Ram revives HEMI V8 for 2026 1500 line-up; unconfirmed for Australia

After a brief stint on the sidelines, Ram has officially announced the return of its 5.7-litre HEMI V8 engine.

Discontinued in 2024 and replaced by the 3.0-litre Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six for the 2025 model year, the HEMI V8 will be revived in the 2026 Ram 1500. European order books open from July this year.

It has been confirmed that the V8-powered Ram 1500 will be sold alongside the Hurricane inline-six in Europe, although it’s still unclear whether the HEMI will return to Australian showrooms.

“Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it defines you. Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI – we own it and we fixed it,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram. “We’re not just bringing back a legendary V8 engine, we’re igniting an assertive product plan and expanding the freedom of choice in powertrain for our customers.”

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The 5.7-litre V8 produces 294 kW and 596 Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Its eTorque mild-hybrid system replaces the traditional alternator with a belt-driven motor generator unit powered by a 48-volt battery pack, providing up to 176Nm of additional torque during initial throttle input.

The V8 engine powering MY26 models will have a maximum towing capacity of up to 5200kg (European homologation up to 3500kg) and maximum payload capacity of 793kg.

As per the below table, the .3.0-litre Hurricane straight-six delivers significantly higher engine outputs. 

“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 V8. At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not statisticians or ideologues. Data be damned –  we raise our flag and let the HEMI ring free again!” Kuniskis said.

The HEMI V8 will be available in MY26 Laramie, Sport (late availability) and Limited variants.