CHELSEA, MI (WWJ) -- A legend is returning this week. Ram is now shipping 2026 pickups to dealerships, featuring the return of the 5.7 liter V8 “Hemi” engine as an option.
“Hemi, it's not just an engine. It's the engine. It's our engine,” said Marty Jagoda, Ram VP of Special Projects and the technical manager for the Hemi program.
Fuel economy and other concerns prompted parent firm Stellantis to remove the V8 hemi from the Ram light duty lineup. On the surface it seemed logical. The V6 replacement had more horsepower, and better fuel economy.
But, over the years, Ram had spent millions to promote the Hemi engine, including an extensive campaign with the tagline “This thing got a Hemi.” So, many buyers felt betrayed when the Hemi was taken out of the lineup.
“We heard from our customers,” said Matt Huber, Senior Vice President, Ram Brand Product. “There are 3.6 million Ram truck light duties out on the market today. And when our customers come back to the market. We heard them. They want to have available the Hemi.”
The Hemi engine puts out 395 horsepower, with fuel economy ratings of 17 miles per gallon city, 23 miles per gallon on the highway. The new V6 Hurricane will put out 420 or 540 horsepower, depending on configuration with slightly better fuel economy.
Impressive numbers on paper, but in the real world, pickup owners love V8 engines.
“Forty percent of our returning customers won’t even consider it without V8,” said Brant Combs, Ram’s director of sales operations. “They want eight cylinders. They want to be able to hear it rip through the gears, and the sound is a big piece of that.”
A lot of care was given to making the engine sound like a Hemi. And a quick listen to the exhaust note underscores that message.
“People want to hear that sound,” said Huber. “They want to know they have the V8. They want to know they have the engine that they loved. So, we gave all we can this year to them.”
Stellantis opened up their proving grounds and let us take the 2026 Ram around the test track, through an autocross course, off road and on the public roads near Chelsea, Michigan.
First impressions are that the vehicle will not disappoint Ram loyalists. Solid acceleration, a great sound and it includes a number of nice interior updates that came along with last year’s mid-cycle refresh of the Ram 1500 lineup.
The Hemi engine is a $1,200 upcharge on the base model. But it includes a number of extras like the specially tuned engine sound and a larger 33 gallon fuel tank. All of those options put together would ordinarily be about $2,000 extra, according to Ram executives.
There has been strong early demand for Rams with Hemi engines, which means a lot of extra work for the Sterling Heights Assembly plant to keep up with demand.
Amy Augustine, who’s Director of Ram Brand Light Duty Truck Products, expects that demand to remain strong.
“A Hemi isn’t just wanted. It’s expected”