“They should’ve put a V8 in it!” That’s probably what Jeep fans have been thinking (or screaming) ever since the automaker rolled out the Wrangler for the 1987 model year. Jeep finally brought the V8 back when it stuffed a 6.4-liter Hemi under the hood of the 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 392. Strangely, Jeep didn’t offer a V8 in the JL Wrangler’s truck sibling, the Gladiator, but that’s going to change. Not only will the mid-size pickup be available with a 392 in the future, but the big Hemi is also not going anywhere soon as the 392 or the 5.7-liter Hemi may be shoehorned into other Jeep models in the future.
According to Car and Driver, Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf recently said, “We will extend the availability of the 392 Wrangler, and in fact, we will tap the power and performance of the Hemi across Jeep products as new projects are already underway.” He went on to add, “Jeep fans, don’t worry, the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 will have a home at Jeep.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Stellantis was a rebel among automakers, putting 5.7s, 392s, and supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8s into a variety of its vehicles when other manufacturers focused on smaller displacement and more fuel economy. You could specify the Dodge Challenger coupe, Charger sedan, and Durango SUV (as well as the last-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee) with any of those three V8s. Ram went straight to the top when it created the 702-horsepower Hellcat-powered TRX pickup, which shared dealership space with 5.7-liter Hemi 1500s.
Over the last few years, Stellantis has taken V8 fans on an emotional roller coaster. The current Grand Cherokee has no V8 option at all. Dodge discontinued the long-running Challenger and Charger models and replaced them with a new Charger powered by either purely electric power or a Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter I6. After pulling the 5.7-liter Hemi from its 1500 lineup and replacing the TRX with the high-output Hurricane-powered RHO, Ram reversed course and announced the return of the Hemi for 2026 and the pending resurrection of the TRX. The 2024 Dodge Durango SRT 392 AlcHEMI was the first in a series of “Last Call” models that commemorated what was supposed to be the final year of the Hemi in the Durango—key words: supposed to be. Right now, you can go on Dodge’s website and build and price a 2025 Durango SRT Hellcat. For 2026, all Durangos will come standard with a Hemi, whether it’s the 5.7, 392, or Hellcat. In 2024, Jeep marked the end of the V8 Wrangler with the Rubicon 392 Final Edition . . . which Jeep brought back for 2025 (vocabulary lesson: final is synonymous with ultimate, not penultimate).
The Gladiator truck has been around since the 2020 model year and shares a lot of its DNA with the Wrangler. One thing the two vehicles have never had in common is the 392. Not only will putting the 392 in the Gladiator make Hemi and performance fans in general smile, but it will also clearly separate the Gladiator from other midsize trucks, none of which have a V8 at all. True, the Toyota Tacoma’s available i-Force Max hybrid setup is potent, but it can’t match the 392’s 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Among domestics, Ford Ranger Raptor’s EcoBoost 3.0-liter V6 tops out at 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft. Neither of those pickups offer the ability to fold the windshield down and remove the top and doors for open-air off-roading—or a soundtrack that only eight cylinders can play.
