2026 Ram 1500 Doesn’t Miss A Beat With The Re-Introduction Of The Hemi

Books of the romance genre are constructed via beats; there’s always an “all is lost” beat where our two lovers seem destined to be apart until the epiphany beat removes all obstacles and kicks off the process of driving them back into each other’s arms. Ram wrote a real cliffhanger back in late 2024 when it announced the end of the Hemi in its trucks, but it couldn’t hold Ram fans in suspense for too long. The 2026 Ram 1500 once again can proudly answer “yes” to that iconic question Ram first posed in 2004: “has that thing got a Hemi?” 

The epiphany moment, in this tale, were cratering sales and customer satisfaction. Despite being one of the most reliable trucks on the market, buyers wanted the 5.7-liter V8 Hemi putting out 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque over the 3.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane inline-6 with up to 540 hp and 541 lb-ft, no ifs ands or buts. Personally, I thought this demand was silly. Who would want a less powerful and less efficient engine, just because it’s a Hemi? It seemed like an affectation, but then so are so many fun things, like driving stick or smoking a tobacco pipe or getting a face tattoo. Even a steely eyed realist like me can admit intense feelings make the story better, and at Ram’s Chelsea Proving Ground in Michigan last week, I had a little epiphany of my own: The Hemi is just fun in a way the still-really-good Hurricane isn’t.

Full disclosure: Ram invited me to the Chelsea Proving Ground in Michigan so I could drive the Hemi-powered 1500.

While we might not want to admit it, because it is, at its heart, corny as hell, we at Jalopnik all love the “symbol of protest” badge now gracing the 1500 Hemis. It’s not just a good design, but also a brilliant bit of marketing — mad we stopped including a Hemi in the 1500? Stick it to us by buying a truck! That’ll really show us! This badge graced all of the 1500s Ram provided journalists to try out on a cold and rainy August day (ah, Michigan). 

In all respects, the 2026 Ram 1500 is very similar to the last models to contain a Hemi; It’s only been two years, after all. The only difference is a new platform for running the electrical system, which engineers had to square with the older engine, but there are no surprises in performance or handling here. For Hemi fans, you’ll find the same rowdy rip to redline you’ve come to love and respect. 

Before having me out to the Chelsea Proving Grounds last week, Ram sent me a 1500 RHO for running around. My first time in a Hurricane-powered Ram 1500 RHO, I have to admit, I expected a roar and received only a purr. The inline-6 moved the truck just fine, and I had some fun with it by standing on the gas as the last traffic light before the start of a freeway turned green, but there wasn’t the visceral feel of the old Hemi. The RHO wasn’t exactly right for my city driving needs, but it was incredible on a long-haul freeway and country road run out to the in-laws especially while utilizing Hands-Free Active Driving Assist. Since I wasn’t as emotionally engaged in the experience of driving, I was happy to let the Level 2 system do a lot of the work. But on the straightaways and autocross track at the Proving Grounds (that’s right, we did autocross in a truck), I was instantly reminded of the charm of a Ram with a Hemi. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s not to be missed or messed with. 

The Hurricane engine is great if you need an orderly truck for commuting with a side of off-roading and hauling. It’s great if you value efficiency. That roar of the Hemi is energy wasted on noise rather than propulsion, after all, and the quickness from a full stop isn’t exactly gas-friendly, but for the Hemi fans, efficiency isn’t even part of the equation. It’s all about the feelings, the pounding in your chest when you see the one you love.

You can now get the Hemi engine in the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, Big Horn, Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Longhorn and Limited trim levels of the 2026 Ram 1500 and 2500. I mostly drove the Big Horn 4X4 variant in a new shade of grayish green called Canyon Lake. The Big Horn is also what Ram provided for journalists on the autocross track. I wouldn’t call the 1500 nimble in the curves, but I went from 80 mph in the straight and into the round bits with just a bit of squeal from the tires. You should not drive your 1500 like this (at least, not on public roads), but it’s fun to know it can be driven like this. 

When it comes to doing the work of a truck, rather than just having fun and sounding badass, it depends heavily on your trim level. All the trims have adequate towing ratings, but your best bang for your buck is the bottom-of-the-line-up Ram 1500 Tradesman Hemi, which hauls a completely adequate 11,320 pounds with a 1,650-pound payload. The Big Horn technically gets a little more at 11,440 pounds, but now we are just splitting hairs. You can still do a lot of work and haul a lot of toys with the more modest truck while get your growly exhaust notes needs met. 

Does this mark my first step on a long and winding road of becoming a truck girl? Hell no, but I’m definitely going to try and score another week with a Ram once the Hemis hit the press fleet. Near the end of the day with Ram we went crawling around the off-roading area of the Proving ground in the pouring rain. Once that level of fun gets in your system, it is hard to let go. Returning the Hemi to the more affordable and popular trucks in the line up will hopefully give Ram the boost it needs to rise from the crater its found itself in. After all, what good is a romance without a happy ending?