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Ram Vehicles Australia (RTA) has confirmed it has no present plans to reintroduce the hallowed Hemi V8 to its native pickup vary, saying the model’s new twin-turbo straight-six Hurricane engine has obtained constructive buyer and vendor suggestions.
Talking with CarExpert on the launch of the up to date MY25 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Obligation lineup, RTA’s Group PR Supervisor Joshua Dowling stated the choice rests with the Ram manufacturing facility within the US, the place V8-powered Ram 1500s have been reintroduced earlier this 12 months after being discontinued on the finish of 2023, however the firm is totally dedicated to the brand new downsized petrol powertrain.
“It’s not so simple as simply switching the steering wheel to the opposite facet,” he defined, in reference to the very fact the upgraded MY25 Ram 1500 incorporates a brand new electrical system to help the Hurricane engine and extra superior cabin multimedia, which might require redevelopment for right-hand drive conversion in Australia.
“It’s a complete engineering program once more for us, as a result of the Hemi now has to speak to the brand new electrical structure, which is why they couldn’t revive it right away within the US. They’ve needed to take a while. It wasn’t so simple as switching the manufacturing facility again on.”
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Mr Dowling stated there was huge enthusiasm for the Hemi’s return within the US, however that doesn’t assure Australia will see it once more.
“There’s additionally been a large constructive response to the return of the Hemi within the US. They might select to maintain all of them, they could not make it obtainable to us. In order we sit right here at the moment, there’s genuinely no plan to reintroduce Hemi in Australia.”
Whereas the Hemi title has lengthy carried emotional weight amongst consumers, Mr Dowling insisted the brand new Hurricane six, which each extra highly effective and environment friendly than the V8 it replaces, is proving to be a greater match for contemporary calls for.
“You’d count on me to say this, however the response to Hurricane has genuinely been superior. Prospects adore it. Sellers adore it. Extra energy, extra torque, higher acceleration. It’s about two seconds faster zero to 100 than the Hemi, and it’s extra fuel-efficient than the Hemi. The Hurricane is unquestionably part of our future, and the extra individuals who drive Hurricane [the more they] are actually falling in love with that engine.”
Paired with an eight-speed computerized transmission, the twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline-six produces 313kW of energy and 635Nm of torque in Customary Output (SO) kind, as seen in Laramie Sport and Insurgent variants, and 403kW/707Nm in Excessive Output (HO) kind, as seen within the Restricted.
It replaces the long-serving 292kW/556Nm 5.7-litre Hemi V8 that joined the previous-generation DS-series Ram 1500 vary in Australia in 2018. The final Hemi-powered (DT-series) Ram 1500 was remanufactured in Melbourne in December 2024.
Mr Dowling stated the model’s focus has shifted from nostalgia to modernisation, pointing to Ram’s ongoing funding in native manufacturing and engineering as proof of that course.
“We’ve remanufactured greater than 35,000 automobiles right here in Australia,” he stated. “There are at the moment round 250 manufacturing employees and 50 engineers engaged on the Ram Vehicles Australia line, and we’re transferring to a brand new facility in Dandenong South that can permit us to extend quantity and effectivity.”
RTA is without doubt one of the few remaining operations performing full right-hand drive conversions at scale, with each car re-engineered regionally to fulfill OEM requirements. The corporate builds every car utilizing greater than 400 redesigned elements, requiring round 85 hours of native labour.
Though Ram automobiles are developed and remanufactured regionally by Walkinshaw Automotive – with which Ram Vehicles Australia has had a long-term affiliation – it’s a Ram Vehicles Australia operation.
“It’s Ram Vehicles Australia that does the product planning, negotiates with the manufacturing facility, and manages compliance,” stated Mr Dowling. “After all we work intently with Walkinshaw and they’re a trusted provider – and we’ve an important working relationship with them. However they work on contract to us – as they do with different manufacturers – to finish the work we’d like.”
Whereas RTA continues to runout the Hemi-powered, entry-level MY24 Ram 1500 Large Horn for $109,950 drive-away, Aussies ready to purchase the most recent Ram 1500 with a V8 engine are out of luck for the foreseeable future.
MORE: Discover the Ram 1500 showroom
