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READ MORE: Ford slips down sales list as nemesis pokes fun of slump
Ram is bringing back a rumbling, gas-guzzling V-8 engine.
Months after phasing out the iconic HEMI V-8 from the 2025 Ram 1500 lineup, the automaker now says the big-bodied motor will return in 2026.
The brand’s top boss apologized for killing the grunting 5.7-liter powerhouse.
‘We own it. We got it wrong. And we’re fixing it,’ Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of the Ram brand, said in an advertisement, showing the executive driving the truck around a racetrack.
Kuniskis spoke over the thunderous growl of the truck’s iconic firing cylinders.
‘You hear that? That’s our HEMI. And it’s saying, “We’re back.”‘
For years, Ram raked in huge profits with the HEMI-powered full-size pickup trucks.
The brand, which spun out of Detroit-based Dodge in 2009, was
praised by loyal customers
for its throaty, high-octane motors and near luxury interiors.
Truck sales are among the most profitable — and important — for US-based automakers.
But regulations threatened the fan-favorite motor. Ram originally ditched the HEMI in favor of Stellantis’ newer, smaller engines to comply with tightening vehicle federal emissions standards and
state government pressure to build EVs
.
Last year, the company said it would replace the V-8 with a more efficient and powerful V-6 — but the swap also stripped away some of the brand’s signature brashness.
Fans hated the move.
‘Ram will lose me as a customer,’ a truck-lover said in a Reddit post after Ram announced the HEMI was dead. ‘What a sad day.’
Ram posted massive losses after moving on from the aggressive engine. Sales for the brand slumped more than 18 percent in 2024.
Ram’s struggles contributed to a sales flop for its parent brand, Stellantis, which
reported a 70 percent slash in profits
last year.
But the engine’s revival has sparked hope for a comeback. Kuniskis recently said he expects the HEMI to represent 25 to 40 percent of Ram 1500 sales in 2026.
The revived V-8, enhanced with Ram’s eTorque mild-hybrid tech, will return to the 1500 lineup globally, including trims like Laramie, Limited, and Sport.
Every truck will feature a ‘Symbol of Protest’ badge, a fender-mounted emblem depicting the Ram logo crashing through a engine block.
Ram will continue to offer the newer V-6, which delivers more power and better fuel efficiency than the returning V-8.
‘Data be damned — we raise our flag and let the HEMI ring free again!’ Kuniskis added.
Ram’s HEMI bet comes amid a massive shift for its struggling parent company.
Stellantis — which owns American brands Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, and Jeep and European brands like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Opel, and Peugeot —
saw its CEO, Carlos Tavares, abruptly resign in December.
The company was going through a wave of bad headlines,
including mass layoffs at US plants
and
struggles to keep up with President Donald Trump’s 25 percent automotive tariffs
.
There might be some light at the end of the tunnel.
In May, the Antonio Filosa, the former COO for North and South America, took over as the top boss.
‘We believe the appointment is positive,’ Rella Suskin, an automotive analyst with MorningStar, told .
‘Antonio has a strong background in on-the-ground execution and understanding of the market’s regional needs. These traits will be key in attempting to regain some of the significant market share losses in Europe and the US over the last few years.’
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