Ram’s Iconic Hemi Ditches eTorque and Stop Start For 2027
Ram’s rapid expansion back into V8s has already proven to be a successful gamble. The 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 and the 6.4-liter V8 draw plenty of attention for the brand. Both engines power its venerable pickups, the TRX and the Rumble Bee. Yet the pair owe their start in life to the 5.7-liter HEMI V8.
The 5.7-liter HEMI stayed an iconic fixture at Ram and other Stellantis brands for decades. Ram briefly killed it off, then brought it back with a mild-hybrid system. The base Rumble Bee 5.7-liter, though, launched without that system, and some wondered if Ram had quietly dropped it. The brand has now confirmed the news. It killed the hybrid setup and ditched the annoying stop/start feature for 2027.
The HEMI Symbol Of Compliance Gets The Boot
It’s no secret that the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 is iconic but ancient. The first ones rolled off the line all the way back in 2003. Back then, this author was still in grade school, and Ram still sat under the Dodge brand. Times were different too. Chrysler had just signed its 1998 merger with Daimler-Benz.
A lot has changed since then. Chrysler cycled through a revolving door of owners, this author survived the rigors of adulting, and Ram finally won its independence from sister brand Dodge. The one constant was the 5.7-liter HEMI. It powered a wide array of vehicles for a few more decades. That nearly changed a few years ago. Stellantis tried to kill the engine to improve fuel economy numbers and shift the spotlight to the Hurricane inline-six. The plan went over about as well as you’d expect. Ram reversed course for 2026, and former CEO Carlos Tavares got the boot.
Part of that turnaround brought back the 5.7-liter HEMI. It arrived only as a mild-hybrid engine built to meet tighter fuel economy standards. It also carried a feature nobody wanted. The Trump administration has now relaxed those same standards. As a result, Ram could finally move on from the hybrid setup for 2027.
HEMI Is Still A Muscular Engine
With the eTorque system in place, the 5.7-liter HEMI made 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. A rear-wheel drive rig could also hit 17 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the freeway. The optional four-wheel drive system dinged those numbers a bit.
Ram hasn’t released final fuel economy numbers for the 2027 Rumble Bee lineup just yet. The brand did confirm one key detail. The base Rumble Bee with the 5.7-liter HEMI matches the hybrid engine’s 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. That’s pretty impressive. After all, the engine in the Bee now sheds some of the weight and complexity of the old eTorque system.
Along with the eTorque system, Ram is also axing the truck’s stop/start feature for 2027. That system dated back to the old fuel regulations. Customers strongly resented it, and it delivered only marginal benefits. It simply served as a means to an end. It let Stellantis comply with prior fuel rules.
Stop/Start Won’t Disappear Completely
The removal of Ram’s stop/start system will please many buyers. Still, the rollback won’t happen overnight, and the feature won’t vanish completely. Instead, expect the phase-out to mostly cover U.S. market trucks. Ram says the technology will still appear on some models. It depends on the vehicle, customer preference, and the market. Some international markets enforce different fuel rules that force the company to keep it.
Regardless of the fine print, dropping the stop/start system hands Ram simpler engineering. Those teams no longer need to design around it. That frees them up as they build new engines and other performance hardware for the Ram 1500 and other models.
When can I buy one?
Maybe you’re one of the buyers who never liked the eTorque hybrid system. Thankfully, the wait for a new truck won’t drag on. Ram says the first non-hybrid Ram 1500 models will reach showrooms this fall. The brand hasn’t confirmed how much prices will move. For reference, a 2026 Ram 1500 Express with the eTorque HEMI starts at $47,390. Any change for 2027 will most likely stay minimal at best.
Ram also confirmed it will keep building some 2027 eTorque-equipped Ram 1500s. That only covers the short term, though. The 5.7-liter HEMI will eventually go hybrid-free once Stellantis irons out the transition at its assembly plants.