Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Is A Go, Midsize Truck Is A No For Now [UPDATE]

Diesel is still available for the Ram Classic but will be added to the new 1500 in the future.

A spokesperson from Ram sent us clarification on plans for a midsize truck. There are no plans for a midsizer yet, but the automaker is considering options.

Ram’s half-ton pickup truck looks great from the inside and out. Although it’s attracted a lot of attention from truck buyers, the powertrain options haven’t improved as much as the previous-generation 150. The 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel engine that was in the old Ram was still available. However, Autoblog didn’t stop at whispered rumors.

Autoblog met Jim Morrison at the New York Auto Show to discuss FCA’s Ram brand. Jeep will be bringing in a diesel to power the Gladiator. This led to the question of whether a full-size Ram would have a diesel engine. The answer was “yes”. Although no specific date was given for the new engine option, the report does at least limit the timeline to later in the year.

Curiously, however, the report states that the engine will not be the same 3.0-liter turbo-diesel used in the Ram’s previous model. It’s likely to be a modified version of the engine that will also serve in the Gladiator. The engine will produce 260 horsepower (194 Kilowatts) as well as 442 pound-feet (599 Newton meters) of torque. This engine is slightly more powerful than the EcoDiesel in the Ram Classic.

Autoblog also reports that Ram has no plans to enter the growing midsize pickup truck market. The Dodge Dakota, a strong mid-size pickup truck, was a steady pillar for a long time. In fact, it may have been responsible for the creation of the segment in the mid-1980s. Although the Dakota was a smaller Ford Ranger, it left the scene in 2011 without a foreign variant. The Ranger is back as a midsize truck but the situation at FCA is more complicated due to the Gladiator, which is itself directly in the midsize segment.

As the year progresses, we will continue to keep our eyes open for more Ram 1500 EcoDiesel information.