Against a great many odds, the three-row Durango SUV is the final Dodge model available with a Hemi V8. And yet, it looks like the eight-cylinder isn’t quite the anachronism many wrote it off as. Citing market demand, Dodge announced that it’s extending V8 production into 2025.
Two variants of the Hemi V8 will live on to power the Durango. The first is the naturally aspirated 5.7 liter, which produces 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. The second is the supercharged 6.2 inaugurated by the Challenger Hellcat and rated at a mighty 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. Dodge hasn’t revealed when it will stop building either engine, citing only “into the 2025 calendar year” as a timeline.
After that, the curtains come down. While it sounds like a V8 fits in the new Charger’s engine bay, the odds of seeing an eight-cylinder-powered trim are low. Making an engine fit between the fenders is the easy part; you can drop just about any engine in any car if you really put your mind to it. And while there’s no reason to doubt a V8-powered Charger would sell (it might even be able to do burnouts!), the investment needed to make it happen compounded by the emissions-related penalties complicate the business case. Dodge can’t afford to waste money right now.
Dealers across the country have already started taking orders for the 2025 Durango. The range includes 10 trim levels ranging from the GT, which starts at $43,590 with a 3.6-liter V6 engine and rear-wheel-drive, to the Hammerhead, Silver Bullet, and Brass Monkey variants of the SRT Hellcat, which carry a base price of $115,315 with the 6.2-liter supercharged V8. Note that these figures include a $1,595 destination charge.
Act fast if you want a V8-powered Durango. Official details about what’s next for the SUV haven’t been released, but the current model is widely expected to retire at the end of the 2025 model year. Dodge reportedly showed its successor to dealers during a meeting in 2023, and it has been described as being “drastically different” than the current model. We’d be surprised if it carries on with a V8 option, as Stellantis-owned brands have been gradually dropping the engine. However, that was before former CEO Carlos Tavares, who was allegedly anti-V8, resigned.
Perhaps the next Stellantis CEO will give the V8 a new lease on life. If not, the last V8-powered Dodge will be a family-friendly SUV.
Who else would have lost money on that bet?
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