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Budd Stanley photos
Does the sound of a 1500 EcoDiesel Power Wagon sound good to you? Only a dream at this point.
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Budd Stanley photos
Engine
Chryslers latest gem, the 3.0L EcoDiesel V-6 will now give a full-size truck, car-like fuel efficiency.
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Budd Stanley photos
Badge
The EcoDiesel is built by VM Motori of Italy, now owned by Fiat.
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Budd Stanley photos
Splash
The Diesel proved itself astute in off-road conditions, even if the Ram's dimensions handicapped it slightly.
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Budd Stanley photos
Hill Climb
The EcoDiesel pulled the Ram's girth up a steep incline with little to no fuss.
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Budd Stanley photos
2014 Ram 1500
Like most diesels today, topping up the exhaust fluid must be done at oil change intervals.
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Budd Stanley photos
Dash
Story and photos by Budd Stanley
To say the full-size truck market is hot at the moment is quite likely the understatement of the year. While Ford, GM and Ram all do battle to outperform each other in power, efficiency, capability and tech, Ram just let us have a go in one of only six pre-production 2014 1500’s in existence that will have the competition sitting with their heads in their hands. In all reality, the 2014 Ram 1500 is completely unchanged for 2014 when considering the 2013 model year. Well, all but one small detail. Ram has finally given us Canucks what we’ve been yearning so long for, that our American counterparts just don’t covet as much as we, a turbo diesel power plant powering a 1500 truck. Now before you go dreaming of massive Cummins power loaded into a smaller truck, let me stop you right there. The Ram 1500 is not a Cummins, but an EcoDiesel, a 3.0L V-6 turbo diesel mill that has been in use in European Cherokees since 2011, now touched upon by the engineers at Chrysler to make the bureaucrats in Ottawa happy.
A puny little 3.0L in a full-size might seem a bit of an anti-climatic end to the story, however, by punching out a very usable 240 horsepower, 420 lb-ft of torque, not only does the EcoDiesel have the torque of the 3.5L EcoBoost, it is also pumping out more power than the original Cummins fitted to the Ram Heavy Duty. Like I said, those looking for big Cummins power may be left a little disappointed as the EcoDiesel actually has a smaller towing capacity (4,173 kg) compared to its 5.7L HEMI cousin. While Ram was in cahoots’ with Cummins on a 5.0L diesel, they chose to run the path of fuel efficiency rather than towing tonnage, which with the aid of the 8-speed transmission, is likely to blow the competition out of the water. As the current fuel-sipping king, the 3.6L gasoline Pentastar is rated at 7.8L/100km on the highway, expect the EcoDiesel to post low sixes. I managed an impressive 9.0L/100km despite giving the truck a good ringing out. Not to mention a fair amount of 4-Low work.
As the only light-duty truck currently making use of modern clean diesel technology (Nissan and quite likely Ford will be following suit later in 2014) the EcoDiesel sports all the latest diesel tech including variable geometry turbo architecture, common-rail injection rated at 2000 bar and Diesel Exhaust Fluid treatment that sprays Urea (that requires refills at oil change intervals) into the exhaust to help trap particulate and improve emissions. On that point, the reason why so many have promised to offer diesel options on their trucks (Honda and Toyota) yet failed to bring an oil burner to market has been the ever changing world of emission regulations that will see massive increases over the next six years, requiring a large amount of investment in development to get these engines to run cleaner and cleaner. It’s refreshing to see that while Toyota and Honda have decided to turn their backs on diesel, Chrysler is embracing it, now offering EcoDiesel options on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ram ProMaster and now the 1500.
The EcoDiesel proves smooth and beautiful to drive on the road with the majority of its power coming right off the romp like a typical diesel mill. With variable geometry turbo wizardry, there is all but a slight amount of sluggishness from a stop before turbo lag is executed. With the turbo spooled, a great surge of momentum begins to build as RPM’s rise. However, it really shouldn’t be called the loud pedal in the Ram as this engine is BMW quiet, both inside and out.
I’m sure by now you guys are not so much worried about how it drives on the road, but how it tackles the trail. Well, with such grunty low-end power matched to 2.64 Low range gearing, the EcoDiesel will quickly become a favourite of those who like to wheel full-size trucks. My time in the EcoDiesel was limited; however, what time I did have was spent well as I went in hunt of off-road terrain. What I found was some muddy fields and a wet grassy slope that would not provide much of a challenge to the drivetrain or chassis, but to the grip of the tires. This was overcome by the low-end power nature of the diesel, slowly clawing the big Ram up an impressive slope with ease. Low speed obstacle traversing proved a cinch as the smooth delivery of power kept everything calm, cool, and collected. When aggression was needed to overcome the failings of the rubber, all 420 pound-feet came to life to get all four wheels spinning with authority.
Unfortunately, there is no Power Wagon version of the 1500, though the EcoDiesel does lend itself very well to off-road modifications. For those who don’t want to get their hands dirty, an Outdoorsman edition fitted with on the fly 4WD and air suspension that raises the ride height for off-road conditions will be able to handle light terrain. Although, clearances and break-over angles are a bit hindered with the long wheelbase double cab. A good set of mud-terrains and mild lift is all that’s needed to have a pretty good multipurpose rig. For those who want to get more aggressive, Mopar will most certainly be jumping all over this engine with upgrades, however, a simple programmer tune will likely have the 3.0L torquing 38’s with ease.
As a diesel fan boy, I’ve been waiting for this truck to come along for a long time now, and expectations were high. I’m happy to say, despite limited time in a pre-production model, I’m happy with what I’ve seen from Ram. The diesel may not be a hauling monster, but it is an excellent all-rounder, providing what will be game changing fuel efficiency, great usable power and let’s face it, 4,173 kg (in reg. cab, long bed, 2WD trim) is pretty damn good despite the current trend of astronomical numbers. I like the EcoDiesel, I like it a lot, and as soon as we can get our hands on a proper tester, we’ll be sure to get it up into the mountains to give it a proper run in the wild. Stay tuned.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- MSRP: $52,195
- Price as tested: $64,085
- Engine: 3.0L turbo diesel V-6
- Power: 240 hp, 420 lb-ft
- Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic
- Curb Weight kg (lb): 2,492 (5,494)
- Wheelbase mm (in): 3,569 (140.5)
- Ground Clearance mm (in): 234 (9.2) (Air Suspension)
- Approach Angle Deg: 19 (Air Suspension)
- Departure Angle Deg: 25 (Air Suspension)
- Ramp Breakover Angle: 17 (Air Suspension)
- Wading Depth mm (in): NA
- Tow Capacity kg (lb): 4,173 (9,200)
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): TBA