I Drove Ram’s V8-Powered Pickup To Learn Why Customers Are Paying More for Less

Ram is moving forward by shifting into reverse.The truck brand eliminated the famous Hemi V8 engines from its light-duty pickups last year to meet increasingly ambitious government emissions targets. Instead, it offered its customers a new lineup of more powerful and more efficient “Hurricane” turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engines. They weren’t all happy and let Ram know it.Even before President Trump returned to office and rolled back the Biden-era push for electric vehicles, new leadership at Ram heard the outcry and started working to revive V8s for “cylinder counters” who will settle for no fewer than eight.Ram made the announcement in July that it would soon start shipping V8 pickups again and received 10,000 orders on the first day. They haven’t stopped coming. During a recent media briefing, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said that the V8 trucks were approaching 30% of all Ram 1500 sales and that they could reach 40% if Ram figures out how to build more engines.“We probably need, as a company, another 100,000 plus Hemis to meet consumer demands,” Mr. Kuniskis said.A sport exhaust system is standard equipment with the Hemi eTorque V8. RamRam’s corporate cousin Dodge is in a similar supply-side bind. It had planned to sell only V8-powered versions of the Durango SUV for 2026, but they were so popular that it started running short on engines. It decided to bring back a V6 option for its less power-hungry customers, in order to keep the Durango assembly line moving at full steam.The Ram 1500’s V8 is the same as one that was discontinued in 2024. Ram calls it the 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque, and it is technically part of a hybrid unit. A small electric motor provides an extra boost under acceleration, but isn’t able to propel the truck on its own in an all-electric mode. It is rated at 395 horsepower and costs $1,200 more than the Standard Output 420-horsepower version of the Hurricane, which happens to be the same price as the High Output 540-horsepower Hurricane that is also available. The starting price for a V8 truck is roughly $50,000 in the commercial-oriented Ram 1500 Tradesman trim.If you are having a hard time seeing the rationale for the V8, that’s because there isn’t much of one. And it gets worse. Ram 1500s with the Standard Output Hurricane have higher towing and payload capacities than the Hemi eTorque trucks and deliver slightly better fuel economy. So why would anyone want the V8?I’ve tested Ram 1500s with the Hurricane and liked them a lot. The inline-six-cylinder is one of the smoothest internal combustion engine layouts, which is why it is commonly featured in luxury cars. The natural balance of its cylinder firing order creates an almost turbine-like effect. Combine that with the muffled exhaust of a turbocharged engine, and you end up with a very refined truck. Therein lies the issue for Ram.The Hemi eTorque V8 is a hybrid unit with an electric motor assist. RamMany of its loyal customers want rock and roll, and that’s what you get with the V8. A sport exhaust system is standard equipment for 2026 and cranks up the volume. I tried it out in a premium $68,000 Ram 1500 Laramie, and one touch of the gas pedal is all it takes to put a grin on your face.You get a swift kick in the pants as the cabin fills with the engine’s increasing rumble, which is accompanied by the V8 vibrations that are an integral part of the experience. As an entertainment feature, it competes as much with the audio systems that people are happy to pay thousands of dollars for as it does with other engines. If I were in the market for a Ram 1500, the right side of my brain would likely win the argument over which powertrain to choose.Based on the sales success, I’m far from the only one who feels this way. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Ford and General Motors never stopped offering V8 engines, for much the same reasons.Ram already has another V8 on the way. It plans to celebrate New Year’s Day with the return of the high-performance Ram 1500 TRX, which was last sold in 2024 for $96,000 with a 702-horsepower supercharged V8 that sounded like the thunder of the gods. If the Hemi eTorque is rock and roll, the TRX is heavy metal that’s been turned up to 11.

I Drove Ram’s V8-Powered Pickup To Learn Why Customers Are Paying More for Less

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