Tracking The Last Eight-Cylinder Engines in Non-Performance SUVs

In recent years, V8 engines have been dropping like flies from mainstream applications where they were once popular. These powerplants have largely replaced the new and more modern downsized turbo and hybrid engine options. The Toyota Sequoia’s V8 engine is gone, as is the Infiniti QX80’s. Ford no longer sells you a V8-powered SUV either.

In fact, there are just three remaining V8 engines in the mainstream SUV scene today. Below, we’ll highlight the life and times of each engine, and take a look at where you can find each in 2025.

Why Are The V8s Disappearing?

The Toyota Tundra’s long-running 5.7-liter V8 has been dropped in the latest-generation machine in favor of a new turbocharged V6 engine lineup. A similar 5.6-liter V8 used by Nissan and Infiniti for generations has recently been put out to pasture, also replaced by a twin-turbo V6.

Ford brought a twin-turbo V6 to market in 2011 as a V8 alternative for F-150 shoppers, and can still sell you a truck today with either engine type under the hood. Still, we won’t see the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 on the list below, since we’re focusing on tracking down the last remaining V8 engines in the mainstream SUV scene today. Currently, there’s no Ford SUV with the big engine under the hood.

Chevrolet

What’s driving the shift away from the V8 engine in mainstream SUVs? There are numerous factors, but mostly it comes down to fuel economy and emissions. The eight-cylinder powerplant was dominant for years, but modern technology enables automakers to build engines that use less fuel to produce more power and torque, while reducing emissions. For most SUV-buying shoppers, more power with less fuel use is the exact sort of win-win scenario that engineers work to deliver.

In some cases, upgrading from a last-generation V8 engine to its modern V6 replacement can drop your annual fuel bill by $1,000 or more, along with a considerable power advantage.

Infiniti

Let’s look at two examples that illustrate the trend. The previous-generation QX80 ran the now-discontinued 5.6-liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. It used $4,150 worth of gas annually with four-wheel drive, according to EPA data. A year later, the new QX80 had switched to a 3.5-liter V6 turbo engine with 450 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque that uses $3,650 worth of gas annually in its 4×4 configuration, according to EPA data. This means the switch away from a V8 in this application gives drivers 13 percent more horsepower and 25 percent more torque while using 12 percent less gas, meaning lower fuel bills.

Stellantis

Another example is the Jeep Wagoneer. Early versions with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with four-wheel drive used $3,350 annually in gas to provide 392 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque. Alongside the V8 was the optional 3.0-liter Hurricane straight six with twin turbo, good for 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. This engine’s annual fuel bill, according to the EPA, is just $2,550 with four-wheel drive. In the Wagoneer, choosing the more modern twin-turbo straight-six engine gets drivers 7% more horsepower and 16 percent more torque, while cutting annual fuel costs by 24 percent.

Of course, some shoppers prefer the conventional V8 engine for its own reasons, like easy serviceability, familiarity, and personal preference. It’s always nice to have choices, but with just three V8s left in the mainstream, the number of those choices remaining has dwindled significantly.

5.7-Liter HEMI V8 (Stellantis)

Chrysler

Among mainstream SUV models, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 returns to the Dodge Durango lineup for the 2025 model year in grades from R/T and upwards. Powerful brand recognition behind this engine, combined with its long-standing mass-market appeal, makes it a popular choice with a loyal customer base.

Initially replacing the 5.9-liter Magnum V8 in the Ram 1500 back in 2003, the original new Hemi V8 quickly went on to become an award-winning and highly respected engine that would spawn a line of high-performing variants after the standard unit rolled out across much of Mopar’s car, truck, and SUV range of the day.

For 2009, a major engine update added Variable Valve Timing (VVT) tech to the Hemi V8, boosting power and efficiency in the process. The Multi Displacement System (MDS) was refined and improved, allowing the engine to run smoothly on four cylinders in a specific range of situations to help trim fuel consumption.

In the SUV universe, you’ll find the 5.7-liter V8 under the hood of the Dodge Durango, with 360 horsepower, for 2025.

5.3-Liter EcoTec3 V8 (GM)

GMC

Our next mainstream V8 SUV engine is the GM 5.3-liter unit from the EcoTec3 family. This latest evolution of GM’s small-block engines brings the most up-to-date core technologies to the powerplant. The latest Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) system expands on cylinder deactivation from earlier generations, allowing the latest engine to run on between 1 and 8 cylinders across a wider range of parameters, to the benefit of fuel consumption and emissions. Invisible to the driver, the latest DFM system ensures the EcoTec3 V8 uses only as much fuel as it needs to at any given moment, and full V8 pulling power remains a few milliseconds away at all times.

Unlike the Hemi V8, the EcoTec 3 family also uses Direct Fuel Injection. By spraying gasoline straight into the combustion chamber at immense pressure, the rapid expansion of pressurized gas cools the combustion chamber during each injection event, allowing engineers to safely run a higher compression ratio without the need for high-octane fuel.

The 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 is a highly mass-produced engine, since it’s the base engine option on many of GM’s hardest-working models. In 2025, you can find it across the Silverado and Sierra model range, as well as under the hood of the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL. Look for 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque on regular-grade gas.

6.2-Liter EcoTec3 V8 (GM)

While GM’s 5.3-liter V8 intends to be the do-it-all workhorse for most shoppers on a standard fuel budget, there’s a bigger option for those with bigger appetites for torque. The 6.2-liter V8 is the larger sibling in the EcoTec3 family, and it’s a flagship performance engine reserved for the top grades of GM trucks and SUVs.

Chevrolet

It uses the same core technologies as the 5.3-liter unit, including Dynamic Fuel Management, Direct Injection, and Variable Valve Timing. Added displacement and breathing upgrades tune this engine for big power, with 420 horsepower backed by 460 lb-ft of torque on high-octane gas.

This engine is currently experiencing recall troubles for engines that are prematurely destroying themselves at low miles, so if you’re shopping for a 2025 model year unit, be sure to do your homework before choosing one with a 6.2-liter V8. For most shoppers, the 5.3-liter unit is plenty.

Sources: GM, EPA, Stellantis, Ford