Some Truck Buyers Won't Even Consider A Brand Without A V8

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The V8 is an American institution. The iconic eight-cylinder engine has powered pickup trucks for as long as anyone can remember, and that memory apparently plays a huge role in what truck buyers want—even here and now in 2026.

In an interview with The Drive, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said that 40 percent of buyers shopping for a pickup truck won’t even consider one if it doesn’t offer a V8. In fact, it doesn't even matter if that buyer ends up in a V8-powered pickup truck at all.

Yet that statistic has shaped the market. Ram famously dropped its Hemi V8 in the face of tougher emissions regulations. Despite the Hurricane inline-six offering more power and fuel economy compared to the old Hemi, Ram sales still suffered—which is why the V8 came back so quickly.