At the 2011 North American International Auto Show, Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that a Dodge Ram 1500 diesel pickup could be a reality if there is enough demand for it. He went on to say, “we can do it all. We have the engines, the know-how, because as you well know, Fiat is the repository of a huge amount of diesel know-how because of our industrial applications and even on the passenger car side. We’d love to do it, but the question is will it sell?”
Past attempts to offer diesel options on Jeep SUVs did not work out as expected and were short-lived. It is speculated that we could soon see legislation that will drive up the demand for light-duty diesel pickup trucks so this alone could call for a diesel option on the popular Dodge Ram 1500.
So why haven’t we seen one yet? This is most likely due to the size and weight of the Cummins Turbo Diesel and the 1500s stock front suspension and chassis not being able to handle it without a serious overhaul. But given the ever growing popularity of cleaner fuel technology, smaller, fuel efficient diesel engines may be the answer. Smaller diesel engines such as the ones used in the older Jeep models wouldn’t offer enough power for what Dodge Ram owners expect. So if we were to see a Dodge Ram 1500 diesel in the near future, will it be sporting a Cummins Diesel Engine? Probably not.
Will Ford and GM soon offer diesel options on their light-duty pickups?
Stay tuned for more updates on this topic.
[Information Sources: AutoGuide.com, Dodge Forum]
I’am waiting for the 2014 diesel . I hope that it will a very engine for the ram 150