Stellantis is bringing back the Hemi V8 in a big way. In addition to adding it back to the engine lineup for the 2026 Ram 1500 once again, the company also discontinued its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in the base Dodge Durango GT in favor of the 5.7-liter eight-cylinder. To justify the trim’s sportier image relative to the GT, the R/T now receives a 6.4-liter version of the Hemi V8, while the return of the Durango Hellcat means there’s a supercharged 6.2-liter in the mix as well. However, it doesn’t seem likely that the sportier versions of the family SUV will be offered in states that have adopted California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards.
Varying Standards For New Cars
The reason for that is because neither the 6.4-liter engine (also known as the 392 for its displacement in cubic inches) nor the Hellcat V8 conform to CARB’s current emissions standards, which the agency adopted for the 2022 model year. For that reason, 2021 was the last time you could get a 392 or a Hellcat engine in a Durango sold in CARB states, although Dodge continued to offer the larger V8s in other jurisdictions with less aggressive emissions standards.
It’s unlikely that Stellantis will undertake the expense of recertifying its 6.2- and 6.4-liter V8s for use in the Durango in CARB states, meaning the only trim level on offer will be the GT. Its 5.7-liter V8 already meets California’s current emissions regulations thanks to its presence in the previous model years’ R/T model, so Dodge will soldier forward with its old V8 yet again.
Which States Have Adopted CARB Emissions?
In 1967, California was granted a special waiver from the federal government to set its own emissions laws to combat a severe smog problem in the Golden State, forming the eponymous air resources board in response. The state enacted tougher standards for greenhouse gases and particulates, and new-vehicle manufacturers either pulled cars from California dealers or designed state-specific emissions systems for their products.
Over the years, 17 other states in the U.S. have chosen to adopt some or all of CARB’s new vehicle standards, including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. It’s unlikely that the 392- or Hellcat-powered Durango will be offered as a new vehicle in those states.
That said, it’ll still be possible for consumers in CARB states to get their hands on a Durango R/T or Hellcat as long as they’re brought in as used vehicles. The laws vary from state to state, but in California, late-model cars not originally sold in the state have to have at least 7,500 miles on the odometer before they can be legally registered, curtailing any sort of “gray-market” shopping at dealers in Arizona, for example.
Still A V8-Heavy Lineup For The Durango
The bad news is that anyone waiting with bated breath for a new Durango Hellcat will probably have to wait a little longer for their ideal vehicle to age into the used marketplace. But on the other hand, the entry-level GT model still boasts 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque with a base price of well under $50,000, making it a pretty keen buy for someone who might otherwise get stuck in a wheezy V6-powered crossover.
Source: Mopar Insiders
