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The final Ram 1500 pick-up powered by a Hemi V8 rolled down the production line In Melbourne last Friday, ahead of the switchover to the new six-cylinder engine, Ram Trucks Australia has announced.
The last of the 'Hemi' V8s found its way into a Ram 1500 limited with Granite Crystal paint, the 28,495th RAM pick-up to be remanufactured in Australia.
The departure of that iconic V8 engine will be a sad goodbye for many fans of the Ram and Mopar brands in the United States, the 1500 has already made the switchover to the new 'Hurricane' six-cylinder powerplant due to emission regulations.
This means the vehicles that arrive for remanufacturing from now on will have them, too.
“All good things must come to an end and it’s time for us to farewell the iconic Hemi V8,” said Ram Trucks Australia General Manager Jeff Barber.
“Australians love their utes and they love their V8s and the Ram 1500 delivered the best of both worlds.
“Our customers – many of whom have come from traditional utes and four-wheel-drives – tell us they appreciate the extra space, the extra comfort, and the stronger towing performance, and clearly that’s why these vehicles are so popular.”
The 5.7-litre petrol V8 Hemi makes 291kW and 556Nm, while the incoming 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six makes 309kW and 470Nm.
The good news is that there is stock remaining of V8 Hemi-powered Rami 1500s.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response to the HEMI V8 runout, and we understand some buyers who want one of the last V8s may miss out,” said Mr Barber.
“However, we hope to have enough stock to fulfil most orders.
“We will have a very worthy successor next year powered by a new-generation turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine, but we will have more to say about that closer to local showroom arrivals.”
Ram Trucks Australia has been remanufacturing US pick-up trucks since 2018. In the case of the Ram 1500 once the production facility in Clayton Victoria takes delivery of a vehicle it’s converted from left to right-hand drive — using 400 locally made parts — in a process which takes 200 workers 14 hours to complete a single vehicle.
The Ram 1500 has been a big success story for the brand in Australia with 2962 year-to-date sales. Whether the introduction of the six cylinder affects the appeal and popularity of the pick up remains to be seen.
The Hemi isn't the first V8 to go, with key rivals including the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra both launching in Australia with turbo 'sixes. It leaves the Chevrolet Silverado as the only remaining big ute to pack a V8.
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