2025 Ram 1500 Hurricane 6-Cylinder’s Official EPA Fuel Economy Ratings Are In

The gas mileage estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are in for the 2025 Ram 1500, revealing something surprising: the new Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six isn’t exactly more efficient than the old 5.7-liter Hemi V8 it replaces. In case you missed that particular bit of news, when Ram announced a massively updated version of the 1500 full-size pickup truck for the 2025 model year, it got rid of the Hemi V8, replacing it with the Hurricane inline-six, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine available in two states of tune that promised greater driveability, efficiency, and reduced emissions. While the six-cylinder has more power and torque, it’s not all that frugal, as the figures below indicate:

Only the Standard Output (SO) 2WD version of the updated model is more efficient on the combined cycle and only by a single mile per gallon. 4WD models return identical claimed consumption, notably performing poorer in the city evaluation, where turbocharging is typically touted as being more efficient. We’ve explained why turbocharged fuel economy is a lie in the past, but that typically only reveals itself in the real world – fuel economy testing typically portrays turbo motors in a favorable light.

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2025 Ram 1500 First Drive Review: From Laborer To King

The new Ram 1500 is a truck for all people, no matter your job – and it’s even better without the V8.

But the question that remains is: Why is a turbo six-cylinder as thirsty as an ancient (in automotive terms) Hemi V8?

If You Want The Horses, You Have To Feed Them

That old adage rings true here, as despite near-identical consumption figures, the power and torque on offer from the new engine family are clearly superior to the outdated Hemi. The 5.7-liter V8 in the 2024 model year and prior Ram 1500s cranked out 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, which were more than ample figures. But the Hurricane inline-six adds 25 hp and 59 lb-ft to the mix in SO form. In the High Output (HO) version, 540 hp and 521 lb-ft are improvements of 37% and 27%, respectively.

Torque is good from a driveability standpoint and should aid towing ability, too, and yet the 2025 truck is only capable of towing 11,580 lbs. The old truck could manage 12,750 lbs in the right configuration.

V8 vs. Inline Six Engine Specs

The Hybrid Elephant No One Is Talking About

V8 evangelists are using the stats above to support their arguments that Stellantis should’ve kept the Hemi alive, that downsizing doesn’t yield the results we’ve been promised. Even the tailpipe emissions don’t seem to support the bold claims. But it’s worth remembering that the V8 available in the 2024 Ram 1500 wasn’t all-motor. Officially dubbed the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 eTorque, it was supported by a belt starter generator, a 12kW electric motor with 130 lb-ft of assistance primarily employed at launch, when the V8 would be working its hardest to get the Ram 1500 moving. That electrical assistance is a big deal, and without it, it’s no wonder the Hurricane hasn’t blown away economy ratings of the old V8.

But the potential exists to hybridize the Hurricane, and sources have already told CarBuzz that we could see a hybrid version of the Hurricane in the new Dodge Charger. The hybrid transmission that can be affixed to the back of the HO motor could boost outputs by as much as 150 hp, and it’s a plug-and-play solution.

Equipping the Hurricane with a hybrid transmission would not only improve performance, but bolster efficiency, and may well be a consideration for Ram should buyers be adamant they want combustion power over the range-extender electric powertrain offered in the Ramcharger.