Who makes the engine for Dodge?
Most Dodge engines are built in-house by Stellantis at its North American engine plants; a notable exception is that the broader Stellantis group also includes engines produced by partner companies such as VM Motori for other brands within the group. This article explains where Dodge powertrains come from and how the brand’s engine lineup is sourced and produced.
In practice, Dodge relies on a core set of in-house engine families developed by Stellantis for daily-drivers and performance models, while the broader corporate network supplies additional powertrains for regional markets and partner brands. The result is a mix of long-standing Dodge designs and shared engineering across the Stellantis portfolio.
In-House Engine Families
Here are the main engine families that Dodge develops and builds within Stellantis' North American footprint, forming the backbone of most Dodge vehicles today.
- 3.6L Pentastar V6 — a versatile, widely used engine across many Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep models, valued for a balance of power and efficiency.
- 5.7L Hemi V8 — a long-standing Dodge performance staple, used in a broad range of rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.
- 6.4L Hemi V8 (392) — a higher-output variant designed for performance-oriented trims and special editions.
- 6.2L Supercharged Hemi V8 (Hellcat family) — the top-tier powerplant for Dodge’s extreme performance models, delivering peak performance in Hellcat/SRT variants.
These in-house engines power the core Dodge lineup, anchoring both everyday capability and high-performance offerings.
Partner and Global Engines in the Stellantis Network
As part of the Stellantis family, some engines across the broader brand ecosystem come from partner suppliers or international divisions. Dodge-specific usage remains largely in-house, while the network supports specialized powertrains, regional models, and cross-brand applications.
VM Motori and the broader Stellantis engine ecosystem
VM Motori, an Italian engine maker now part of Stellantis, is known for diesel and other powerplants used across the group. While these designs are not typical Dodge-branded engines, they illustrate how Stellantis coordinates a global engine strategy that includes external partners for select powertrains.
Summary
In short, the core Dodge engines—especially the Pentastar V6 and the Hemi V8 families—are designed and manufactured by Stellantis in North America. The brand benefits from a strong in-house engineering program combined with Stellantis’ global powertrain network to support specialized and regional needs. This blend keeps Dodge aligned with its performance heritage while leveraging the group's broader manufacturing capabilities.
