup. The 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque engine will be offered for the 2026 model year in most trim levels, offering 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, but more importantly, it offers the booming Hemi exhaust note that some buyers demand.
“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. 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,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram brand.
“Ram will continue to offer the more powerful and more efficient Hurricane Straight Six Turbo, but we heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic HEMI V-8. At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not to statisticians or ideologues. Data be damned — we raise our flag and let the HEMI ring free again!”
Right now, the plan is to offer the 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque in the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Big Horn, Laramie, Limited and Longhorn versions of the 2026 Ram 1500 as soon as this summer. The Rebel is listed as a late availability model, so it will get the Hemi, but not right away. As mentioned above, there are no power changes, but Hemi-powered Ram pickups will get a few new features to go with the V8.
The Hemi badges on the fenders have been replaced with the “Symbol of Protest” badge, which has a Ram’s head with a body made from the engine block of a Hemi engine. Also, the louder GT Sport exhaust system will come standard on all Hemi models, so everyone buying for sound will love that.
The 5.7-liter Hemi is listed as an upgrade to Hurricane Standard Output (SO) models and that upgrade comes with a price. Going from the 420 horsepower Hurricane SO to the 395 horsepower Hemi will cost $1,200, but in those trucks that come standard with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 (Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Big Horn), getting the Hurricane costs $1,695. When you go from the Pentastar to the Hemi, it will effectively cost $2,895.
The Hurricane SO is standard in the Laramie models, so it is only $1,200 for the Hemi in those trucks while in the Limited and Longhorn, the Hemi option comes with no additional cost. The key point there is that the price of the Hurricane High Output is worked into the price, so buyers who opt for the Hemi are paying for 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque and getting 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. In other words, you have to really want that sound over all else to pick the Hemi in your 2026 Ram 1500.
The bottom line here is that the company is hearing the demands of customers who want the Hemi over all else, and for now, the Ram Trucks brand is taking action and bringing the V8 back into the lineup.
