The Dodge, Ram, and Jeep lineups are deficient in one crucial thing—Hemi V-8 engines. Yes, the 5.7- and 6.2-liter V-8s continue to power the current-generation Durango, and the Jeep Wrangler 392 exists with the 6.4, but the engine is missing from other important models like the new Charger and 1500. However, a new report suggests Stellantis is gearing up to produce more Hemi V-8 engines.
Mopar Insiders, citing unnamed sources, says Stellantis will soon start building 5.7-, 6.4-, and supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 engines at its Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan, southwest of Detroit. A report from December, after Carlos Tavares resigned earlier that month, alleged that many within Stellantis did not want to kill the iconic engine.
It was apparently Tavares who drove to get rid of the Hemi, and now that he's gone, it sounds like the engine is coming back in force. According to the report, Stellantis will base the engines on the Gen III architecture launched in 2003. There are also rumors that the automaker will add an even larger displacement variant to its lineup.
Fears of increasing emissions targets are waning now that US President Trump has ordered his administration to revoke incentives for electric vehicles, rewrite fuel economy standards, and deregulate other aspects of the auto industry. Even if the industry continues to electrify by choice and expand hybrid offerings, the thought of a purely gas-powered Dodge coupe with a V-8 sounds enticing.
When Motor1 spoke with Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis earlier this year, he told us that he wasn't ruling out the Hemi's return to the truck brand. However, he said it likely wouldn't return right away because the Hemis weren't designed to work with the new 1500's electrical architecture. But he added that only means "you can't do it right away."
However, if Mopar Insiders' report is accurate, Dundee could be building the 5.7-liter by August, keeping the engine alive as the industry faces an uncertain future.
Motor1 has reached out to Stellantis for comment. We'll update this story if we hear back.
