The new 3-liter powerplant is a turbocharged 60-degree V6 design with dual overhead camshafts and 24-valves. EcoDiesel is rated at 240 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. This – in theory – makes it more efficient than the all V6 gasoline engines used in half-ton pickup trucks, including Ford F-Series and the Toyota Tundra.
The comeback automaker, Chrysler Group, ups the ante in the ongoing pickup truck fuel economy wars by offering the first light duty diesel engine pared with an 8-speed automatic transmission, both exclusives in the segment. While prices have not been announced, the 3-liter “EcoDiesel” engine will be priced $2,850 above the gasoline Hemi V8 starting late this fall. Ram claims the diesel will deliver best-in-class fuel efficiency along with the greatest torque. Just bring money – this is going to be a +$45,000 (or more) set of wheels, AutoInformed predicts.
No fuel economy numbers were released, but the move clearly will counter efficiency claims by GM for its new gasoline engine 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks just now appearing in showrooms. Ironically, GM and Fiat each hold partial ownership of the diesel engine suppler VM Motori in Italy but Fiat is agile in this case by coming to market first.
Moreover, unlike potential buyers of the diesel in the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, truck owners will not need much coaxing to buy a diesel engine since they are long proven in heavier applications. (New GM Pickup EcoTech3 V6 Rated at 24 and 22 MPG, Chevrolet Debuts 2014 Cruze Diesel at Chicago Auto Show and Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Rated at 46 MPG Highway)
The new Ram 3-liter powerplant is a turbocharged 60-degree V6 design with dual overhead camshafts and 24-valves. EcoDiesel is rated at 240 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. This – in theory – should make it more efficient than the all V6 gasoline engines used in half-ton pickup trucks, including Ford F-Series and the Toyota Tundra.
Tundra for 2014 is carried over with its three existing powertrains – a 4-liter V6 with a five-speed, yes a badly outdated five-speed automatic transmission, and two V8 engines, 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter, both with 6-speed autos.
Ford is countering – well not really – with a new gasoline V6-powered 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor comes standard with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, offering V8 performance that is a performance truck with a 4.10:1 rear axle with electronic locking differential. (Toyota Shows Heavily Restyled 2014 Tundra Pickup Truck at CAS)
Ram EcoDiesel joins the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 (305 horsepower 269 lb.-ft. torque) and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (395 horsepower, 410 lb.-ft. of torque) gasoline engines already offered on the Ram 1500, both of which are already competitive in the class. Pickup truck buyers now ore offered the finest array of the most sophisticated engine technology, along with powertrain warranties of five years/100,000 miles.
Beginning in model year 2014, the Ram 1500 will have an optional front park-assist system, a first time offering on a full-size Ram pickup truck, which is a good thing given the large, overly exaggerated front hood and grille. The system uses four ultrasonic sensors located on the front bumper, and can detect objects as far away as 47.2 inches. The sending sensor and adjacent sensors pick up the echo of a signal when it bounces off an object. Triangulation is used to determine relative distance, based on elapsed time between the outgoing signal and its return.
The 2014 Ram 1500 is built at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan, which has built more than 12.5 million trucks since it started operations in 1938. The Regular Cab Ram 1500 is built at the Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant in Mexico.
