The new 2014 Ram 1500 3.0L EcoDiesel represents a sea change in the half-ton truck market. For years, half-ton truck owners have been clamoring for a diesel engine. The reason? Diesels offer excellent fuel economy, incredible durability, and big-time performance.

Ram’s new 3.0L EcoDiesel offers all of the above and more. Not only is the engine rated to pull 9,200 lbs and expected to get 25mpg on the highway, but it also offers the legendary reliability of VM Motori, the Italian company that designed the engine in the first place.

VM Motori has been building engines since 1947. They’ve created engines for the Range Rover, numerous Ford, GM, Toyota and Chrysler products offered in Europe and Asia. Much like Cummins, VM Motori engines have a global reputation for quality, reliability, and efficiency.

The 3.0L is rated at 420lb-ft of torque and 240hp. While 240hp might not seem like much, keep in mind that HP is a function of RPM. A high-revving gas engine (like one of Honda’s skimpy little “V-tech” 4-bangers) can brag about big HP ratings by measuring output at very high RPMs (some Honda 4-cylinders have a redline of 8800 RPM). The 3.0L EcoDiesel is designed to operate at 2,000 to 4,000 RPM, so the 240 max HP rating is deceptive.

A better way to measure the performance of the new 3.0L EcoDiesel is to compare it’s tow rating to other engines. The 9,200lbs max tow rating of the 3.0L is neck and neck with the max tow rating of the HEMI 5.7L V8. While the 3.0L diesel isn’t going to be as fast at the drag strip as the HEMI, it’s every bit as capable…which is why no one should pay much attention to the 240hp rating.

The EcoDiesel is available on the 2014 Ram 1500, and you can order one from your local Ram dealer now. To learn more, visit RamTrucks.com.

Engine Specs