2026 Ram 1500 Hemi engine returns as ‘Symbol of Protest’

The 2026 Ram 1500 Hemi engine returns, correcting a mistake by the brand and reigniting the fan’s love for the legendary V-8 engine, just not for all trims and not as the stock engine.

2026 Ram 1500 Hemi engine returns

Before we get into what trims and at what cost, the main news is the Ram 1500 Hemi engine will indeed return to the lineup. It will co-exist with the 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine and both variants of the 3.0-liter inline-6 Hurricane engine. 

The 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi will be the same Generation 3 model that was last offered in 2024 with the mild hybrid e-Torque setup with a belt-driven motor generator unit, 48-volt battery pack, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. This turns the engine from a V-8 to a four-cylinder engine when needed. 

It will produce 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque.

“Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it defines you,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram brand. “Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI — we own it and we fixed it. We’re not just bringing back a legendary V-8 engine, we’re igniting an assertive product plan and expanding the freedom of choice in powertrain for our customers.”

Symbol of Protest?

Probably the coolest part of the return of the Hemi has to be the new badge the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 trucks will wear. No longer will they have the traditional Hemi badge. Instead, they will feature a new fender-mounted “Symbol of Protest Badge.” 

This badge has a Ram mounted on the front of a V-8 engine block. 

“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 V-8,” Kuniskis said. “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!”

The Hemi will be available in 2026 model year Ram 1500 Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel (late availability), Limited and Longhorn as part of the brand’s aggressive product cadence covering the next 18 months. 

Also, every Hemi-powered Ram 1500 will get the GT-exhaust included in the $1,200 upcharge. Kuniskis said since customers were going to buy the engine for the sound anyway, why not put the most badass exhaust they have in it from the factory. All trucks will come with a 33-gallon fuel tank.

Since the Limited and Longhorn models come with the H/O version of the Hurricane, the Hemi will be a no-upcharge upgrade.

The Ram 1500 Hemi will use the same 8-speed ZF automatic transmission found in other Ram 1500 models. 

Order banks open in the summer of 2025. 

Our take

Bringing back the Hemi will help satisfy the desires from “cylinder counters” according to Kuniskis and those who want the exhaust. He said it will likely account for about 25-40% of the Ram 1500 trucks sold for the first few months and then fall back to around 25% following the same pattern that Ford does with their 5.0-liter V-8 and the EcoBoost engine.

This is all about keeping the core audience happy while trying to gain new customers and growing the brand. It is the smart move, plain and simple.