2026 Ram 1500 V8 First Drive Review

Last year, Ram Trucks asked its half-ton customers to quit the V8 engine cold turkey.

Withdrawal symptoms were severe. Fans revolted, dealers lost sleep, and sales dropped off a proverbial cliff. Top brass now says the decision to ditch the Hemi entirely was a mistake, though blame for that decision can be laid at the feet of a former CEO who failed to understand the North American market and is no longer with the company.

That’s why the 2026 Ram 1500 is available once again with the famed 5.7L Hemi under its hood — a tricky proposition for a pickup that was just overhauled last year, and one whose electrical architecture wasn’t intended to play well with eight cylinders.

That Thing Got a Hemi?

Let’s kick off with the whole point of this test: what’s under the hood. The 5.7L makes 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, while the so-called eTorque mild-hybrid system it’s paired with utilizes a belt-starter generator and small lithium-ion hybrid battery to provide extra shove off the line. Now’s the time it’s worth pointing out that even the standard-output version of the 3.0L inline six-cylinder that replaced this Hemi last year — and will still be available alongside it moving forward — makes more output; 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque, to be exact.

But the Hemi isn’t strictly about numbers — it’s primarily about the guttural roar emanating from those cannon-sized exhaust tips, growling like Chewbacca on a bad fur day. Output flows from the eight-cylinder in a linear fashion, as it does in most engines this size, though the mild-hybrid system fills in minor low-rev torque gaps until an entire 410 lb-ft of the stuff is online at less than 4,000 rpm. The system also provides a seamless ignition stop-start experience. Well, seamless except for a V8 burble when the engine fires back up.

While official efficiency numbers weren’t yet available at the time of this writing, it’s reasonable to speculate that consumption should be similar to the 2024 Ram 1500 with the same engine and eTorque system. That one was rated to burn 13.4 L/100 km in the city, 10.5 on the highway, and 12.1 combined, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It’s worth noting the current standard-output straight-six has the same official combined fuel economy rating while fairing slightly worse around town (14.0) and better on the highway (9.8).

A Slightly New Look

Ram gifted its half-ton truck a new look last year, with a sleeker appearance and general refinement of the style introduced a few years prior. The forward-canted grille is larger than before, the nameplate was moved up towards the hood lip, and a character line runs from tip to tail, but that’s about all there is to tell the updated truck apart from its predecessors. Meanwhile, Hemi-equipped examples will feature a so-called “Symbol of Protest” badge to let onlookers know what’s under the hood. 

Expect the colour-keyed Sport trim, a Canadian exclusive, to remain the volume seller. And, for the love of the Dodge Brothers, we encourage buyers to select one of the entertaining hues on tap in 2026, including Hydro Blue or the new Serrano Green, both shown here. (Ram doesn’t limit the good colours to just the top trims, either.)

Buttons and switches abound in the cab of a Ram 1500. Entry-level trims use an 8.4-inch touchscreen, while 12- and 14.5-inch displays are available as the price increases. There’s even an available 10.25-inch passenger-side display, although direct sunlight has a tendency to wash all of them out, making the physical switchgear that much more invaluable. Parent company Stellantis’s Uconnect infotainment interface remains one of the simplest around.

Seats range from wide benches in base trims all the way up to leather-lined thrones further up the lineup. The front seats can even be had with massage systems, while heat and ventilation is available up front and in the back. Other touch points are similarly sumptuous.

But What’ll It Cost?

There will be a huge price spread when the 2026 Ram 1500 goes on sale, ranging from the entry-level Tradesman through rough-’n-ready Warlocks and Rebels up to the six-figure Tungsten. Despite that, pricing specifics weren’t made available at the time of this writing. As for the Hemi’s value play, Ram says it will be positioned between the standard- and high-output six-cylinder engines. Look for it on every trim save the RHO and Tungsten. The Hemi will come packaged with a 125-L fuel tank and performance exhaust system, which will help offset its extra cost. Also new for 2026 is a stellar — though non-transferrable — powertrain warranty that’s good for 10 years or 160,000 kilometres.

Final Thoughts

In this life, there are plenty of decisions made with the heart instead of the head, and choosing a 2026 Ram 1500 with the Hemi is one of them. Logic tells us the straight-six engines are more powerful and packed with modern technology, but the V8’s intoxicating exhaust note and deep well of naturally-aspirated torque are too great to ignore. And don’t underestimate the fact that this engine is a known commodity; for many truck buyers, familiarity is like a comfortable pair of jeans.

Look for the Hemi-equipped 2026 Ram 1500 to hit Canadian dealers in the first quarter of next year.