Reviving the Hemi: Can Ram’s CEO Breathe New Life into Classic Power

The age-old question on everyone’s mind: will Tim Kuniskis, the newly returned CEO of Ram, bring back the V8 power of the Hemi in the 1500 lineup? Only time will tell, but for now, he’s keeping mum about the possibility. Will he crack under pressure or will the whispers of the Hemi prevail?

As the curtain falls on a tumultuous year for Stellantis, a new era is dawning, and with it, a chance for a fresh start. Stellantis’ sales were abysmal last year, and Ram was no exception, with the light-duty truck sales in the US plummeting by 44%. Even though the Ram 1500 DS and DT models saw annual sales slip by 44 and 21 percent, respectively, the company refuses to give up on the coach-cherry- Cadillac of pickup trucks.

With the departure of CEO Carlos Tavares, there’s been a lot of reshuffling at the top, making it a challenging time for the auto giant. The Stellantis product portfolio is shrinking, and so are its profit margins. Gone are the likes of the 1500 TRX, the V8 muscle cars, and even certain Jeep models. Ram’s decision to cease production of the 1500 TRX, a classic truck with 707 horsepower, left fans reeling, and its parent company’s decision to discontinue the iconic Cherokee model didn’t help matters.

So, what’s a reappointed CEO to do? For Kuniskis, it’s about making the right call. “I have to know what the performance of this truck is first before I say Hemi is a problem,” he told an interviewer at Road & Track. “Because I hear the noise, I hear ‘Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi,’ but is it real or is it noise because you took it away. We’re all like that. You took something away that I love, and I love it, too.”

Despite his reservations, Kuniskis remains a fan of the Hemi, acknowledging its legendary status among enthusiasts. “Number one, the Hemi was never designed to run in that [new] truck on that electrical architecture, so that’s a huge challenge,” he said in an interview with Motor1. He elaborated, explaining that suppliers had already ceased production on the Hemi eTorque, making it a non-starter for a light-duty comeback.

Still, Kuniskis didn’t slam the door shut on the idea, leaving room for hope. “I didn’t say you can’t do it,” he said. “You can’t do it right away.” Only time will tell if the Hemi will rise again, but for now, fans can keep holding on to their hopes.

Here are some key points to take from Kuniskis’ statements:

* He’s currently assessing the performance of the current truck lineup before making a decision on the Hemi.
* The Hemi was never designed to work with the new electrical architecture of the current trucks.
* Suppliers have stopped producing the Hemi eTorque, making it difficult to relaunch the V8 in a light-duty capacity.
* While he didn’t rule out the Hemi’s return, it won’t happen anytime soon.
* He’s open to exploring future options, indicating that the door might be left slightly ajar for a potential Hemi comeback.

Ultimately, only time will tell if the Hemi will roar back to life, but for now, Ram’s fans can continue to hold onto hope.