Driven: 2026 Ram 1500 V-8 Flips the Script and Revives the Hemi

View exterior photosRamDespite Ram separating itself from Dodge nearly two decades ago, people still associate the two. According to Google Trends, more people searched for “Dodge Ram” than “Ram 1500” in the last year. Any marketer worth their salt knows this is the sort of brand awareness you nurture, not abandon. Ram is a stubborn marque, though, and it seems to not give a damn about what people type into Google. But when it comes to powertrains, Ram has taken the uncharacteristic step of acknowledging an unforced error. That’s right: Ram has copped to the fact that dropping the Hemi 5.7-liter V-8 from the 1500 full-size pickup for 2025 was a mistake. To right this wrong, it has revived the eight-cylinder option for the 2026 model year, offering it alongside the Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that once replaced it.view exterior photosRamIt shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ram didn’t make too many changes to the Hemi 5.7 for its 2026 revival. The V-8 makes the same 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque as it did in the 2024 truck. It also mates to the same eight-speed automatic transmission and is available with the same trio of rear-end ratios (a standard 3.21:1 and 3.55:1 for rear- and four-wheel-drive trucks, respectively, and an optional 3.92:1 that allows properly equipped 1500s to tow up to 11,440 pounds). Thankfully, we can confirm that the Hemi’s charm is still standard too.Ramming the Hemi UnderhoodDespite the Hemi disappearing for just a single model year, Ram engineers are keen to point out that bringing it out of even a brief retirement was no simple plug-and-play affair. Instead, the team took on the task of configuring, calibrating, and validating the 13 or so modules that connect the engine with the new electrical architecture that the full-size pickup adopted last year. The fact that nothing about the powertrain electronics stood out to us during our drive leads us to believe the brain surgery was a success.view exterior photosRamview exterior photosRam On paper, the Hemi looks like a downgrade. Relative to the 3.0-liter inline-six, the 5.7-liter V-8 carries between 25 and 145 fewer horses in its stable. The Hemi is also down on torque against both the low- and high-output Hurricane variants. If pure performance is what you’re after, you’re probably better off sticking with the Hurricane. Our own test data backs up that assertion: A four-wheel-drive Hemi-toting 2022 Ram 1500 needed 6.4 seconds to reach 60 mph, while a 2025 model with the high-output Hurricane accomplished the same feat in just 4.2 seconds.The story is much the same when it comes to towing as well. The Hemi offers no appreciable gain in towing capability over the Hurricane. With rear-wheel drive, a crew cab, and a short box, the Hurricane-equipped 1500 can drag more than 11,000 pounds behind itself, though that figure can be lower with different axle ratios. Hemi-equipped models can’t one-up those numbers, but they can match them.view interior PhotosRamHemi Has ItNumbers only count for so much, though, and opting for the Hemi adds something missing from the twin-turbo six: character. This avails itself in two ways. The first is aural. Whether idling or wailing toward its 5800-rpm redline, the V-8 sounds absolutely menacing. Some of that sound profile comes from the now-standard dual exhaust, which was limited to trims with the GT package in 2024. Limitations do still apply, just in different ways. Want a Hemi with the Quad Cab and long bed? Too bad, because Ram limits the Hemi to 2026 Ram 1500 Crew Cabs with the standard-length box.view exterior photosRamThe second is visceral. While the Hemi and the standard-output Hurricane share the same 5800-rpm redline, the straight-six packs a diesel-like torque curve that lacks any theatrics. Hurricane torque comes on strong down low, but once the tach needle passes the 5, the pull falls off noticeably. The Hemi, on the other hand, wants to rev until the heat death of the universe. That characteristic can be felt over the road too—the Hemi-equipped 2022 Ram 1500 needed 3.2 seconds to jump from 30 to 50 mph, matching a 2025 high-output Hurricane model.view exterior photosRamSame 10Best-Winning RamTheatrics aside, the rest of the Ram experience is effectively the same regardless of the engine underhood. Like its six-cylinder stablemates, the V-8 Ram 1500 retains the linear and well-weighted steering, shockingly good ride quality, and controlled body motions (especially for a tall pickup that weighs nearly three tons) that made it a six-time 10Best winner.Still, Ram left us with a few bones to pick. The most notable is the $1200 that Ram charges for the Hemi relative to the standard-output Hurricane, which itself adds $1695 to the bill over the standard V-6. Given the lower output of the V-8 relative to its straight-six kin, Ram is quite literally charging you more for less. Thankfully, if your 1500 comes with the high-output Hurricane, swapping in the Hemi incurs no additional costs.view interior PhotosRamview interior PhotosRamOur other major gripe has to do with the badge pinned to the front fenders of Hemi-equipped models. We have no issue with the design itself, which depicts a ram head with a V-8 body and looks admittedly badass. Our gripe is with the name: Symbol of Protest. What exactly are 1500 V-8 drivers protesting? A less expensive and better-performing engine? Is it symbolically protesting the deep state’s desire to 86 big engines? If it is, then that’s especially confusing, considering the EPA told Ram it could do all of this.
Whether we think a badge’s name is silly, resurrecting the Hemi-powered 1500 is a decision we welcome with open arms. Much like the Symbol of Protest epithet, it may not make a lot of sense to spend additional coin to nab an engine that isn’t as beefy as its replacement. But things don’t always have to make sense, as Ram’s strange aversion to its Dodge roots reveals. With or without the power of the Hurricane or a badge that says Dodge on it, the Hemi-powered 2026 Ram 1500 reminds us that a great product can overcome a little bit of foolishness.view exterior photosRamSpecificationsSpecifications
2026 Ram 1500 V-8
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear- or rear/4-wheel-drive, 5- or 6-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE

Base: 4×2, $48,865; 4×4, $52,215
ENGINE

pushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 345 in3, 5654 cm3
Power: 395 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 410 lb-ft @ 3950 rpm
TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 144.6 in
Length: 232.4 in
Width: 81.2 in

Height: 77.4–79.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 64/68 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5300–5800 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)

60 mph: 6.1–6.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.6–14.8 sec
Top Speed: 107 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)

Combined/City/Highway: 19–20/18/22–23 mpg
Source: caranddriver.com