Take a look at the historic Hemi engine and how it evolved
Chrysler’s first Hemi engine dates back to 1951 and is now making a comeback across the Stellantis lineup.
The past few years have been a roller coaster for Mopar fans. After the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis in early 2021, the newly formed conglomerate suddenly became the world’s fifth-largest automaker by sales. This seemed to mean that brands like Ram and Dodge would get the resources they needed to update and improve their already successful existing formulas, but Carlos Tavares, Stellantis’ CEO at the time, had a different strategy.
Tavares, the former CEO of PSA Group, turned around the French company’s fortunes with aggressive cost-cutting measures and has taken a similar approach to Stellantis. In parallel with major restructuring efforts on the North American side, Mr. Tavares also Purchase of emissions credits To offset the dirtier power plants in Stellantis’ lineup, it’s sourced from other automakers. This did not bode well for the future of the Hemi V8.
Originally introduced in the Dodge Ram 1500 in 2003, the 5.7-liter Hemi was a breakthrough at the time, as this more sophisticated engine was replaced by the 5.9-liter Magnum V8 (an engine whose design lineage can be traced back to the early 1960s) across the Chrysler Group’s lineup of trucks and SUVs. It also continued to be used under the hood of the automaker’s subsequent LX platform vehicles, including the Dodge Charger, Magnum, Challenger, and Chrysler 300.
The third-generation Hemi V8 was a key element in the muscle car resurgence that emerged over the next two decades, helping popularize big horsepower. However, the 5.7-liter model hasn’t received any major design updates since 2009. From Tavares’ point of view, it’s just heavy lifting, and he saw the newly developed model come as Stellantis sets its sights on a more emissions-friendly future. hurricane engine As a solution to the Hemi problem. This thoroughly modern 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo engine offers more than just benefits for owners. thanks to higher output Fuel economy will also improve (slightly), while emissions will be reduced, resulting in a measurable improvement in a company’s bottom line. It’s really a win-win, right? Well, things It didn’t exactly turn out that way..
Reversing questionable decisions
What Mr. Tavares didn’t realize, or simply ignored, is the fact that pickup trucks, once just utilitarian machines built to get the job done, are now as much a point of pride for buyers as sports cars or luxury sedans, and they come with the price tags to prove it. Character is important in this segment, and after decades of building an audience around the roar of a V8, randomly pulling the plug is bound to anger some traditionalists. Add in concerns about the new Hurricane’s long-term durability and its more complex design, and it’s not hard to see why some potential buyers aren’t ready to embrace the future of the Hemiles.
rear Mr. Tavares leaves Stellantis Late last year, the company immediately began work on restoring the ship, with reintroducing the Hemi one of its top priorities. Other than a few tweaks needed to blend better with the truck’s recently refreshed electrical architecture, the 5.7-liter Hemi returns to the Ram 1500 lineup for the 2026 model year, essentially unchanged from the version that was discontinued in 2024.
Even though Ram’s eTorque mild hybrid system has become standard on V8-powered models, the 5.7-liter Hemi still lags behind the standard-output Hurricane engine in both horsepower and torque (395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque vs. 420 hp and 469 lb-ft, respectively). and It costs $1,200 more than the more powerful standard output I-6. So, you may be wondering, why are these low-performing and expensive? Sales of trucks equipped with V8 engines are strong.?
The baritone chirp you hear when you press the engine start/stop button lets you know the price instantly. In a stroke of product planning genius, Ram also decided to make a sport exhaust system standard on all V8-powered 2026 Ram 1500s. The 5.7 may be years away, but it sounds great both at idle and when powering the truck through traffic. There’s an emotional connection here that you don’t get from an inline-six engine. The inline-six engine, while perfectly capable at its job, is virtually silent in almost everything Stellantis has ever used it. Even though the clearly superior Ram 1500 RHO sports an active exhaust setup that allows the high-output Hurricane to sing people’s songs a little louder, something feels a little different.
The V8-powered 2026 Ram 1500 has a new “Protest Symbol” badge on the front fender. This seems unpleasant and disingenuous, but from an optical standpoint it’s completely understandable. V8 engines have received even more attention in recent years due to the drive towards a cleaner future. Their intentions may be good, but politicians and automakers have realized that trying to change Americans’ buying habits through legislation and reducing choice is a great way to alienate a significant portion of the automotive public.
that sensory feedback
There’s an argument to be made that a naturally aspirated pushrod V8 with over 20 years of engineering improvements is safer (and easier to twist) than a brand new straight-six with internal stress from forced induction, but I think this comes down to the value of sensory feedback. There’s a reason why the cars the bad guys drive in movies usually have V8 soundtracks dubbed over. This noise speaks to us on a fundamental level. Trying to decipher what makes it so fascinating is like trying to explain why sunsets are beautiful.
But ironically, while driving this Ram 1500 test truck (Limited trim with 22-inch wheels, massaging front seats and a 19-speaker audio system), I couldn’t help but wonder if the Hurricane might actually be a better fit for this truck. Thanks to the air suspension, ride quality is exceptional for a full-size body-on-frame pickup, and an active noise-cancelling system arch-isolates the cabin from the outside world. Add in a ton of great technology, a panoramic sunroof, and no shortage of high-quality materials, and you’ve got yourself some pretty luxurious transportation. In fact, the only thing that seemed to belie this truck’s nearly $90,000 price tag was the 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
Sure, it sounds great when you bury the hammer, but for a luxury-oriented car that costs this amount of coin, passing on the highway should be easy. To move a 5,200-pound pickup, the 5.7 really needs to work. If Ram’s new approach is aimed at giving people what they want, it may finally be time to introduce a more powerful 6.4-liter naturally aspirated Hemi V8 to the 1500 lineup. If you’re going to go against the grain, you better commit to it thoroughly.
Photo by Stellantis. Illustration by Ryan Lugo.
