Less than a year after RAM trucks stopped offering the 5.7L HEMI as an engine option on the Ram 1500 lineup, the company has reversed its decision. The Stellantis-owned pickup maker just confirmed that the much-loved V8 engine is making its comeback with the 2026 Ram 1500 models and is already available for order. RAM confirmed that the decision to bring back the 5.7L HEMI was a “direct result of consumer input” and that the company “screwed up” when it decided to drop the HEMI engine. Besides bringing back the much-loved engine, RAM says it is also working on a product plan that will ensure that its future pickup trucks will have more engine options for customers to choose from.
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It was in June 2024 that Stellantis abruptly pulled the plug on the 5.7L HEMI as part of moving all the RAM 1500 models to six-cylinder engines, apparently to conform to ever-tightening EPA norms. The company’s alternative to the 5.7L HEMI was its new, more powerful, more efficient twin-turbo 3.0L “Hurricane” inline six engines.
Despite being the better engine option on paper, loyal RAM customers were generally unhappy about the decision to discontinue the 5.7L HEMI, spurring much discussion on social media and multiple Reddit threads. This heavy consumer sentiment in favor of the 5.7L HEMI has forced RAM to bring the engine back from the dead.
While RAM hasn’t specified the pricing for the 5.7 HEMI variants of the RAM 1500 yet, the company has confirmed that this engine would be offered as a no-charge upgrade on the Limited and Longhorn trims of the vehicle. On the other trims, the engine is an optional upgrade costing $1,200. Also, part of the 5.7L HEMI package is a performance-tuned exhaust and a 33-gallon fuel tank.
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2026 RAM 1500 trims that will get the 5.7 HEMI engine
The 2026 model year RAM 1500, which will offer the 5.7 HEMI engine as an option, includes the Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Limited, Longhorn, and Laramie trims. The Rebel trim will also be available with the same engine option, but its availability has been pushed back to a later date. To distinguish the 5.7 HEMI engine-powered models from the other variants of the RAM 1500, the 2026 model year RAM 1500s gets a new, distinctive badge mounted on the vehicle’s fender. RAM calls this new badge the “Symbol of Protest Badge,” and it showcases a Ram’s head pushing forward as if powered by the 5.7 HEMI engine.
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The 2026 model year 5.7 HEMI is identical to the one that was discontinued earlier. It makes the same 395 hp of power and 410 lb-ft of torque and has nearly the same towing (11,470 pounds) and payload (1,750 pounds) capacity.
The only 2026 model year RAM 1500 for which Stellantis has revealed the prices for is the Ram 1500 Express trim, which starts at $44,495 (including destination charge) for the Ram 1500 Express. The standard engine option on this variant is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 rated at 305 horsepower, while the 3.0-liter Hurricane engine (420 hp) is an optional $1,695 upgrade.
Stellantis has confirmed that the new 5.7 HEMI-powered 2026 RAM 1500 models will reach dealerships this summer. As mentioned earlier, orders for the 5.7 HEMI-toting model are already open and can be placed via RAM’s US website or by visiting a local RAM dealer.
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