In news that will surprise very few of you, Dodge has announced that it will continue building Hemi V8 engines. The automaker said it would offer the Durango R/T and SRT Hellcat through at least the 2025 model year, but as history has shown us, they’ll likely stick around for far longer than that.
Dodge CEO Matt McAlear said, “The Dodge Durango and the Hemi engine form a powerful pair, and Dodge will continue to produce the most powerful gas engine SUV on the planet into the 2025 calendar year. It’s the perfect capstone for our celebration of 20 years of Hemi-powered Durango models.”
Dodge originally planned to discontinue the two Durango models at the end of this year but said it’s keeping them around because of “market demand and customer feedback.” Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares was reportedly behind the decision to kill the engines despite pushback from some in the company.
Though more V8 options are a reason to celebrate in late 2024, Dodge isn’t keeping all the Hemi options for the 2025 Durango. It loses the 392 option, which was a fantastic powertrain with a great noise and strong performance. The 5.7-liter Hemi in the R/T produces 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, while the 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V8 makes 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque.
All of this makes sense. Dodge and Hemi engines are almost synonymous at this point, and the Durango’s extreme age means the automaker is basically printing money with every sale.
[Images: Dodge]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
