Last year, Stellantis announced the gradual phasing out of the V8 engine across the Ram model range, including the 5.7L Hemi block in the 1500 series, as well as the Hellcat engine in the TRX variant.
The tide has certainly turned since then. With the departure of CEO Carlos Tavares, followed by a change in administration and philosophy at the helm of the U.S., and with Antonio Filosa now in charge, the context surrounding big, more-polluting engines is becoming more favourable for manufacturers who rely on them to boost their bottom lines. This is certainly the case for certain od Stellantis’ U.S. brands, the business models of which have been built around this for the past 15 years.
It's no surprise then that after Ram announced the return of the Hemi V8 engine to the 1500 series, it now looks very likely the Hellcat engine will make a comeback with the high-performance TRX variant. Not confirmed, but likely.
CEO Filosa told those on the other end of an earnings call yesterday that “the V8 engine, with versions such as the Ram 1500 TRX, will allow us to achieve additional volumes.”
No precise timeline has been revealed for the return of the variant and its thundering engine, but reports suggest we can expect it for 2026. The brand certainly won't want to wait too long to re-launch a version guaranteed to deliver a healthy profit margin. Expect it to be ready for next year.
At the end of the month, in fact, we'll be in Michigan for a test drive of the Ram 1500 with the Hemi engine; the division will quickly want to do the same for the TRX variant.
The 6.2L supercharged V8 in the TRX offered 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque when it was discontinued. It wouldn't be surprising if the company decided to return with an even more powerful version to make a statement. The Ford F-150 Raptor currently offers 720 hp. Ram won't want to be outdone. Note that some variants of Dodge’s Charger and Challenger cars featured Hellcat engine versions with much more than 720 hp.