The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has been selling better than expected. How much better? The first batch of trucks, all 8,000 of them, sold out in three days. Not too surprising since the idea of a diesel-powered half-ton truck sounded like a no-brainer when Dodge announced a deal with VM Motori to put VM’s 3.0L V6 diesel into the trucks. Initially Ram was going to only have 10% of the entire 1500 series be EcoDiesels, but with sales like that, the company has decided to step up and will have 20% of the 1500 series equipped with the oil burner.
The EcoDiesel 3.0L V6 is good for 240hp and 420 ft/lb of torque and is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The best-selling version is (no shocker here) the crew-cab shortbed variation with the upscale interior. Given the popularity of diesel performance, it’s worth wondering how soon it will be before one of these gets modded up and taken to the dragstrip.
I can’t wait until those motors start becoming available from junkyards or scrappers! Imagine the possibilities!
Given the time and money, I’d want one in a Gen I IH Scout! That would rock!
Is that the same VM Motori that built the crappy Jeep Cherokee Diesel engine?
It’s built on the same platform as that engine with the head issues in pretty sure
Glad to hear this.
I’m hoping that as production volume goes up the price premium can come down. Diesel MPG and torque make a lot of sense for anyone that actually wants a truck (vs a status symbol) and it would be great if the financial argument could be made as well.
The 3.0L in the Grand Cherokee CRD was a Mercedes engine. Same one used in the ML360. The 2.8L 4cyl used in the Liberty CRD was a VM Motori engine. Both motors were beasts, but you had to put in a crankcase vent oil separator or you’d get a mess in the intake.
More diesel sales are good for all of us. I’m glad their selling more of them. I still want to see the 5.0ltr Cummins comming out in the next gen Titan, before I commit.