One Number Shows Stellantis’ Huge Mistake In Axing HEMI

For many truck owners, what’s under the hood isn’t just about horsepower or torque. It’s identity, sound, legacy, and a visceral experience that can’t be captured on a spec sheet. Ram’s decision to bring back the Hemi V8 isn’t just business; it’s a reluctant admission that no matter how advanced or efficient the new engine is, plenty of buyers still want their V8 rumble and won’t be convinced otherwise.

Read: Stellantis Brings SRT Back From The Dead Promising Explosive New Performance

Ram’s new CEO, Tim Kuniskis, believes the brand would lose around 30,000 sales per year if it didn’t bring back the Hemi V8. That’s a huge number that represents more tha`n just a general preference. It provides insight into just how much truck owners connect their identity to the Hemi and, by extension, V8s in general. It’s also why Ram simply had to bring it back, even if the Hurricane inline six that replaced it is superior in most ways.

Automakers often cite ‘following the market’ to explain their decisions, but that’s not the whole story. What most won’t outright say is that they intentionally influence the market all the time. Sure, they might technically follow it, but they’re also the ones leading it, so they’re on both ends of the trail.

That’s not really the case with the Hemi V8. When Stellantis decided to axe it, every brand under the umbrella tried to spin it as a positive. Now, it’s clear that customers wouldn’t be swayed.

Customer Loyalty Wins Out

That’s why Ram had no choice but to bring it back despite spending untold millions on the new Hurricane inline six. “With loyalty running in 75% to 80% in the truck segment, you don’t want to lose any of those customers,” Kuniskis recently told CNBC. “Everybody, even if you don’t know what Hemi is, you know, the term,” he continued. ”‘Oh, it’s got a Hemi.’” That recognition is part of the brand identity buyers want to be associated with.

“Americans associate truck performance with V-8 engines and Ram in particular,” said Ed Kim, President and Chief Analyst at AutoPacific. “The Ram customer in particular, really, really, really loves the idea of having that big American V-8 under the hood.”

Kuniskis expects around 40 percent of Ram buyers to pick the Hemi when the final figures shake out next year. That figure shouldn’t be all that shocking. It’s well above the Ford F-150‘s V8 take rate, which hovers around 25 percent, though it trails General Motors slightly. According to Kuniskis, that gap is likely because GM gives buyers more options, including two different V8s and a four-cylinder, aside from its diesel offering.

Buyers Are Paying for It

What’s more telling is how quickly customers responded. Ram logged over 10,000 orders within the first day of its availability. Keep in mind that Ram doesn’t just let most customers opt for it for free either. Unlike Ford, which often includes its V8 option at no extra charge, or GM, which offers a broader range of standard engines, Ram charges $1,200 for the Hemi. Not that has deterred buyers, of course.