HEMI® Takeover: Dodge Shocks Media with V8-Only 2026 Durango Lineup

HEMI® Takeover: Dodge Shocks Media with V8-Only 2026 Durango Lineup​

No More V6s—Every 2026 Dodge Durango Now Comes Standard with a HEMI V8​

Dodge dropped a bombshell today at Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, and it wasn’t just the roaring burnout sessions or the debut of the 2026 Durango SRT HELLCAT Jailbreak. In a move no one saw coming, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear announced that every single 2026 Dodge Durango—GT, R/T, and SRT HELLCAT—will now come standard with a HEMI® V8 engine. That’s right. No more V6s. No more wondering, “Does that thing got a HEMI?” The answer is now a loud and proud yes.

HEMI® Takeover: Dodge Shocks Media with V8-Only 2026 Durango Lineup

Dodge surprises with the HEMI® takeover: every 2026 Durango comes with a V8 engine. Discover the bold announcement now!

moparinsiders.com

 

[BWS1]

Are you talking vehicle styling? Because that’s not remotely true.

If you’re referring strictly to Hemi, well OF COURSE we want it! But….im not sure many of us are super “keep it 2003 tech!” because that’s foolish.

We ABSOLUTELY want a V8. Period, end of discussion. There’s room for them to invest and upgrade and make it better, they have opted not to. In the same lifespan of gen 3 Hemi, GM went through two gens and ford is at….um kinda 2.5. That’s the complaint. It was left to stagnate, hell power ratings for 1500 didn’t change for a decade and a half (395) like come on

So yes, we want V8. Let’s see a gen 4 Hemi. Call it a Magnum, we don’t give a ****. We want a V8 option, full stop.

Like AMC? Nah AMC made stuff that no one wanted, minus Jeep, which has been abortioned over and over with Chrysler and is….a pavement princess brand. Sad. Dodge and Ram are wholly different

The Punch won't show up in the hybrid vehicles with longitudinal drivetrains. That's what the Gen-IV ZF was intended for.

The Chrysler product legacy is overdue for another transmission debacle. There was the Ulta-Drive, the CVT in the Belvedere trio cars, which was then immediately followed by the DDCT in the Dart. The new Jeep Cherokee with the Punch and a 3,500 lb. tow rating should about do it. Have they used the Punch anywhere else besides Europe and China?

Every generation there is a product from the legacy Chrysler Corporation that was incredibly popular and fatally flawed. Such a product would bring in many new buyers, but also convince them to never buy another Chrysler product again. The new Jeep Cherokee with a PSA based motor and Punch transmission might be this generation's version of that phenomenon.

Yep

 

[Hemi_Dart]

If there isn't a new V8 and revised Hemis then CDJR proves once again how pathetic upper management is, and customers need to be more discerning/demanding or they will live in the past or a delusional future.

 

[TripleT]

If there isn't a new V8 and revised Hemis then CDJR proves once again how pathetic upper management is, and customers need to be more discerning/demanding or they will live in the past or a delusional future.

No they came up with a new powertrain. New, modern, compact, durable(at, (least of the test stand, some components need manufacturing development) Smooth and balanced. Efficient, light, and clean. WHAT THEY DIDN"T DO is MARKET IT.

What is pathetic is we have people so brain washed by a marketing campaign that cylinder count is more important than actual performance.

The new powerplant is the same format as the "CUMMINS" another great marketing campaign. In the toughest application cylinder count argument was marketed away.

They came up with a replacement and didn't market it.

It also warrants a reminder that everything the Current administration has done is through Executive orders and is a single election cycle 2 years from now, from potentially being totally reversed.

 

[DodgeAL]

I’ve finally figured out who this bunch reminds me of. It’s like watching poor ole AMC trying to remain relevant in the 70’s . How many ways can you re bake an old design and try to keep it relevant? That’s the AMC game. And now we’re seeing it again and again from Stale antics. Except…… AMC had an excuse. They were a fraction of the size of their competitors and there were no economies of scale. The volume just wasn’t there. Now Stale Antics, someone will have to explain their excuses to me. With their global reach and platforms to work from, why are the Mopar fans left with the only thing to get excited about is the reintroduction of a 25 year old pushrod engine that Daimler funded and never really fixed? And please realize that when you get
Away from forums like these with many like minded fans, the general public really thinks Dodge and Chrysler have already disappeared. And who can blame them ?

The fact that STLA has not made any statements regarding the poor upper end oiling issues in all Hemi's which causes roller lifter failures and eats the camshaft means more of the same ! It would take too much to remedy the block casting adding oiling and opening up passages ! ? Perhaps STLA is following the business model of " The recall king " aka FORD which would rather deal with class action lawsuits then fix issues ?

 

[Mike201]

The fact that STLA has not made any statements regarding the poor upper end oiling issues in all Hemi's which causes roller lifter failures and eats the camshaft means more of the same ! It would take too much to remedy the block casting adding oiling and opening up passages ! ? Perhaps STLA is following the business model of " The recall king " aka FORD which would rather deal with class action lawsuits then fix issues ?

Seeing we are here on the 2026 Durango story, let’s not forget the leak in the racetrack tail lights that they have known about for years and not only not taking care of us who have a problem and sticking us with a huge $1400-$2000 bill, not dealing with it on the assembly line, so sticking future buyers with big bills. I believe the Hemi issue is covered under warranty, in which the lights are not

 

[DodgeAL]

Seeing we are here on the 2026 Durango story, let’s not forget the leak in the racetrack tail lights that they have known about for years and not only not taking care of us who have a problem and sticking us with a huge $1400-$2000 bill, not dealing with it on the assembly line, so sticking future buyers with big bills. I believe the Hemi issue is covered under warranty, in which the lights are not

The infamous Hemi camshaft failures usually occurs around appox. 100k - 115k miles, well out of warranty ! That is the cause of the class action lawsuits. I was shocked a few years ago when I learned how wide spread this issue is costing $4 to $5K to remedy unless the metal shavings got into the bearings which destroyed the engine !

 

[Mopar392]

I have been working with GEN3 HEMI engines for many years now, and I can say for certain that the failure happens because of:
1- You need to be religious with the oil type. Synthetic and 5W30 at least. Not the watery 0W20
2- 5-10k is too much with these engines. They are designed to run hot.
3- Idling kills it. If you have to, you need to upgrade your oil pump to Melling or at least a Hellcat pump.

I have seen Gen3 HEMI engines with more than 400k miles and they running beautifully, because their owners were strict with oil.

 

[DodgeAL]

Mopar 392 please explain what changing the oil pump entails for those that don't know . The oil pump cost is small compared to the labor for stripping down the front of the engine and removing the front pulley/balancer, etc. The Hellcat oil pump should have been standard across all Hemi engines for openers! I've talked to a 392 Hemi owner service manager who's personal engine had the roller lifters destroy the engine at 45K miles. My 2020 Scat Pack gets the best of care and I use SRT oil filters brand which are rebranded Purolator One filters. And now I've changed over to the Purolator One since the SRT branded filters hit $20. each. Even then I keep my fingers crossed !

 

[Mopar392]

Mopar 392 please explain what changing the oil pump entails for those that don't know . The oil pump cost is small compared to the labor for stripping down the front of the engine and removing the front pulley/balancer, etc. The Hellcat oil pump should have been standard across all Hemi engines for openers! I've talked to a 392 Hemi owner service manager who's personal engine had the roller lifters destroy the engine at 45K miles. My 2020 Scat Pack gets the best of care and I use SRT oil filters brand which are rebranded Purolator One filters. And now I've changed over to the Purolator One since the SRT branded filters hit $20. each. Even then I keep my fingers crossed !

For starter, the cam on the HEMI engines sets higher in the block than other pushrod engines.
The factory oil pump is good as long as you are driving. But there’s a kind of starvation when the engine is idle. Hellcat or Melling pumps help with the higher pressure, thus it helps pushing the oil higher in the block.
Also, the stupid MDS lifters design don’t help either.

I have 2 different HEMI cars with different built and I’m using different oil and filter on each of them.

 

[scatpack_69]

The fact that STLA has not made any statements regarding the poor upper end oiling issues in all Hemi's which causes roller lifter failures and eats the camshaft means more of the same ! It would take too much to remedy the block casting adding oiling and opening up passages ! ? Perhaps STLA is following the business model of " The recall king " aka FORD which would rather deal with class action lawsuits then fix issues ?

Another blown out of proportion “problem”. Very few have actual issues, the tick is known and 22 years old. The cam failures are new. Guess what, they didn’t just magically occur.

It’s overblown

 

[scatpack_69]

There are a combination of factors that are working against EVs right now. There’s still a market for them and I still believe they are the future of the automotive industry, it’s just going to take some time to get there.

Of course. There’s been a combination of factors for well over 100 years working against EV’s. Those haven’t changed and won’t anytime soon

Nah, they aren’t the future. They’re a solution to a problem that simply doesn’t exist. Combustion proved superior a century ago, and remains so.

Recall that there is only a market because it’s been falsely propped up by government. Without such, EV’s would’ve been long dead. Again. And Tesla wouldn’t be a name anyone remembered

 

[Ryan]

Of course. There’s been a combination of factors for well over 100 years working against EV’s. Those haven’t changed and won’t anytime soon

Nah, they aren’t the future. They’re a solution to a problem that simply doesn’t exist. Combustion proved superior a century ago, and remains so.

Recall that there is only a market because it’s been falsely propped up by government. Without such, EV’s would’ve been long dead. Again. And Tesla wouldn’t be a name anyone remembered

Superior in what regard? Visceral feel that is appreciated by enthusiasts, but that the general population doesn’t care about?

Sure, charging infrastructure isn’t here yet, but in terms of the cars themselves, combustion engines are absolutely not superior across the board. Majority of non-enthusiasts would, and will, enjoy EV driving characteristics once the charging network matures.

 

[DodgeAL]

As always the market place will decide if the EV's stick around. As for myself my bet is on the hybrids for now.

 

[scatpack_69]

Superior in what regard? Visceral feel that is appreciated by enthusiasts, but that the general population doesn’t care about?

Sure, charging infrastructure isn’t here yet, but in terms of the cars themselves, combustion engines are absolutely not superior across the board. Majority of non-enthusiasts would, and will, enjoy EV driving characteristics once the charging network matures.

Every conceivable metric, combustion is superior. There’s not even a debate to be had here. Visceral feel is the best you can come up with?? I dunno, I bet lifting the wheels in a Demon 170 is a wilder ride and more smile-inducing than a literal appliance. But I’ve never been in either so….the near silent operation (or fake pumped-in noises) don’t appeal, regardless how quick they are. I like the character, sound, feel of combustion.

Range, combustion. Resale, combustion. Reliability, combustion. Service, combustion. Upgrades, mods, etc, combustion. Safety, combustion. And on and on and on. I know plenty of first responders that are damn near scared ****less about responding to wrecks involving EV’s…coupled with the self driving characteristics they really want to push with EV’s, nope bad bad idea.

The ONLY potential benefit to electric that I can see, is cold weather related, I.e. near instant heat and weight of the barges will help in bad conditions, but the flip side of that is, guess what happens to batteries in the cold? Yup, your ****ty short EV range gets even worse.

Instant torque? Ok, so? I’ve got a Cummins with 2000+, I’m good there. What do we know, unequivocally, about tech and computers? They fail and have glitches and quickly become obsolete. Ain’t anyone going to be wrenching on their EV themselves, we won’t be swapping battery packs at home to keep this overpriced refrigerator on the road like we can to paid off and still perfectly reliable and usable, 20 year old combustion vehicles.

I will say, the outlier is Ramcharger. It’s the best electric option on the planet and seems we may, possibly, not even see it? I suppose we shall see. A Ramcharger, 3500 dually would be an insane tow rig. Especially with a Cummins as the genset so I can still feel like a man, no V6 dually should ever exist

 

[Ryan]

Every conceivable metric, combustion is superior. There’s not even a debate to be had here. Visceral feel is the best you can come up with?? I dunno, I bet lifting the wheels in a Demon 170 is a wilder ride and more smile-inducing than a literal appliance. But I’ve never been in either so….the near silent operation (or fake pumped-in noises) don’t appeal, regardless how quick they are. I like the character, sound, feel of combustion.

Range, combustion. Resale, combustion. Reliability, combustion. Service, combustion. Upgrades, mods, etc, combustion. Safety, combustion. And on and on and on. I know plenty of first responders that are damn near scared ****less about responding to wrecks involving EV’s…coupled with the self driving characteristics they really want to push with EV’s, nope bad bad idea.

The ONLY potential benefit to electric that I can see, is cold weather related, I.e. near instant heat and weight of the barges will help in bad conditions, but the flip side of that is, guess what happens to batteries in the cold? Yup, your ****ty short EV range gets even worse.

Instant torque? Ok, so? I’ve got a Cummins with 2000+, I’m good there. What do we know, unequivocally, about tech and computers? They fail and have glitches and quickly become obsolete. Ain’t anyone going to be wrenching on their EV themselves, we won’t be swapping battery packs at home to keep this overpriced refrigerator on the road like we can to paid off and still perfectly reliable and usable, 20 year old combustion vehicles.

I will say, the outlier is Ramcharger. It’s the best electric option on the planet and seems we may, possibly, not even see it? I suppose we shall see. A Ramcharger, 3500 dually would be an insane tow rig. Especially with a Cummins as the genset so I can still feel like a man, no V6 dually should ever exist

you literally just described visceral feel in your first paragraph. Not wanting silent operation is an enthusiast perspective, not one the mass market shares.

Silent operation, instant acceleration, never visiting a gas station for many people with short commutes who charge at home, better space efficiency/packaging potential, and decreased maintenance (no oil changes).

Enthusiast perspectives do not represent what the majority of customers want.

 

[WXman]

I don't use 0W20. Ever. In anything. My Hemi engines have never had one single issue and I've had a few of the 5.7s and now a 392.

As far as EV goes, I've said for years that when technology allows an EV to be charged to 100% in 5 minutes THEN they will go mainstream. Not until then, because right now I can fill the tank on my diesel pickup in 5 minutes and get 400 miles of range. Why would I trade that for HOURS of charging time to get 250 miles of range? I wouldn't, and neither will a majority of Americans.

As far as Durango goes, this all Hemi news is a bit interesting. There are a handful of buyers who specifically want the V6 and now they can't get it. Overall will this play out well and give Dodge its reputation back again? I think that's what they are banking on. But if I can get a 392 Hemi Durango with AWD for $50k where do I sign up??