Return of the … Smaller Guy: Dodge Resurrects V-6 for 2026 Durango
Key Points
- The 2026 Dodge Durango GT’s Pentastar V-6 engine returns to the lineup.
- The base version of the three-row SUV starts at $40,990 (all prices include $1,995 destination charge).
- Rear-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available for $2,000.
It makes some sense for a brand that cultivates a persona so tied in with horsepower and tire smoke to be versed in 180s. A couple of years ago, Dodge was going to discontinue its Hemi V-8 engine, but when the brand announced the 2026 Durango, the V-8 was there on the options sheet. Not even three months later, the brand dropped the Durango’s available V-6, leaving the Hemi as the only engine choice in the three-row SUV. Dodge has now whipped a fourth about-face, but we’re not quite facing the same direction as when we started out. The V-6 is back, but the Hemi is still here, too.
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More Affordable and Efficient
With 295 hp and 260 pounds-feet of torque, the Pentastar V-6 is down 65 hp and 130 pounds-feet on the Hemi, which also benefits from having a much cooler name. In the plus column, the V-6 drops the Durango’s base price to $40,990, $3,700 less than the V-8 SUV. However, AWD is standard with the V-8 and a $2,000 option with the V-6, making the price difference for equivalent Durangos just $1,700.
For shoppers less obsessed with horsepower, the V-6 has another predictable advantage over the Hemi. Comparing AWD apples to apples, the V-6’s fuel economy checks in at an EPA-rated 17/24/20 mpg city/highway/combined versus the V-8’s 14/21/16 mpg. With RWD, the V-6 ekes out an extra mpg in the city and highway tests while still returning the same combined figure, with 18/25/20 mpg.
Release Date
The V-6-powered 2026 Dodge Durango GT is on sale now. Interested shoppers might want to act fast, because we won’t be surprised if Dodge decides to once again drop the Pentastar from the lineup.
Read More About the Dodge Durango:
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- Research the Dodge Durango
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