Quick Answer The 2026 Ram 1500 brings back the 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque on Crew Cab trucks, offers Express and a new Black Express Edition on the Tradesman, adds Back Country, Rebel X and Laramie Preferred packages, and adds three colors: Molten Red, Serrano Green and Silver Zynith. What is actually different about a 2026 Ram 1500 compared with a 2025? It is a fair question, because the two trucks look nearly identical parked side by side, and most of what you read online either skips the details or buries them under prices that were out of date a month after they were printed. The short version is that 2026 is the year the V8 came back, and a handful of packages, colors and equipment groups changed around it. This guide goes through the changes one at a time, in plain words: the HEMI and which trucks can have it, the Express and Black Express, the three new packages, the colors that arrived and the colors that left, the trailer tow group change, the new on-board power option, the bigger Quad Cab fuel tank, and everything that simply carried over. It finishes with an honest answer on whether a leftover 2025 still makes sense. Search Available Ram 1500 Inventory Get Pre-Qualified On This Page Is the HEMI back on the 2026 Ram 1500? What are the Express and Black Express? Which packages are new for 2026? Which colors were added, and which went away? What changed in towing, power and fuel equipment? What carried over from 2025? Is a 2026 worth it over a leftover 2025? How to check which 2026 changes a truck has Frequently asked questions Is the HEMI Back on the 2026 Ram 1500, and Which Trucks Can Have It? Yes. The 2026 Ram 1500 offers the 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque again, and no 2025 Ram 1500 offered a V8 at all. Ram lists 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque for the 2026 HEMI. For 2025, the engine list was the 3.6L Pentastar V6 with eTorque and the 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six in Standard Output and High Output. Those three carry into 2026, and the HEMI joins them as an option. It is a Crew Cab engine only, and it is not offered on every trim: 2026 Ram 1500 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque Tradesman Crew Cab Available Big Horn or Lone Star Crew Cab Available Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Available (not on a Laramie 4x2) Rebel, Limited and Longhorn Available Any Quad Cab, RHO or Tungsten Not offered The HEMI arrives with its own hardware: a 48-volt belt-starter generator (the eTorque part), heavy-duty engine cooling, active noise control and dual exhaust with bright tips. If you want to know what eTorque actually does at a stop sign or on a cold start, our article on the 2027 HEMI without eTorque and how it differs from the 2026 HEMI explains it in detail. Choosing between the HEMI, the Hurricane Standard Output and the V6 is a bigger decision than this page tries to settle. The 2026 Ram 1500 engine guide walks through all four engines side by side. What Are the 2026 Ram 1500 Express and Black Express? Both are packages on the Tradesman, the work-focused trim. Express is offered again for 2026 after it was not offered for 2025, on both the Quad Cab and the Crew Cab. The Black Express Edition is new for 2026 on Tradesman 4x4 trucks. The Black Express Edition is the one that changes how a Tradesman looks and drives on a slick road. Ram lists these items in it: 20-inch painted wheels An anti-spin rear differential Cloth bucket seats and a 7-inch instrument cluster display Black grille and black badging Fog lamps and black tubular side steps Warlock, the Tradesman Crew Cab 4x4 package with off-road hardware, carries over from 2025. Which of the three work packages fits a ranch or a trade is a different question, and we answered it in our Tradesman, Express, Warlock and Black Express comparison. Which Packages Are New on the 2026 Ram 1500? Besides the Black Express Edition, three packages are new for 2026: Back Country on the Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4, Rebel X on the Rebel, and Laramie Preferred on the Laramie 4x4. New for 2026 What it adds Best for Back Country (Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4) 18-inch black wheels, on/off-road tires, an electronic locking rear differential, extra-heavy-duty shocks, raised ride height, three skid plates, tow hooks and Selec-Speed control Pasture, trail and section-line driving without stepping up to a Rebel Rebel X (Rebel) Premium leather and vinyl bucket seats, side graphics, console badging and rough-road cruise control Rebel buyers who want a nicer cabin on the same off-road truck Laramie Preferred (Laramie 4x4) A new Laramie package for 2026; ask us to show you its contents on a specific truck Laramie shoppers comparing trucks line by line The Laramie Southwest Edition carries over. One Laramie change is easy to miss: for 2026 the Laramie lists front bucket seats only, and the leather 40/20/40 front bench offered on the 2025 Laramie is not on the 2026 list. If a sixth seat in a leather Laramie matters to you, that is one thing a 2026 Laramie cannot do. For a full walk through every trim from Tradesman to Tungsten, our 2026 Ram 1500 overview puts the whole lineup on one page, so you can see where these packages sit. Which 2026 Ram 1500 Colors Were Added, and Which Went Away? Three paint colors are new on the 2026 Ram 1500: Molten Red, Serrano Green and Silver Zynith. Five 2025 colors are gone: Billet Silver, Delmonico Red, Flame Red, Hydro Blue and Mojave Sand. New for 2026 Carried over Gone for 2026 Molten Red Pearl Bright White Billet Silver Serrano Green Metallic Diamond Black Crystal Pearl Delmonico Red Silver Zynith Forged Blue Metallic Flame Red Granite Crystal Metallic Hydro Blue Ivory White Tri-Coat (Laramie and up); Tank (select trims) Mojave Sand (was a Rebel color) The practical takeaway: if you have your heart set on Flame Red or Hydro Blue, a 2026 cannot be that truck. Both colors return for 2027, with restrictions, and our 2027 Ram 1500 color guide lists them. For a gravel-road truck, the new Silver Zynith is worth a look in person. Lighter metallic colors tend to hide road dust between washes better than Diamond Black, which shows every pass down a section line. Molten Red is the bolder of the three new colors, and Serrano Green rounds out the set. What Changed in Towing, Power and Fuel Equipment for 2026? Three equipment changes matter to people who work their trucks: the trailer tow group was reorganized, an on-board power option was added, and Quad Cab trucks got a bigger fuel tank. Trailer Tow Group II replaces the 2025 Trailer Tow Group on Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie and Rebel. It keeps the trailer brake controller, Trailer Reverse Steering Control, trailer tire-pressure monitoring and the trailer light check. Trailer-tow mirrors are now a separate option. On a 2025 they came inside the tow group. On a 2026, a truck can have the tow group without the big mirrors, so check both lines. An available on-board power system rated at up to 2 kW of 120-volt power is new for 2026 on Tradesman and Big Horn. Quad Cab trucks now carry a 26-gallon fuel tank, up from 23 gallons on the 2025 Quad Cab. Common mistake with the 2026 tow group Buyers who towed with a 2025 often assume "tow group" still means tow mirrors. For 2026 it does not. If you pull a wide stock trailer or a camper, confirm on the window sticker that the truck lists trailer-tow mirrors as their own line, separate from Trailer Tow Group II. The Crew Cab tank story did not change: 26 gallons on a 5'7" box with a 33-gallon tank available, and 33 gallons on the 6'4" box. Our Quad Cab vs Crew Cab and box length guide covers which cab and box gets which tank. What Carried Over From the 2025 Ram 1500? Most of the truck. The 2026 Ram 1500 is a carryover with additions, not a redesign, and nearly every 2025 cab, box, trim and drivetrain choice continues. The 3.6L V6 with eTorque and both Hurricane inline-six power levels, all with 8-speed automatics. The transfer cases: a part-time case on Tradesman 4x4, an on-demand case with 4WD Auto from Big Horn up. Night Edition, Sport Appearance, G/T, Warlock and Southwest Edition. The Level 1 and Level 2 equipment groups, Protection Group, Off Road Group and Advanced Safety Group. RamBox, the multifunction tailgate and the 33-gallon tank option. A Class IV hitch and 7-pin wiring harness as standard equipment. From Beadle's Chrysler Center Most of the 2026 conversations at our desk start with one word: HEMI. People who passed on a 2025 because there was no V8 come back asking which trucks out front have one, and the window sticker answers that in about ten seconds. Ram lists the 2026 Ram 1500 at up to 11,610 lbs of towing with the Hurricane Standard Output and up to 2,360 lbs of payload with the 3.6L V6, each when properly equipped. Those are maximums for specific builds. The number that matters is the one for the exact truck, which is printed on the tire and loading label in the driver's door jamb. Is a 2026 Ram 1500 Worth It Over a Leftover 2025? It comes down to equipment, not the calendar. If you want a V8, the Black Express, Back Country, Rebel X, a new color or on-board power, only the 2026 has it. If you want a color or a front bench the 2026 dropped, a 2025 can still be the right truck. What you want 2026 Ram 1500 Leftover 2025 Ram 1500 A 5.7L HEMI V8 Available on Crew Cab trims listed above Not offered Express, Black Express, Back Country, Rebel X Offered Not offered Tow mirrors bundled with the tow group Separate option Included in the group Flame Red, Hydro Blue, Billet Silver, Delmonico Red Not offered Offered Laramie leather front bench Buckets only Offered Hurricane or V6 work truck Same engines, same 4x4 hardware Same engines, same 4x4 hardware Worth choosing a 2026 if: you want the HEMI, any of the new packages, Molten Red, Serrano Green or Silver Zynith, or the on-board power option. A 2025 still fits if: you want a Hurricane or V6 work truck, a color the 2026 dropped, or a Laramie with a front bench, and the truck checks out line by line. Our Recommendation For a V8 buyer around Bowdle, we recommend a 2026 Big Horn or Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 with the 5.7L HEMI, because no 2025 Ram 1500 offered a V8 and Ram lists 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft for the 2026 HEMI with eTorque. How to Check Which 2026 Changes a Ram 1500 on the Lot Actually Has Start with the window sticker, not the brochure. Every change on this page shows up as its own line, and these five steps take a few minutes. Confirm the model year: the top of the sticker names it. A 2025 and a 2026 can look identical on the lot. Read the engine line: it names the 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque, the 3.0L Hurricane or the 3.6L V6. Look for the package names: Express, Black Express Edition, Back Country, Rebel X or Laramie Preferred each print by name. Check the towing lines separately: Trailer Tow Group II and trailer-tow mirrors are two different items on a 2026. Ask us to read it with you: call the sales desk at 605-460-6254 with the stock number and we will go line by line. Key Takeaways The 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque is back for 2026 on Crew Cab Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie 4x4, Rebel, Limited and Longhorn; no 2025 Ram 1500 offered a V8. Express is offered again on the Tradesman, and Black Express Edition, Back Country, Rebel X and Laramie Preferred are new for 2026. Molten Red, Serrano Green and Silver Zynith are new 2026 colors; Flame Red and Hydro Blue are not offered for 2026. Trailer Tow Group II no longer includes the tow mirrors, which are a separate option for 2026. Quad Cab trucks carry a 26-gallon tank for 2026, up from 23 gallons in 2025. Frequently Asked Questions Is the 2026 Ram 1500 a redesign? No. It is a carryover truck with additions. The cabs, boxes, transfer cases and the V6 and Hurricane engines continue from 2025, and the changes are the returning HEMI V8, new packages, new colors and a few equipment moves. Can I get the HEMI in a 2026 Ram 1500 Quad Cab? No. The 2026 5.7L HEMI V8 is a Crew Cab engine only. It is also not offered on the RHO, the Tungsten or a Laramie 4x2. Does the 2026 Trailer Tow Group II come with tow mirrors? No. For 2026 the trailer-tow mirrors are a separate option. Trailer Tow Group II keeps the trailer brake controller, Trailer Reverse Steering Control, trailer tire-pressure monitoring and the trailer light check. Can I still get a Flame Red or Hydro Blue 2026 Ram 1500? No. Neither color is offered for 2026. Both return for the 2027 model year, and Billet Silver, Delmonico Red and Mojave Sand also left the palette for 2026. What is new on the 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn? The Big Horn Crew Cab can now have the 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque, and the Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 gets the new Back Country package. The on-board power option and the three new colors are also offered on the Big Horn. Quick Answers How much horsepower does the 2026 Ram 1500 HEMI make? Ram lists 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. Did the 2025 Ram 1500 have a V8? No, the 2025 offered the V6 and the Hurricane inline-six only. Is the Black Express Edition a 4x4? Yes, it is offered on Tradesman 4x4 trucks. Does the Black Express have a limited-slip rear? It includes an anti-spin rear differential. Is Serrano Green a 2026 Ram 1500 color? Yes, it is one of three colors new for 2026. How big is the 2026 Ram 1500 Quad Cab fuel tank? 26 gallons, up from 23 gallons in 2025. Does every 2026 Ram 1500 have a trailer hitch? Yes, a Class IV hitch and 7-pin harness are standard. What is the 2026 Ram 1500 maximum towing? Ram lists up to 11,610 lbs with the Hurricane Standard Output when properly equipped. Does the 2026 Ram 1500 have a 10-year powertrain warranty? Ram lists a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty on select 2026 Ram trucks, so confirm it for the exact truck. Keep Researching This change list reads best next to the full picture of the truck, so start with the 2026 Ram 1500 buyers guide, which covers trims, engines and capability in one place. Then: What Changed on the 2027 Ram 1500 (and What Did Not) covers what changes again next year. 2026 or 2027 Ram 1500: Buy the Truck on the Lot or Order One? walks through timing. The 2026 Ram 1500 engine guide compares the HEMI, Hurricane and V6. My Take on What's New for the 2026 Ram 1500 The 2026 model year is easy to describe at our desk, because one change outweighs the rest. A lot of people around Bowdle never stopped wanting a V8 in their half-ton, and for 2025 the honest answer was that Ram did not offer one. For 2026 the answer is yes, on Crew Cab trucks from the Tradesman up through the Limited and Longhorn. Past the HEMI, I would pay the most attention to the tow mirror change. It is a small line on the window sticker, and it is the one most likely to surprise someone hooking up a wide trailer at the sale barn. If you tow, check for both lines. If you do not need a V8 and you like a Hurricane or V6 truck, a 2025 and a 2026 share the same engines and 4x4 hardware, and the choice comes down to the equipment and color on the one in front of you. If you want to see how these changes fit into the whole lineup, our complete 2026 Ram 1500 guide lays out every trim and engine, and the Ram 1500 page shows what is on the ground today. Better yet, stop by 5023 Fourth Avenue in Bowdle and we will open the hood and read the sticker with you, with no pressure either way. Search Available Ram 1500 Inventory Get Pre-Qualified Contact Beadle's Chrysler Center Or call the sales desk at 605-460-6254. About the Author Lexy Tabbert — Beadle's Chrysler Center, Bowdle, SD Lexy Tabbert is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Beadle's Chrysler Center in Bowdle, South Dakota. She covers Ram, Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles — helping families, ranchers, and ag operators across the region find the right truck and configuration for their needs. Learn more about Lexy.