Jeep offers more V8 trucks than two pickup manufacturers
Something mighty is brewing at Jeep. The automaker is dropping the heavy-duty Ram’s 6.4-liter V8 into its Gladiator midsize truck. This means Jeep now makes 100% more V8 pickup trucks than Toyota or Nissan. Heck, its cousin Dodge didn’t make a single half-ton truck with a V8 last year, while Jeep is burning rubber with a V8-powered midsize truck.
The V8 pickup truck is dead
Wait, Toyota, Nissan, and Ram all cut their V8-powered half-ton trucks? Kind of. As Ford saw the take rate for its 3.5-liter turbocharged “EcoBoost” V6 F-150s go up, Toyota wanted in on the action. For the 2022 model year, Toyota tossed its naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V8 in favor of its own turbocharged V6 for its half-ton Tundra.
Ram followed suit for the 2025 model year. It continued offering the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 as its base engine. But instead of a Hemi V8, its new top-trim engine was the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged “Hurricane” I6. The high-output Hurricane makes 540 horsepower, but fans and critics missed the signature V8 rumble. Meanwhile, Stellantis continued offering its 6.4-liter V8 engine in the heavy-duty Ram 2500, 3500, and up. It also dropped the same engine in the Jeep Wrangler 392.
So what about Nissan? That automaker simply canceled its half-ton Titan after the 2024 model year. V8 Nissan trucks died alongside the Titan: the Titan comes with a 3.8-liter V6.
Jeep making more V8 trucks than Toyota or Nissan may seem truly bizarre. But it’s a sign of a flip-flopping industry. Ram took a lot of flak for dropping the half-ton’s Hemi. Then the Trump administration eliminated any penalties for automakers who missed their emissions requirements, and everything changed.
Long live the V8 pickup truck
Jeep announced it was expanding the “392” V8 option from its Wrangler to the Wrangler-based Gladiator. This makes it the most powerful midsize truck. Interestingly, it’s not the most powerful Jeep. The Wrangler hybrid makes as much torque as the 6.4-liter V8 in the “392.”
Meanwhile, Ram announced the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 will once again be an option on the 2026 Ram 1500. The supercharged “Hellcat” V8 is also returning with the Ram 1500 TRX badge.
