2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel: Confirmed

Diesel is certainly having its day in the sun, and now another recognizable vehicle has jumped on the bandwagon as the 2014 Ram 1500 pickup will offer a 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel engine beginning later this year.

In the wake of the Green movement that has placed an emphasis on environmental technologies like hybrid and electric cars, plenty of automakers are turning to diesel instead as a familiar and reliable source of fuel economy. Diesel vehicles are all the rage in Europe, and BMW and Audi have both pledged to bring more to the U.S. Even domestic brands are in on the act too, with the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel recently announced.

Today, however, Chrysler upped the ante by announcing that they will offer their 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel engine in the 2014 Ram 1500. By placing a diesel engine under the hood of the reigning Truck of the Year, in the light pickup category that is perhaps the most fierce segment in all U.S. sales, Chrysler is very clearly announcing their intentions to bring something brand new to the scene.

As of now, Chrysler has not yet released power and fuel economy figures for the new engine in the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. They do, however, expect class-leading torque from the turbocharged diesel engine.

Paired to an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, they also expect class-leading fuel efficiency. Currently, the 2013 Ram 1500 boasts a 25mpg rating, so look for the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to be even more fuel efficient than that. The new EcoDiesel engine is more than 60% more efficient than diesel engines that were used in Ram trucks 25 years ago, according to Chrysler.

The diesel engine is the same that will be available in the new Ram ProMaster Commercial Van and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel, as well. Just as they have done with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine, Chrysler may elect to share the 3.0L EcoDiesel with many vehicles across their entire model range. Could a Dodge Charger EcoDiesel be around the corner? Bet on it.

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