The 2026 Ram 1500 Limited welcomes back the beloved 5.7-liter HEMI V8, marrying old-school American muscle with a cabin that stands among the most luxurious in the full-size truck segment.
Having spent the weekend in Japan, a rich yet bewildering and disorientating experience, I needed some Americana back in my life after I touched down at home in Miami. And – oh boy! – did Ram deliver with its legendary HEMI V8 powerplant in its most-loaded of premium trucks.
My tester for the week was the 2026 model year Ram 1500 Limited HEMI, a full-size truck in Granite Crystal Metallic and, I was assured, the “poshest” vehicle that Ram produces in this 1500 lineup. Now, a little background here: Ram shifted to turbocharged six-cylinder inline engines for 2025, and its customers… well, they downright hated it.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle them defines you,” said its CEO Tim Kuniskis.“Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI – we own it, and we fixed it.”
Powertrain: Why the HEMI Still Matters
Not that the Hurricane Straight Six Turbo is a bad motor – it’s more efficient and more far powerful than the HEMI, thanks to its fast-spooling turbos. And you can still get that powertrain. But you won’t, because if you like driving Ram trucks, then you’ll love the HEMI more. Because the HEMI sounds badass, especially when echoed through the GT exhaust.
And it’s seemingly not alone in reverse ferrets, as Ford has U-turned on its electrified truck program – recently ending its F-150 Lightning production. Ford’s move is the industry’s biggest electric-vehicle reversal since President Donald Trump’s auto-policy changes, which ended tax credits for full-electric vehicles, icing an already cooling EV demand. Ram was also quick to jump on the ‘America First’ bandwagon with patriotic TV advertising – titled ‘Ram-Demption’ – featuring Kuniskis.
The 5.7-liter HEMI V8 delivers 385 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque in a smooth, broad power band, enhanced with fuel-saving technologies that include variable camshaft timing and cylinder deactivation. Each HEMI-powered truck features a new fender-mounted ‘Symbol of Protest’ badge created by the Ram design team, but this is offset somewhat by a ‘1500 eTorque’ emblem on the hood – personally, I’d have preferred a HEMI mention here too.
That eTorque system is a hybrid that assists the V8 motor. The system replaces the traditional engine-mounted alternator with a belt-driven motor generator unit. The MGU works with a 48-volt battery pack to provide quick and seamless engine start/stop, torque addition to the engine crankshaft in certain driving situations and brake energy regeneration, which improves responsiveness and efficiency.
The system enables up to 130 lb.-ft. of torque to be available on initial throttle tip-in. And torque is certainly not something this truck lacks!
Driving Impressions: HEMI V8 Muscle Meets Miami
Driving around Miami’s streets in such a huge truck should have felt cumbersome, especially with the HEMI grunt under your right foot, but with air suspension all around (plus 5-link coils at the rear), the Ram 1500 Limited offered a robust and engaging experience in everyday driving.
Almost 400 hp on tap was easily enough to light up the rears when you gun it away from traffic lights, even outside of Sport mode (which lowers the ride height and engages 4WD), and the Ram 1500 Limited HEMI truly delivers on the throaty exhaust note and traditional muscle-truck feel that many buyers have been asking for. I had a brief run on some dirt in Off-Road mode, which raises the ride height even further, and it felt surprisingly nimble on gravel too.
By truck standards at least, the Ram 1500 Limited looks great – especially from the front, with that huge RAM statement grille – and my $88,480 tester got some admiring glances, even among the supercar influencers who were out creating content around the gentrified streets of Key Biscayne, with the Miami skyline for a backdrop.
Interior & Technology: A Luxury Benchmark in Trucking
But on the inside is where this truck truly delivers, with oceans of leather with intricate stitching throughout, even a real wood-panel accent on the doors. It also packs a 19–speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a portrait 14.5-inch central touchscreen (which features 360-degree camera system), and the driver gets a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and a head-up display.
The passenger gets a separate landscape 10.25-inch interactive touchscreen from the main driver infotainment display, which functions independently from the driver’s Uconnect system, with HDMI input and device mirroring capability. The front seats are heated, ventilated and – crucial for those long journeys – feature a massaging function.
There’s a dual-panel panoramic sunroof, and storage options are everywhere – pro tip: fold down the middle seat of the back bench and you have a truly luxurious four-seat cabin with armrests and power points for all. Another neat feature is the ‘Ram Box’ positioned over the passenger-side rear wheels, a water-tight lockable compartment that essentially works like a car trunk, so you can keep your smaller travel baggage away from your payload.
Verdict: Who the Ram 1500 Limited Is For
In the 2026 full-size truck landscape, the HEMI-equipped Ram 1500 Limited is a luxury beacon that plays to emotion and refinement rather than outright performance figures. It might not tow the most, or have the biggest payload capacity, but it is the most comfortable and luxurious pickup in its class that wouldn’t look out of place as a practical piece in the background of a car collection.
With a base price that starts at $75,405, it certainly feels more upscale than similar versions of the Ford F-150 Platinum, GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, or Chevy Silverado High Country, which are typically aimed at being more workmanlike than luxury, with harsher ride characteristics but superior towing and payload figures.
My advice is to load up on those optional extras. And then, when you start it up, that all-American V8 HEMI growl is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Images: Charles Bradley
