The Dodge Durango V-6 Is Back Because People Wanted It

When Dodge announced the 2026 Durango lineup earlier this year, something was missing. Dodge had ditched the SUV’s V-6 engine for an all-V-8 powertrain lineup, but now the six-cylinder engine is returning for the Durango GT trim.  

The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 produces 295 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the same as before. This will slot below the Hemi-powered GT that makes 360 hp from Dodge’s 5.7-liter V-8. Dodge says it has resurrected the V-6 engine option as the supply of Hemi engines “ramps up.”  

The 2026 Durango GT with the V-6 will start at $40,990 (prices include the $1,995 destination charge), $500 more than the 2025 model. That’s $3,500 cheaper than the GT Hemi that starts at $44,490, but you can add all-wheel drive to the V-6 for $2,000.  

Without the V-6 option, the Durango was one of the most expensive three-row SUVs on the market. The Kia Telluride, Ford Explorer, Toyota Grand Highlander, Chevrolet Traverse, and Jeep Grand Cherokee all have lower starting MSRPs—and despite the V-8 engine’s popularity, it’s an old dog in the segment.

The third-generation Dodge Durango entered production in 2010 for the 2011 model year, and it launched with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 under the hood. The SUV has received several updates over the last 15 years, with a new Durango expected for 2029, but buyers can expect much of the same from the model until then.  

Dodge continues to offer the SUBV with the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, with order books for this engine opening in the first quarter of 2026. The engine will make 475 hp in the Durango R/T, and if you want even more power, the Durango SRT Hellcat lives on. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 produces 710 hp, and you can now buy the high-powered Durango in more states.  

The order books for the V-6-powered GT are open now, and the Durango’s all-V-8 lineup is dead.