It’s Ram vs. Ford vs. Chevy all over again, diesel-style. The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel bursts back onto the full-size diesel truck scene with some impressive on-paper numbers. Those who go for Ram’s diesel truck will get higher torque and a higher towing capacity compared to any of its rivals. But that’s not the full story.
Ram was first among the current competitive set with a light-duty diesel truck, but now it has competition. Ford makes a diesel variant of its bestselling F-150, and the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will offer a diesel, too. The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel packs an Italian-made, 260-hp 3.0-liter V-6 under its enormous hood, and its 480 lb-ft of torque is routed through an eight-speed automatic. That compares well to Ford’s 3.0-liter diesel V-6 with 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque; the Ford uses a 10-speed automatic.
As for Chevy, the 2020 Silverado 1500 diesel is rated at 277 horses and 460 lb-ft. That output comes from from a 3.0-liter inline-six that’s mated to a 10-speed automatic. So the 2020 Ram 1500 diesel looks well positioned, especially with its 12,560-pound class-leading towing capacity. But those numbers, though staggering, don’t necessarily mean it will be the best-driving half-ton diesel truck. We’ll let you know as soon as we get to drive it.
When you’re between big jobs, you might appreciate the Ram’s improved fuel economy. The automaker is keeping the specific numbers close to its chest for now, but it plans to leapfrog Ford, which currently offers a rear-drive version of the F-150 diesel achieving an EPA-rated 22/30 mpg city/highway.
If the number you’re most interested in follows a dollar sign, know that 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pricing won’t be revealed until closer to when the truck goes on sale in the last few months of 2019. But Ram does tell us that the updated EcoDiesel engine will be offered across the lineup, from Tradesman to Rebel. As with other 2020 Ram 1500s, the diesel version will be offered with an air suspension.
We’ll have more details about the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel as we get closer to its arrival in the fourth quarter of this year.
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