2025 Ram 1500 First Drive: No More Hemi

The year was 2003, and America's full-size pickup wars were raging. Dodge had just released its new third-generation Ram 1500 half-ton pickup with an impressive new engine under the hood: the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. Bolstered by an unforgettable ad campaign, "Hemi" quickly became a household word. The popular engine carried on relatively unchanged for 11 years across three generations of trucks before the 2024 model year was announced as its final hurrah.

With a pair of 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged I-6 engines replacing the Hemi V-8 and an all-new battery electric Ram REV and range-extended Ramcharger on the horizon, 2025 will be a pivotal year for the Ram brand. While there's still more to be seen, it has become clear that the company's combustion-powered 2025 Ram 1500 is more an evolution of the truck we know and love rather than the revolution coming on its heels.