- The Hemi’s return has been a resounding success for Ram.
- V8 sales are roughly double those of the twin-turbo I6.
- Engines are ‘trickling out,’ which is limiting availability.
During a media briefing in Detroit today, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis celebrated one year since his return to Stellantis in 2024. A lot has happened since then, but Ram is back on the right track and primed for success.
Review: Ram 1500 V8 Hemi Is Worse On Paper, But Better In Reality
While there’s a lot to celebrate, one of the biggest achievements is the return of the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 in the Ram 1500. Some people might write it off as another engine variant, but that couldn’t be further from the truth as witnessed by the company getting over 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours.
Hemi Outsells Hurricane Six Two to One
As Kuniskis put it, Hemi is essentially a brand by itself. It’s hard to argue with that and the lively executive has the numbers to back him up. As he explained, Hemi sales are roughly double those for the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six.
Some of this is undoubtedly due to pent-up demand and the engine’s recent return, but Ram buyers clearly want Hemi power. That’s a bit of a problem as the company can’t build 5.7-liter V8s fast enough.
That’s a good problem to have, especially when the engine is a $1,200 option over the twin-turbo inline-six. However, things are less than ideal as the Hemi is still ‘trickling out’ of the factory.
In an ideal world, Kuniskis would love to have an extra 100,000 Hemi engines at his disposal. That being said, he’s happy with how things are going and noted the situation should improve over time.
Unfortunately, supply constraints are having an impact as consumers will likely only find two Hemi-powered trims on dealership lots. These appear to be the Big Horn and Laramie, which are volume models.
This suggests you might have a hard time getting a Hemi-powered Warlock, Limited, or Limited Longhorn. If you’re dead set on one of those combinations, your best bet might be ordering one and waiting.
Of course, settling for the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world as it develops 420 hp (313 kW / 426 PS) and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque. That’s 25 hp (19 kW / 25 PS) and 50 lb-ft (68 Nm) more than the Hemi V8.
