There is no engine more American than the Classic. And while electric drivetrains may be the way of the future, every Detroit automaker is still proud to sell you a traditional V8. But if you buy any new V8 Hemi engine—whether in a Dodge muscle car or a Ram truck—it was built in Mexico.
Hemi is a classic American V8 engine
Chrysler first experimented with hemispherical combustion chambers in World War II. The technology, which improves the engine’s surface-to-volume ratio, was central to the Chrysler engine designed for the M47 Patton tanks. Chrysler also used this technology in a 2,500-horsepower engine that it pioneered as an upgrade to the P-47 Thunderbolt.
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Saltillo is the Detroit of Mexico
General Motors Corporation and Chrysler Corporation both opened their first plants in Saltillo, Mexico, in the 1950s. This city is located just 180 miles from the US border and is the capital of the third largest state in Mexico. Because of its location and size, it has become known as the Detroit of Mexico – according to the.
Today, Chrysler operates two engine plants, two assembly plants, and a stamping plant in Saltillo. The Saltillo Engine Plant opened in 1981 and has produced Hemi V8s since 2002 and Hellcat V8s since 2014. Every 2023 Hemi engine will come from Saltillo.
Engine Plant 2056 is a member of the National Federation of Integrated Vehicles and Allied Industries of Mexico. Chrysler has built 21 million engines in Saltillo. FCA’s workers in Mexico have won numerous company-wide awards for excellent build quality.
The Ram Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant builds the ProMaster. The Ram Truck Assembly Plant in Saltillo has built four million vehicles, including many classic 2023 Ram 1500 trucks and Ram Heavy Duty trucks. These two factories employ over 6,700 workers.
Thanks in part to Stellantis’ investment, Saltillo has one of the best trained workforces in the world. With young people from all over Mexico flocking to Saltillo for manufacturing jobs, the average age in the city has dropped to 27. It’s no wonder Tesla is planning a large factory just an hour away, near Monterrey, Mexico.
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Where are Stellantis engines made in North America?
Stellantis is a major conglomerate that includes Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep. While its latest generations of I4 and I6 engines are built in Europe, the US market versions will be assembled in North America. You can see where each 2023 Stellantis engine sold in the US is made in the chart below:
| Engine name | vehicles | assembly plants |
| 2.0 liter GMET4 Turbo I4 | Jeep Wrangler, Cherokee | Kokomo, Indiana |
| 2.4L Tigershark I4 | out of production by the second quarter of 2023 | Dundee, Michigan |
| 1.6 liter turbo I4 | Hybrid vehicles of the future | Dundee, Michigan |
| 3.2 liter Pentastar V6 | Jeep Cherokee | Trenton, Michigan |
| 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 “Classic” | Dodge Charger, Challenger, Durango, Chrysler 300, Ram 1500 Classic | |
| 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 “Upgrade” | Chrysler Pacifica | Trenton North, Michigan Dundee, Michigan |
| 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I6 | Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer L, Grand Wagoneer L | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 5.7L HEMI V8 | Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4L “BGE” Hemi V8 | Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, Ram 3500 Heavy Duty | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4-liter Apache SRT Hemi | Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, Dodge Challenger SRT/TA, Dodge Charger SRT 392, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, Dodge Durango SRT | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.2L Supercharged Hellcat SRT Hemi | Dodge Challenger SRT, Dodge Charger SRT, Ram 1500 TRX | Saltillo, Mexico |
Find out or take a tour of the Chrysler engine assembly plant in the video below:
