If anything’s certain in life, it’s the presence of change. Case in point: Look at the announcements made by Stellantis over the past few months. From bringing up production timelines for the gasoline-powered Charger and the Ram 1500 Ramcharger range extender hybrid to keeping the Hemi in the Durango, it seems like a focus on North America is back. What’s more, the automaker seems to still be shuffling its North American product planning, and it’s even contacting suppliers about putting the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 back into the Ram 1500.
Let’s start with some Chrysler news. Remember the Airflow crossover concept from 2022? Well, Chrysler went back to the drawing board after about a year and a half in favor of a new electric crossover project. Reportedly called C6X (CA), this new electric crossover project is expected to adopt cues from the Halcyon concept. However, its future is now in doubt.
Last week, Mopar Insiders obtained an email that claims development of this new EV has been paused. While the bulletin displays an effective date through the end of the month, it’s possible the pause could go on longer than that. The wording of the email is pretty unambiguous, stating “The C6X (CA) program has been put on hold until further notice. Therefore, any spending associated with this program should be suspended immediately.”
It’s possible that an alleged pause in a program may be due to spending cuts, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s 2025 and Stellantis still doesn’t quite have a mainstream electric crossover on sale in America. The Wagoneer S plays in the luxury space and even it hasn’t really ramped up production yet.
Considering that the crossover utility vehicle is the hottest body style on the market right now from a sales perspective, the absence of a vehicle in this segment feels like a weak point for the automaker and really makes you wonder what’s next. Well, the next big thing could be giving the fans what they want. After killing off the Hemi in its light-duty trucks for the 2025 model year, Stellantis definitely seems to be at least weighing the possibility of the Ram 1500 getting a V8 again. If everything goes through, there’s a chance it could happen as soon as next year.
An industry source has contacted us with news of an email coming from upstream titled “STLA DT 5.7L Hemi Reintroduction for 2026MY” and we’ve been able to corroborate that yes, this is something Stellantis is actively pursuing. The source also stated that components could start coming together in the second quarter of this year.
That would require Stellantis to make a decision soon, as the proposed timeline seems incredibly tight. Ram boss Tim Kuniskis seems enthusiastic about the idea of offering the Hemi again, but don’t take that as a sure sign of a V8 revival just yet. While Ford has shown that appetite exists to offer both a V8 and a boosted six simultaneously, any plans at Stellantis will likely be in the early stages, seeing what bringing back the Hemi would cost and deciding whether or not it’s feasible and worthwhile.
See, the 5.7-liter V8 is built in the Saltillo engine plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. That same plant has now been tooled up for three-liter Hurricane inline-six production, and while it still seems to be cranking out 5.7-liter Hemi engines for the Durango, overall capacity limitations need to be taken into account. In addition, updated supplier contracts for 5.7-liter engine components would need to be inked, and that takes a whole lot of downstream coordination.
Another barrier to putting the 5.7-liter V8 back in the Ram 1500 is emissions certification. It’s no secret that the Hemi was initially killed off due to environmental concerns, so new emissions calibration may be needed. Also, the 2025 facelift of the Ram 1500 ushered in significant electrical architecture updates, so Stellantis would need to make the engine play nice with the rest of the truck. Still, have a little hope. With the Ram 1500’s spot in the sales race threatened by the Toyota Tundra, Stellantis is likely hungry to reclaim its spot, and a V8 might just do the trick.
Oh, and there’s another bit of potential Ram news worth noting — the same source also reached out to us with word that an email from Stellantis states that the long-range Ram 1500 REV electric pickup truck has been canceled, leaving just the standard-range variant on the table for now. Again, this hasn’t been publicly confirmed by Stellantis yet, but it wouldn’t be a surprising move for the automaker to make. Given that the all-electric Ram has been delayed to 2025 in order to prioritize production of the Ram 1500 Ramcharger range extender series hybrid, a shift in priorities seems plausible.
For now, we’ll just have to see how these possible decisions play out. There’s a genuine chance a V8 could end up back in the Ram 1500 soon as Stellantis focuses more on internal combustion in its North American lineup, and at the end of the day, giving consumers what they want would be a smart move.
(Photo credits: Ram, Chrysler)
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Just cut the engine in half for a 2.9L I4 REX. Call it the Semi Hemi
You’re welcome.
Mercedes has their V8 Biturbo badge. My Metris cargo van has their typical turbo I4. I’ve considered putting a custom “V8 Birturbo / 2” badge on it for awhile.
Semibiturbo?
Give it dual injection. Direct and port injection. Bring it doen to 4.2 liters. slap two turbos on it. done.
They could just fudge the emissions testing for the Hemi – who would ever notice?
I’m probably alone, but I just want the EcoDiesel back. Love mine.
They need to make the Hemi an option again for the Grand Cherokee as well. It’s still baffling to me that the high trims are still stuck with the same plebe v6 that the base trim levels get. At least, until they can manage to maybe engineer the Hurricane to fit in it.
Whaddya bet the Hemi comes back only as an extra cost option on the higher trim levels?
Based on my coworker that talks about his V8 Hemi Ram truck all the time and how the latest trucks are so expensive and trash, also that new electric cars are disgusting (according to him), I guess there is a market for people that currently own a V8 truck and want to renew it shortly. Ram used to have good pricing for their V8 trucks, the shocking thing will be the price it will have, is not going to be cheap pre covid pricing some of the customers are expecting.
“See, the 5.7-liter V8 is built in the Saltillo engine plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. That same plant has now been tooled up for three-liter Hurricane inline-six production, and while it still seems to be cranking out 5.7-liter Hemi engines for the Durango, overall capacity limitations need to be taken into account. In addition, updated supplier contracts for 5.7-liter engine components would need to be inked, and that takes a whole lot of downstream coordination.”
Translation: WE KNOW WHAT WE GOT!
I wonder what percentage of Americans under the age of 30 have heard of the term “Hemi” and know what it refers to.
But Stellantis… you get on with your bad self.
Definitely not a large amount of us – I was personally under the impression that the “Hemi” was just a name and that thing (piston shape??) namesake was long left in the dust.
Shape of the combustion chamber is Hemispherical. This is a pretty common design nowadays, but most were a wedge back in the day when the OG Hemi showed up.
The name is still accurate, it’s just less important.
Eh, almost all modern OHV engines are pent-roof design, even those branded “Hemi” – it gets most of the benefits of surface-to-volume ratio on heat transfer but keeps both intakes and both exhausts at the same angle, making machining and connections to overhead cams (if so equipped) easier. Ports leading to pent-roof heads also tend to induce more tumble-flow, which is better for fuel mixing and laminar flame speed, and thus create shorter, more complete combustion events. The original “Hemi” stood out because it was being compared to very basic, un-optimized combustion chambers; that’s no longer the case.
Depends on where you live and who you know. I know three in their twenties that know about the Hemi and five kids under 12 that know. Boys and girls.
Damn good kids.
You need more data points.
Nope
Stellantis will be happy to sell those possibly 8 cars.
Yep
Under 30, I’d guess somewhere around 45% know the Hemi as an engine (mopar v8 in chargers mostly), maybe 10% know it’s for the chamber shape.
That said, how many under 30 are buying new vehicles AND care about the engine? I’d agree with you on a very small percentage. That said, a single percent swing in sales is a huge amount of profit margin.
I’m in my mid 30s and all the car appreciating folks I know within 10 years of my age in either direction know what a Hemi is name wise, almost entirely due to Chargers/Challengers. I don’t think very many people know where the namesake came from though, as modern Hemis are actually Hemis in name only.
That’s why I say maybe 10% know the actual what a hemi means. Basically, suburban/rural car guys, and the thousandth of a percent of women who are car enthusiasts.
How many of the folks you know are “car appreciating” as a percentage?
45%?! People under 30 own 1.0% of the cars in the US. Only 1 in 25 members of Gen Z even have a driver’s license.
Design a truly groundbreaking truck, then shelve it. Yup, sounds like Stellantis to me. If they really are scared about the EREV or whatever selling, they could’ve put the range extender as an option for it, as they originally suggested they would.
Backwards. The BEV has switched places with the EREV. The EREV is coming first.
— Source: Dude with a reservation 🙂
Ha! whoops.. even the naming seems bass-ackward to me. My bad.
The BEV trucks don’t sell cause you get a choice of abysmal range, astronomical cost, or both.
The EREV is the smart move as they can run a smaller pack and you’re not crippled when hauling or towing, while still mostly running without the range extender day to day.
So here’s a max battery (420-440 miles, 400 actual highway miles) Silverado EV reasonably well optioned for $76k out the door. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/8e3f652b-613d-4e87-a96d-50173177b4c1/
Compare that to a comparable ICE truck with similar HP/Torque numbers and you’ll find it pretty competitive.
Add to that the fastest charging rates that Car and Driver has found in an EV so far and it’s starting to look pretty good to me. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61207618/2024-chevy-silverado-ev-charging-range-acceleration-test/
I’m not saying the EREV (I did mix the names up) is a bad idea necessarily, but delaying a truly innovative truck seems like it might be.
To wit: more BEV chargers are being installed for towing rigs. I’ve seen several in the last six months.
-The Hp/Torque game is pointless, compare it to other half tons, as that’s it’s market.
-At least up here in Canada, you’re not touching one for less than 90k for the work truck trim. Which is about 30-35k more expensive than any other half ton in work truck trim
-Massive battery means the same cost as fuel or more when you recharge (TFL Truck did a comparison, wasn’t great)
-You’re still losing half your range towing. So not only are you stopping more often, you’re now wrangling a trailer at the charging stalls.
If the HP/Torque game is pointless, I’ll just ignore all the Raptors/TRX’s I see all over the place, most of which have never and will never do much off road, and they are especially interesting to see in my very middle class neighborhood where the truck is worth almost half as much as the house.
But in towing those high EV tow numbers are sure nice.
I lose more than half my range towing with gas and 45% towing with diesel, so why is that an EV argument? It’s not.
And as I literally noted in my prev comment, I’m seeing more chargers for towing rigs that are pull through–just like for RVs and trucks, so that problem is starting to go away and will continue to do so.
Gas fuel costs are highly variable, you usually won’t see electricity costs spike at the same insane rates that gas prices do (save for Texas, ha!)–they are two different markets.
And of course, EVs for most everyone get charged at home where you have a lot more control over who’s supplying your power and how much you’re paying for it. And where I live, that’s increasingly with places that get power in part or all from solar PV. My charging costs for my Model Y are mostly fixed for 9 months of the year because I’ve paid for my panels and my work schedule allows me to charge during the day much of the time.
Anyone who is buying a Raptor or TRX for towing duty is just trying to look rich. They have lower towing capacities than their more pedestrian counterparts.
Cause again, the HP/Torque game is pointless.
When you can haul down a 140+kw charge in 10 minutes or less, then you’re starting to have an argument. But 50% of the range in my 2018 F150 is still 500km of range. So I’m still stopping for “fuel” half as often as your EV.
Plus, I can carry extra fuel on board when going to remote areas. You better pack yourself a decent sized generator of you plan the same.
The last part is the epitome of privilege. I’m willing to bet a decent number of members here do not have easy access to home charging. Whether it’s parking relative to power, actual power into the house (most condos only have 60A service to the whole property), or parking that’s divorced from the property entirely.
I want an EREV cause I can plug it into my detached garage and it’ll double as a backup generator, lots of people don’t have that option.
> When you can haul down a 140+kw charge in 10 minutes or less, then you’re starting to have an argument.
I like how EV opponents keep upping the ante. When I drove my Model Y 700 miles, charging added 90 minutes to the trip, which I used to eat, watch Netflix, and nap. I arrived more refreshed than I normally would when I use my minivan. And the Model Y is one of the slower to charge. And zero problems finding chargers.
> Plus, I can carry extra fuel on board when going to remote areas.
wut? Let’s just assume you’re very misinformed here, but for the sake of argument, I’d much rather have an extra extended battery to plug in than a jerry can of gas, all things being equal.
> I’m willing to bet a decent number of members here do not have easy access to home charging.
This is an argument from like 1905–“I’m willing to be a decent number of members can feed their horses but can’t get gas.” Ok I guess? What do you think is happening every day? You do know that some EV dealers are tossing in the chargers for free. Apartment complexes are adding them. Cities are motivated to reduce pollution.
I’m not upping the ante, I’m comparing relative range vs. pack size. The Silverado EV is the only truck getting anywhere near an acceptable towing range, that’s a 200+KWH pack. I’d say 140kw is a normal recharge for that.
Congrats on having 90 minutes to piss up a tree every 2 hours. Most of us have zero desire to operate that way.
It’s a LOT easier to get fuel delivered to you than a power source.
Our own Matt Hardigree openly admitted his vehicle choice was based off a lack of home based charging. Which a LOT of people don’t have. your head is in the clouds if you think otherwise.
I’m not anti-EV. I’m realistic about the situation. I’m currently part of a team that’s overseeing the conversion of 900 transit buses from diesel to electric, and all the realities that come with it. I’d argue I’m in a more informed position than a lot of people here when it comes to EV tech.
The reality is an extended range EV (EREV) is the best current scenario for vehicles that tow. Both from a cost and a logistical viewpoint.
92kWhr battery pack, 130 kw generator, and 3.6l Pentastar and you think it’s going to be cheaper. Look at the mess they made of the Wrangler PHEV and that should answer a lot of questions. https://jalopnik.com/you-can-buy-a-hybrid-jeep-for-cheap-but-there-is-a-cat-1851641902
Doesn’t cause it’s a completely different system
The Hurricane with two outputs was def the right call. Pausing the EREV to focus on getting the Ramcharger on lots is absolutely the right call. Halting the Hemi cold turkey could not have been a worse take by Tavares. This will put Ram back in a better place temporarily – for what should be funding their electrified platforms, which should even include a late-to-the-party actual midsize and/or compact pickup. And good Lord do they desperately need to get another half dozen *compelling* new low emission and/or electrified cars in their portfolio, even if they’re badge engineered a few times over. I genuinely don’t know how Chrysler’s doors are still open.
As a BMW fanboy, I was excited about the death of the Hemi and rise of the straight six. Granted, I’m not the target audience for these vehicles, I don’t have any DUI’s to my name.
The Hurricane is rightfully a fantastic engine. Everyone I know that has experienced it say as much. They might lament some characteristics of the V8 (namely sound and feel) but none of them have said the Hemi was better.
I think lots of complaints about the loss of the Hemi are from people that haven’t experienced the Hurricane.
The real issue with the loss of the Hemi was that it left vehicles like the Grand Cherokee, with only the Pentastar V6 as the only option. Hard to blame that on the Hemi, and not on shitty Stellantis for designing a new SUV and not making sure it was compatible with the new engine you were designing around the same time…
The Hurricane will fit in the GC and GCL and is rumored to happen at some point; Stellantis is just dragging ass for some reason. Super odd that they make the push up market only to then leave their “premium” SUVs with only economy car engines.
A decently equipped Grand Cherokee with a turbo inline 6 sounds mighty appealing to me, especially once dealerships put $15,000 on the hood because they can’t move them. It would almost be like a less conspicuous X5 or X3 M50.
***With offroad capability.
So basically, Ram is going to try and offer a V-8 again in their 1500 pickup while dropping SOME EV vehicles in other brands that may not be ready for production or due to the drop and/or uncertainty of the EV buying market.
That sounds about right. Build up excitement on the biggest money maker of the group while limiting cost overruns on one of the lesser selling brands.
Does this mean that there is no development going on? NO!
What wasn’t mentioned was the fact that Chrysler will be getting a hybrid crossover and that their best selling minivan will also be getting a hybrid option.
Chrysler to do hybrid crossover, gasoline and hybrid minivan – Stellpower – that Mopar news site
In short they are still going to offer vehicles with the tech that is popular and selling in their respective markets.
Why all the freakout?
Maybe it’s not popular among people who lack a 84month loan and a Sargent yelling at them to pay this months payment or he’s going to do something.
Maybe.
Maybe, but that’s what the other cars, crossovers, and minivans are for.
Yep.
8mpg here they come!
Honestly they really just need to continue to follow ford on this. maybe just use the 6.4 when a V8 is optioned. The Iron 6.4 make 400 HP, it fits anywhere the 5.7 did, and it could live next to the turbo six as the bait for the switch at the dealership.
Is the 6.4 as proven as the 5.7 though? I’m by no means a Mopar expert but I have toyed with the idea of getting a Charger or Challenger in the past and the general consensus on the forums was that the 5.7 was way less problematic and took to mods much better. A lot of people preferred it to the 6.4 and it’s been used on a much larger scale so parts are plentiful.
Oh hell yes. I don’t know where you heard that, but the 6.4 (in stock form in both the 392 (car) and BGE (truck) versions are pretty unkillable. At my dealer group I’ve seen a few 5.7s, dozens of Ecoboosts, and dozens upon DOZENS of GM 5.3 and 6.2 failures before the 150,000 mile mark, I’ve seen 4 total 6.4 engine replacements, and 3 of them were still running with holes in their pistons and over 300k miles.
The 6.4 is better than the 5.7, all day.
This is useful info! Thanks. I’ve been lusting after a 300C and this has reignited my interest. The real question would be whether I’d want one over an IS500…
I imagine you would love the old school IS500 to be honest, but there is something to be said about the last of the big sedans from Chrysler. If you are going older, I would definitely look for a 6.1 SRT. that motor is famously the most stout, powerful and has none of the MDS features to potentially muck things up at higher miles. I would however seriously consider the last run of 6.4 300C’s. My only wish, at least when I had one of the early gen 5.7’s was to have one of the AWD hemi versions. I really wish they had put the track hawk underpinnings on a 300C
Really the only things I don’t like about the IS500 are the price and the fact that it’s not track capable. I mean…you can mod one to be able to handle some light track duty but it’s really not meant for it. I do enjoy an occasional track day, but they’re not the be all, end all for me.
They’re stubbornly expensive too. They really haven’t depreciated at all, and if prices on GSFs are any indication they may never. $60,000+ is a lot of money to spend on a car…and the 300C is a solid 10 grand cheaper. Build quality and longevity won’t be anywhere near as good but it’s basically the same experience for less money…not to mention it has better brakes and a better transmission.
They’re both cool as hell and I like the idea of getting one of the last NA V8 luxury sedans. I’ve also toyed with the idea of a CT4V BW but my next car is going to be a 10+ year car and that over caffeinated V6 kind of scares me. That car always deserved the LT1 V8 but apparently the V6 was chosen so it could meet emissions regulations in Europe.
I think they both deserve a shot….I had the pleasure of driving a 2023 300C 200 miles from Buffalo NY back to my store in OH, even in crappy weather, it was sublime!
It’s not a sharp edged sports car, but neither is it a lazy river barge like some people say. It’s just a big comfy sedan that will cruise at 85mph calm and serene, but punch it, and it will instantaneously drop 4 gears wail like a stock car at Bristol, sending you into the triple digits in seconds.
DAMN IT I love those cars lol
I know in the challenger the 6.4 block is not the best at handling boost, so they may have to revert to 6.2 liters to get the wall castings up to par, though they certainly know how to make a motor hold up to boost since they hellcatted most anything near the end there. I do think though that the 2500 Rebel with a 6.4 is already plenty potent, yet a Rebel Tyranus or something would be almost better in that platform over reverting back to the 1500. if they rate the thing at 10,500 lbs GVWR it would get around the fuel mileage issues. and then, much like the litte red express they could get at least a year or two in with a much hotter engine than normally would fly. They would not sell a ton of them either, but the halo effect would probably be like the Raptor R tot he basic Raptor for the RHO.
That being said, outside of the known issue with MDS, the 6.4 is pretty solid even with MDS it still has fewer issues than the AFM/DFM systems at Ford. I think the Coyote currently has a better rep than most but the big 6.2’s were still somewhat complicated and the the 6.8 that replaced them, while simple seems to have about five known problems that for whatever reason have not yet been fully resolved.
Car 6.4 =/= Truck 6.4. The truck 6.4 uses the same reinforced block as the hellcats whereas the car 6.4 is a bored and stroked 5.7
The 6.4 makes 485 hp.
In truck form, it only makes 410hp.
https://i.redd.it/k4tli0czjgtb1.png
Time, money, and more resources taking away more models to Chrysler and Dodge.
Oh well, at least I can make more money from the additional parts sales for when those junkers break.
With what’s happening in five days, I expect a V8 in every American vehicle, and a federal ban on sixes and fours.
Brawndo, it got what plants crave.
It’s got electrolytes!
You know what’s got electrolytes?
Batteries!
Dude I literally have that banner made out of 11×17 prints over the door in my office. Reminds me to think better and be smarter.
I’ll take a V8 Hyundai Santa Cruz please
The Ramcharger is 100 percent the right focus. There’s no competition out there for that. I’d love to commute on electric and be able to tow my trailer on gas, but then use electric again around the campground.
With the new engine having more hp, torque, and better fuel economy than the Hemi, I don’t understand putting the Hemi back in it. The tow rating went down a little, but payload didn’t really change and that matters way more than tow rating in a half ton truck.
It’s literally just to appease their customers who consider smaller engines girly, or something. (Partial) joking side, if you’re going to be one of the like 10% of people who actually use their trucks for truck stuff and/or work then a big under stressed NA engine is going to last longer and require less maintenance than an overboosted straight 6. And by all accounts they borked the Hurricane pretty badly.
That’s true… I’m less and less trusting of these smaller turbo engines. I don’t put large number of miles on things (like 8-10,000 miles a year), so mechanically things seem to last for me, but I do agree that the Hemi will probably last longer with less problems than the turbo 6.
I’ve had two turbo 4s in a row and both of them have had issues in the first 15,000 miles. My GTI had a misfiring problem that they never fully figured out and my Kona N spent several weeks going into limp mode. They were talking full engine replacement if their final fix (replacing the knock sensors that kept sending it into limp mode) didn’t work. That was done about two months ago so so far so good, but I’m quickly becoming weary of turbos.
I’ve said for many years that a turbo 4 is just fine if:
That describes a lot of Europe, give or take a little. A lot of the developing world, as well. The US, not so much.
I’ve got a broad appreciation for turbos and what they can do, but I never pretended they’re weren’t made up of too many moving parts and failure points (my first enthusiast friends were late 90s VAG 1.8t people and proved this many times over)
Not that I completely disagree, but the VW 1.8T was horrendous and is pretty old to use as an example in a world of DI and almost no-lag turbos. I had a friend who loved the 1.8Ts, too. He had three of the same Audi A4s so he could have one running at any given time. Of the other people I knew who had them in other various VW products, most of them lost an engine. Sort of OTOH, my Focus ST was Corolla-reliable for 180k and the problem that lunched that engine was an unrelated Ford issue that had nothing to do with being turbocharged (some design/manufacturing issue that would eventually cause the coolant passage between the head and block to allow coolant into cylinders 2 and/or 3).
IMO, much of the problem is the way the turbos are often being used with engines that have been downsized too much to move the car adequately off boost, putting more stress on the engine more often only to end up with real world mileage that a reasonably sized N/A would match or beat most of the time far more reliably while running on the cheap fuel. The ST was a 2.0 and the N/A 2.0 was completely fine for moving the car. In that case, the turbo wasn’t there to make up for an undersized engine, it was there for when greater performance was desired (I also averaged about 30mpg in the ST vs 36mpg in my 5MT SE) at least until Ford had to be Ford. For the flipside example, there was Ford’s 1.0 Ecoboost that was a reliability nightmare (also partly down to some Ford design BS) with barely better real world mileage than the 2.0 N/A, but with a lot less hp and was more expensive to buy and run (more torque, but that also means it’s under boost). LSPI is also an issue—even more so with the weedwhackers that need to be boosted more often and the quick-spool turbos—and I don’t know if the usual automatic transmissions are programmed to downshift and avoid that situation when the typical driver certainly isn’t.
I am pretty happy they did not completely drop the motors though. in the 2500 truck world the gass 6.4 strangely has a better reputation than the newish 6.8/7.3 Ford and the Oil drinking, but DFM free 6.6. Ram needs to avoid Borking that up if they want to survive.
Can you share the “by all accounts”? I follow auto sites often…and I don’t remember hearing anything along the lines of Toyota’s engine problems
I recall a lot of headlines about issues in recalls not that long ago…but I could very well be talking out of my ass here.
They had timing chain and oil pump issues:
“As Toyota conducted its investigation, they found that a specific batch of engines manufactured between late 2021 and early 2025 contained faulty components due to a lapse in quality control processes at one of their manufacturing facilities. In response to these findings, Toyota prioritized customer safety by announcing the recall and offering comprehensive solutions to address the issue.”
Sudden engine failure on the freeway was viewed as a safety issue.
I believe I read that rather than half-assing repairs, they replaced the suspect engines
“Toyota is recalling approximately 100,000 Tundra trucks in the United States, underscoring the significance of the issue and the urgency of addressing it.”
No, good sir or madam, I was speaking about the hurricane issues
It would really just be for the 30 percent or more of the older generation looking to buy right now. Keep the Ramcharger and the Turbski 3.0 in the bread and butter stuff so it can prove it’s reliability and then like the Ford 5.0 and ultimately the 5.2 Raptor R engines they will probably go way in the end. Ram’s failure was going cold turkey on the V8.
But would you love to commute on electric and tow your trailer on gas enough to pay $90,000 for the privilege?
That’s the problem, right?
I did a little over 1000 miles in a rental Wagoneer L with a Hurricane in 3 days. Engine was awesome. Ended up averaging something like 20-21mpg; I thought that was a good for such a big SUV. Had good power, was impressively smooth, and overall a enjoyable engine. From the times I’ve driven a hemi, I don’t think the I6 falls short at all. Honestly, I’d probably prefer it over the Hemi, but being so new and from Stellantis, I’d at least wait to see what reliability looks like.
Hear me out Hemi Powered Ramcharger. Hemi powers the generator, the generator powers the batteries. I like the idea of the Ramcharger so I’m glad they are prioritizing that particular model
Why would they do that? It’s a significantly less efficient engine than the Pentastar that they’re using and it’s not like you’ll be able to wring out a range extender anyway. It’s just there to hum along in the background. Like 95% of what makes V8s enjoyable is the sound they make when you return to monke with the go pedal.
because ‘murica
This would only make sense if it was a power split hybrid, not a series. a Hemi revving like a nissan juke is not what you want…
The Carlos Tavares years were pretty much lost time for Stellantis North America. Now they basically have to reset the clock and follow through on plans that they may have made if Tavares had never been around to cut them off at the knees.
And considering that pre-merger FCA’s final few years were almost devoid of product planning while they chased tie-ups with other companies, this past decade must have been incredibly frustrating for any CDJR managers who actually wanted to run a car company.
Society continues its healing from the crazy days of 2020-22.
It may take some time—and a lot of money—in some industries. I’m in HVAC, and had a service call at a new healthcare facility I installed many new small water-source heat pumps in during late 2020/early 2021. I was on a different project after that, but heard that ~10% or more failed startup.
We got them fairly well running by last year, but now control boards are starting to fail. Called the manufacturer’s help line and got a sigh when I gave him the model #: they’ve been discontinued because they were so problematic.
Cheap crap poorly built during those times. We are searching for reasonably affordable quality replacements to bid to the customer
On one hand, I do appreciate a good V8 and am happy that they’re not all gone just yet. The general consensus seems to be that the 5.7 is quite solid as well. On the other hand, it’s absolutely hilarious to me that Stellantis STILL doesn’t have anything other than Hemi all the things in their repertoire.
Like, you’ve basically had a decade plus to find a way to offer compelling, electrified products, and the thing that’s finally going to rescue them from their own incompetence is *checks notes* putting Hemis in shit? In 2025? Really? That’s ALL you’ve got?
Short term that’s all that’s needed.
Well the issue seems to be that they did play with other ideas — turbo I6, BEV — and their customers resoundingly replied with middle fingers. I do agree that it is a step backwards, but if it looks to be a profitable path for STLA, then who can blame them?
Business wise I can’t blame them, but it’s a band aid on bullet wound. They spent all of the 2010s and early 2020s loudly and proudly kicking the can down the road in favor of a V8 rumble and doing it now won’t fix anything other than some short term sales. Eventually you have to pay the piper.
Ford and GM played this much better. They developed emissions compliant modern V8s alongside lots of electrified/low or no emissions products. As a result they can keep selling stuff with V8s without issue. Stellantis doesn’t have any of that and they’ll likely have to keep buying carbon credits from other companies to remain compliant while reintroducing V8s.
It’s fine for now, but it could be catastrophic later on. And even if what manufacturers are hoping for happens and the incoming administration basically throws all environmental protections and regulations out the window it won’t be that way forever.
They just need to make a smaller V8 honestly. Small V8 plus an electric motor to add a bit of torque, and you’ll still get the sound and feel of a V8 with better fuel economy and emissions. Plus, small V8s sound absolutely amazing. Not enough people acknowledge it since V8s are typically treated as “no replacement for displacement” engines, but small V8s have a wonderful growl to them and can sound just as good if not better than a big V8.
You’re not wrong. That AMG 4 liter is an absolute screamer.
Some of the meanest-sounding V8s I’ve ever heard were tiny little 2-litre 1950s F1 engines. They sound like they want to rip your arm off just for kicks. Add an electric motor to the back of one of those, drop it in a Charger, and don’t tell anyone how much smaller it is, and people would love it.
While I can’t argue about what FCA was doing in the teens, the treatment of Mopar brands under Stellantis since 2021 has been especially damaging in my opinion. As you state, they don’t have much more than Hemi all the things right now. But since it was all they had, the choice to do away with it makes even less sense. Bringing it back is a potentially very strong short term solution. Its not a perfect one, its not a long term one, but if they can get away with it, its a very good short term one.
I mean they’re still cranking out 6.4’s for the 2025 HD trucks, so just put those in the 1500’s and call it a day.
It all depends on the wiring and computers already in the truck.
And crash testing, emissions certification….
Yes
No need for the emissions testing, they already sell the engines in other vehicles, same with crash testing as the v8 is shorter than the i6
The 6.4 swap in a ram is actually pretty simple. Quite a few guys on the forums have done it, very few changes needed to the truck. The 6.4 and 5.7 actually share the same engine block. They are so similar infact, that you can pop a 6.4 can into a 5.7 for some power gains.
The 6.4 out of an HD truck though may not meet emissions in a 1500, and it only makes 410hp if I recall correctly, not much more than the 5.7, but the torque curve is much better.
The 6.4 from the Challenger is fairly different in many ways from the 6.r from the HD truck, the 6.4 in the Challenger makes 485hp and I imagine, may meet emissions standards better (Challenger has to meet some sort of standard, the 6.4 HD engine does not as its in an HD truck).
The swap itself would be very easy for ram to do, it’s just a matter of figuring out emissions and whether they want to use the 6.4 Apache motor from the Challenger or the 6.4 HD motor from the 2500.
They easily could make the 6.4 fit and work in the ram, VERY easily actually. I don’t know why they didn’t offer it as an option years ago honestly. They used to make the SRT10 ram back in the mid to late 2000s, with a V10 out of a Viper pushing our 500hp (huge power for its time), I don’t know why they never made an SRT8 Ram 1500 with the 485hp 6.4L. A Ram Rebel with the 6.4L would’ve been a sweet truck that could’ve been a more budget friendly option, and come out sooner, than the TRX. They could’ve had a potential raptor competitor (although not quite as powerful and a less aggressive suspension setup) if they combined the 6.4L and the Ram Rebel 8 or 10 years ago! I would’ve bought one!
The 6.4 in a 1500 would honestly be a great choice, in my opinion, for Stellantis. Dodge buyers have always been fond of their “Hemi” engines, I myself have one now, and while it’s not the most powerful V8 on the market, it makes enough power (basically 400hp), and is very simple mechanically, and easy to work on.
Although updating the 5.7 Hemi and bringing it back in a more modern form would also be a good choice for Stellantis. It would probably meet stricter emissions, get better gas mileage, and make more power if they added some more modern tech to it like DI. With some reworking and newer tech, they could probably push 450hp out of the 5.7 reliably these days. Remember, the Gen III Hemi has now been around unchanged since basically 2009, and with only moderate changes since it debuted in 2004. It is a very old design by modern standards, but that is partially why I love it too.
https://www.youtube.com/live/6RD2hPKMUEs?si=NAcRfgh20zNLICKM
Thanks for the deep dive with your comment. It’s good.
I support this decision. The bigger the better!