Our Rides: How Ram Trucks Brought Back The HEMI

When it was announced that Stellantis would return the HEMI V8 back into its Ram 1500 half-ton pickup truck, it became a “Symbol of Protest.”

Protest? Against whom?

The Ram Trucks brand assumed an interesting trajectory with its latest iteration of its volume-selling pickup truck. When they revised the Ram 1500 over a year ago, they omitted the HEMI V8 in favor of the Hurricane twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine. It was seen as a move towards the future, where you can get more out of fewer cylinders to achieve higher capabilities.

Not a lot of Mopar fans were buying this rationale. In fact, Ram 1500 sales dropped a bit following this move to an all-six-cylinder engine lineup.

True, the Hurricane engines put out more power and were capable of class-appropriate towing and payload ratings. Yet, something was missing. We’re not just talking about two cylinders.

At Stellantis, there were changes in management. The CEO who facilitated the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group stepped down. A new CEO was installed, along with the return of an enthusiastic executive who lived and breathed Mopar.

These changes prompted Stellantis to work on its North American lineup. The first tangible move was to return the HEMI V8 under the hood of the 2026 Ram 1500.

Now, why would you care about some V8-powered pickup truck?

It is worth repeating that we, as LGBTQ+ consumers, have the same buying habits as the rest of society. We buy trucks, too! We do so as business owners, contractors, farmers or recreational enthusiasts who like to pull a towable trailer on vacation.

We also gravitate to companies, brands and dealerships that welcome us. Stellantis is known as a company with a global strategy to celebrate diversity — including its LGBTQ+ employees worldwide.

Put everything together, and this 2026 Ram 1500 is worth looking at.

Earlier, we mentioned the “Symbol of Protest.” On the front fenders of each HEMI V8-powered 2026 Ram 1500 is a badge depicting a ram’s head in front of a V8 engine block. The badge on the hood also tells you what’s underneath the hood, but it is the badge on the fender that illustrates the company getting things right.

Fun fact, Stellantis fashioned the same “Symbol of Protest” badge as a mechanical bull for the Woodward Dream Cruise in Southeastern Michigan. I know some of you would love to try that out sometime.

The 5.7-liter HEMI V8 is not a new engine. The current iteration of the classic hemispherical cylinder head/chamber design has been around for a couple of decades. That cylinder head design goes back to the early 1950s. When Ram dropped the V8 for the 1500, the same engine appeared in the Dodge Durango SUV. It was a matter of reinstalling the e-Torque 48-volt mild hybrid module and dropping it into the engine bay.

All told, it is rated for 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. In the configuration we received — a Crew Cab with a 5.7-foot bed — maximum payload was rated at 1,630 pounds, while the maximum towing capacity is 9,590 pounds. For those of you who are wondering, you can get greater payload and towing capability with the Hurricane twin-turbo in-line six-cylinder engine. Check your numbers with the specifications of your Ram 1500.

Rounding out the driveline is an eight-speed automatic transmission and an on-demand four-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case. In all, this configuration is one of the most common ones you’ll find in the Upper Midwest region.

The trim level selected for our 2026 Ram 1500 is called Big Horn. This is the trim level that sits below any of the more luxurious, leather-lined ones. You get durable cloth seats with carpeted floors, a mix of analog and digital instrumentation, a choice of infotainment touchscreens — ours being the larger 12-inch display driven by UConnect 5 — and a long list of standard features.

While you have a commanding view of the road, you sit in large seats both back and front. They can be firm up front, but they do support you just fine. The rear seat room is exceptional, where you can fit three adults.

The driver controls the transmission through a knob on the dashboard. The four-wheel drive system is push-button. The rest of the controls are familiar and work logically.

Our 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn adds some personality to the exterior with the Sport package. That comes with a blacked-out grille, painted bumpers and some additional paint-colored details. This truck came with a set of chrome-finished 20-inch alloy wheels. The tailgate wears the chrome-finished Ram name proudly.

It looks handsome without a lot of gimmicks. It also drives quite well. The HEMI V8 offers plenty of power from a stop with smooth cruising on the highway and non-nonsense acceleration for lane changes and on-ramps. As for fuel economy, we were able to average 16.3 mpg in our care.

When not loaded down with payload and/or a trailer, the ride quality on this 2026 Ram 1500 was quite nice. Not much feedback from the road — just supple and comfortable. It also handled and cornered quite well. You will experience a near-flat balance when going through a curvy road.

Steering the 2026 Ram 1500 was good. It had a solid on-center feel, along with good feedback to the wheels. The brake pedal feel was solid and responsive to the wheels. It also made decent stops in normal and panic situations.

There is a choice of two cab types, two bed sizes, four engine types, two final drive systems and 10 trim levels for the 2026 Ram 1500. Pricing starts from $41,025. Our test pickup truck came with a sticker price of $63,835.

What you drive — and work with — matters to you, especially during these times. If a pickup truck is what you need to get the job done, take a look at the Ram 1500. Better still, try one with the HEMI V8. You’ll be glad that it is back underneath the hood of a truck that loves us back.