Ram's decision to bring back the Hemi V8 in its latest 1500 pickup appears to be paying off, potentially setting the stage for the engine’s full revival across other Stellantis $STLA ( ▲ 1.67% ) brands.
The details: Sales for the refreshed 2026 Ram 1500, which marks the return of the popular Hemi V8 that was replaced by Stellantis’ "Hurricane" six-cylinder engine in the 2025 model of the pickup, are off to a roaring start.
Sales of the light-duty Ram 1500 rose 10% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, with 44,349 deliveries from July to September.
The surge amounts to a 4% increase for the light-duty 1500 through the first nine months of 2025, with a total of 143,264 deliveries.
Ram doesn’t break down sales by powertrain—but company officials said demand for the Hemi-equipped 1500 is clear, with “dealerships reporting initial units selling in just five days on average,” reports Car and Driver.
What they’re saying: “When we announced the return of the legendary Hemi for the Ram 1500 in June, we received 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours, proving that we made the right decision to bring back this iconic engine for this truck,” said Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, in an early June press statement announcing the return of the popular engine.
Why it matters: The revival of the Hemi V8 is proving to be a major sales driver, and an opportunity to capitalize on pent-up demand. With the 2026 Ram 1500 selling quickly, dealers can leverage the Hemi’s strong brand recognition and emotional appeal to attract both loyal Ram owners and new performance-minded customers.
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Between the lines: The Hemi V8 has long been a major draw for Ram and other American brands under Stellantis, fueling speculation that Dodge and Jeep could see the engine make a full return to their lineups as automakers look to beef up gas-powered offerings.
The Hemi V8 is now standard in the 2026 Dodge Durango—quite a shift from roughly two years ago when Stellantis was touting the 2025 model as the last and final edition of the engine in the SUV’s lineup.
Rumors of Dodge reviving the Hemi in a new Charger have been circulating since the all-electric Daytona failed to gain traction and the V8’s return to Ram.
There have also been speculations that a new, next-generation Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk, which was previously powered by a supercharged Hemi V8, could be in the works.
Bottom line: The strong demand for the Hemi V8 in the 2026 Ram 1500 shows that many consumers still crave traditional, gas-powered performance engines, despite the industry’s broader shift toward smaller, more efficient powertrains.
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