Ram has announced pricing for the new third-generation EcoDiesel engine under the hood of the 2020 1500.
Starting price for a Ram 1500 with the EcoDiesel will be $38,585 including destination charges, which will get you a Tradesman Quad Cab two-wheel drive. Opting for the engine is a $4,995 option over the base V6 or a $3000 option over the 5.7-lite HEMI V8 (or $3,300 on Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Rebel and Laramie models).
Ram is offering the new EcoDiesel across all models and configurations, which means for the first time it will be powering the Ram Rebel.
Power for the EcoDiesel is rated at 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, while max towing with the engine comes in at 12,560 pounds.
There is a way to get a cheaper EcoDiesel as well, though it won’t match those power numbers. Ram will offer the second-generation EcoDiesel with its 1500 Classic models, making 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.
Pricing for the Classic EcoDiesel begins at $39,140 for a Crew Cab 4×2.
So what’s the difference between the second- and third-generation EcoDiesel? Below is a list directly from a Ram press release, outlining all the changes that have arrived for the EcoDiesel:
- A new-generation water-cooled turbocharger with variable geometry is more efficient and provides improved response as engine rpms rise and fall.
- Redesigned intake ports to improve engine performance and fuel economy.
- Introduction of a dual, high-pressure and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, a first for a diesel engine in North America. The EcoDiesel’s existing high-pressure EGR, with cooling exhaust gases drawn from the exhaust manifold, is augmented with a low-pressure EGR system that draws exhaust gases after they exit the diesel particulate filter. The addition of cooler, low-pressure exhaust gas makes a significant contribution to improved fuel economy and lower oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
- The compression ratio is changed to 16.0:1, from 16.5:1, which helps reduce exhaust emissions, particularly NOx.
- Redesigned high-pressure (29,000 psi/2,000 bar) direct-injection fuel injector nozzles.
- Combustion chamber geometry optimized to improve fuel economy.
- Redesigned aluminum-alloy pistons improve fuel economy. The redesigned pistons use thinner piston rings and coating on the side skits to reduce friction.
- The piston pin is offset 0.3 degrees from the centerline to reduce “piston slap” against the cylinder wall, minimizing NVH.
- The lower portion of the two-piece oil sump uses a sandwiched polymer/metal material to reduce NVH.
- The Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system is 50 percent larger and incorporates a new-generation diesel oxidation catalyst with the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system to reduce NOx.
- New-generation brake system vacuum pump with low-friction blades contributes to improved fuel economy.
Fuel economy estimates from the EPA will be released for the new EcoDiesel closer to when the truck goes on sale this year early in the fourth quarter.
