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The new-look Ram 1500 pick-up – due to be unveiled in 2024 – will be offered with the option of a high-output twin-turbo six-cylinder engine under the bonnet, but does this mean the end of the line for the Hemi V8?
The 2025 Ram 1500 pick-up is set to be offered with the twin-turbocharged ‘Hurricane’ six-cylinder engine as part of its next scheduled facelift, according to leaked documents out of the US.
The 12-page equipment list – complete with a vehicle identification number (VIN) – lists a 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab 4×4 with a long list of both standard and optional equipment, including the “3.0L I6 Hurricane HO Twin Turbo” under the options list.
Available as a standard-output version (SO) with 313kW and 635Nm or a high-output version (HO) with 380kW and 678Nm, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol engine – nicknamed Hurricane – may still be offered alongside the ‘Hemi’ V8 initially.
However, it’s not clear at this stage whether the Hurricane engine listed is an option above the Hemi V8, or if the Hemi is being discontinued and the more powerful HO engine has been optioned above the SO version.
The Hurricane six is the likely successor to replace the 5.7-litre V8 across the Ram 1500 line-up eventually – as well as being introduced in models across the rest of the US brands within the Stellantis group of companies, which includes Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep.
Dodge has announced the next-generation Charger will have electric power, however – as exclusively reported by Drive in August 2022 – information posted online by a former employee suggests both the Charger and Challenger will be available with the Hurricane engine.
Despite mounting evidence the Hemi is being prepared for retirement, Ram’s former CEO Mike Koval previously made comments to Carscoops promising the V8 would remain – as long as there was consumer demand for it.
Last month, Mr Koval was replaced by Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, who will run both brands.
Since the YouTube video was posted on 29 June 2023, the build sheet on the database has changed to a PDF document that reads “Ooop! Unsupported VIN” with a date stamp of 2 July 2023.
While the document was discovered via a VIN search on the Dodge website – sparking speculation Ram pick-ups could return to the past and be sold under the Dodge brand – it’s more likely the VIN-searching database is simply linked across US-based Stellantis companies.
An identical search across Chrysler and Ram Truck websites (using a modified URL) delivers an identical result, strongly suggesting the database is shared across brands.
When the facelifted Ram pick-up arrives next year, the Tungsten variant will sit at the top of the Ram 1500 range – but below the high-performance TRX – while also being the range-topping variant of the electric Ram 1500 REV.
The 2025 Ram 1500 pick-up is expected to be unveiled in the second half of 2024, though Australian models aren’t likely to begin deliveries until late 2024 or 2025.
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