Stellantis (STLA) , the multinational automaker that owns beloved American auto brands like Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram Trucks, is treating 2025 as a unique transition period from much darker times.
In addition to issues that hurt its relationship with dealers and customers, the automaker experienced a massive shakeup under the leadership of former CEO Carlos Tavares. These included drastic cost-cutting moves, including American factory worker layoffs, C-suite shifts, and attempts to fix the significant inventory problems across its 14 brands.
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In a New Year’s message to Stellantis employees, the interim figurehead, Chairman John Elkann, called for “unity” amongst its employees at every level and emphasized that returning the automaker to its glory days is a team effort.
Sales of Stellantis’s American brands suffered by the end of 2024; however, one returning executive recognized that a major mistake the automaker made triggered a reaction that caused buyers to lose faith in its products.
Stellantis
Stellantis took away ‘fundamental American thing,’ Ram Trucks CEO said
Ram Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis may be returning to his job after a six-month retirement period. Still, he admits that the parent company’s decision shattered its reputation with American buyers.
In a move to comply with tighter emissions regulations, Stellantis announced in late 2023 that it would discontinue shoehorning the 5.7- and 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engines into its most consumer-facing model, the Ram 1500, beginning in the 2025 model year. In its place is a twin-turbocharged 3-liter inline-six-cylinder engine called the “Hurricane.”
Although the new, more emissions-friendly engine makes more power than the outgoing Hemi V8—up to 540 horsepower in its highest performance-oriented configuration—the move was sacrilege for many enthusiasts, who saw the link between the engine and the truck like peanut butter and jelly.
In a recent interview, Kuniskis told Road & Track magazine that Stellantis’ handling of the transition left a sour taste in American buyers’ mouths. Beyond the arguments and debates surrounding Hemi versus Hurricane, Kuniskis recognizes that the automaker deprived its loyal buyers of a “god-given right:” the freedom of choice.
“The bigger issue is [Ram and Stellantis] took away a fundamental American thing,” Kuniskis told the auto authority. “Americans love freedom of choice more than anything. When you take away their freedom of choice and tell them ‘you must take this,’ they revolt. Whether it makes sense or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s anti-American; you’ve taken my flag away, f–k you. It doesn’t mean they are making an irrational decision; maybe they are, and maybe they aren’t. I don’t know. But we as Americans, that’s what we do.”
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Among enthusiasts of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles, Kuniskis is considered a living legend within the company, with 30 years under his belt ring at the ranks of Chrysler.
Many fans consider him inseparable from the automaker’s legendary Hemi V8 motors and the trucks and muscle cars they powered. His most notable contribution to the company was during his time at Dodge, where he oversaw its rise as a performance brand and spearheaded the introduction of the brand’s famous Hellcat line of performance vehicles.
Though he knows people are upset about the lack of a Hemi V8, the Ram CEO believes it isn’t the sole reason Rams are sitting on dealer lots. Last year, Ram truck sales fell 16% to just 373,120 units. In comparison, General Motors sold 560,264 Chevrolet Silverados.
Although modern-day emissions regulations will prevent his engineers from shoehorning 700-horsepower supercharged V8s under the hood of new trucks (unless the Trump Administration gets its way), he notes that the solution is much more complicated than “returning to old ways,” chiefly blaming production issues and a focus on low-profit standard trim level trucks as its woes.
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Fans may clamor for the return of their beloved engine, but Kuniskis notes that a more calculated approach must be taken before they dust off old engines. For the 2025 model year, Ram Trucks plans to continue the roll-out of 1500, including high-performance models like the RHO and Tungsten, which carry high-profit margins for the automaker.
“I don’t actually have any of these trucks in the trims I’m supposed to have on the market,” he explained.
For now, he needs to see the data behind the drama before he gives in to the fans’ pressure.
“I have to know what the performance of this truck is first before I say Hemi is a problem,” said Kuniskis. “Because I hear the noise, I hear ‘Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi,’ but is it real, or is it noise because you took it away? We’re all like that. You took something away that I love, and I love it too.”
Stellantis NV is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as STLA.
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