More details are coming soon.
After months of waiting, we finally have our first chance to get up close and personal with the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. This is Ram’s second take on its diesel option, with 80 percent of the parts being entirely new from the last-generation model. Now, the new Ram EcoDiesel produces 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. Currently, that leads the half-ton class in torque against the likes of Ford’s PowerStroke engine and GM’s new Duramax. In this video, we’re taking a look around the truck and seeing exactly what’s changed from the old EcoDiesel and what sets it apart from the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup.
To answer that last part first, little has changed on the outside from the Pentastar V6 and Hemi V8 gas-powered models. The “1500” badge on the hood has “EcoDiesel” beneath it, but there are few other distinctions from its half-ton siblings. Our particular test truck is a Laramie Longhorn trim, although the EcoDiesel is available across the entire Ram 1500 lineup. Quad Cab and Crew Cab models, 4×2 and 4×4 all have the EcoDiesel as an optional powertrain.
VM Motori, a wholly-owned Fiat Chrysler subsidiary, will still build the engine in Italy. However, Ram will assemble the finished truck at its plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. In this new generation, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 still has a compacted graphite iron block with an aluminum cylinder heads. Ram also fitted a new water-cooled variable geometry turbocharger, updated the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, and changed the compression ratio from 16.5:1 down to 16:1.
Pricing, fuel economy coming soon
The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel makes its torque lower in the rev range than the old unit, making its full 480 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 RPM. As with the rest of the Ram 1500 range, this model uses an eight-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy and pricing information are not available just yet. We will have more information on the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel soon.
Stay tuned to TFLtruck.com for more updates!
