First Drive Review
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The Ram goes compression ignition.
Being practical sorts, full-size pickup owners don’t suffer fools or eco-weenies gladly. But as with the mainstreaming of organic foods and energy-conserving light bulbs and appliances, the prefix “eco” has slowly crept into the pickup-truck vernacular.
Ford kicked things off a few years back with its gas-burning EcoBoost V-6 F-150. Some industry stalwarts dismissed the fancy-pants turbocharged trucks, then got quiet as the Blue Oval grabbed great handfuls of market share, with as many as 40 percent of F-150 buyers choosing the blown V-6 over a traditional V-8. Earlier this summer, GM introduced its new-generation full-size pickups with a freshly engineered lineup of direct-injected, variable-displacement V-6 and V-8 engines dubbed Ecotec3. Now the battle for the wallets of mileage-minded haulers is joined by Chrysler, which is introducing the industry’s first small-displacement light-duty pickup turbo-diesel engine. It’s being marketed as—wait for it—the EcoDiesel.
A Shared Cadillac and Ram Engine? It Could Have Happened
The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 comes to these shores courtesy of VM Motori, a longtime Italian marine diesel-engine builder and former affiliate of Fiat. Ownership is now, interestingly enough, split 50/50 between Chrysler/Fiat and General Motors. Yes, GM. Industry sources tell us that a version of the EcoDiesel was originally being developed for use in the Cadillac CTS, which makes sense, as any company that wants its luxury sedans to be taken seriously in Europe needs to offer an oil burner. The Caddy version bit the dust in GM’s 2009 march to bankruptcy, but today you can buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the engine. The Ram version driven here will be on offer by the end of the year, at an estimated $4000 upcharge over the base 3.6-liter Pentastar gas V-6 (or $2850 more than the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 option).
Chrysler sees its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 as fulfilling an unmet demand in the full-size pickup segment, and as a complement to its V-6 and V-8 gas engines and the HD trucks’ 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel. While final EPA estimates aren’t available, Chrysler did announce that it expects highway fuel economy in the high 20s. We have every reason to believe that’s reasonable, as the several-hundred-pound-lighter Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel is already in production and carries official EPA numbers of 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
Driving Impressions, We Has Them
As with every other turbo-diesel on the planet, the EcoDiesel V-6’s calling card is torque, and lots of it—in this case 420 lb-ft, available from 2000 rpm. We drove both on- and off-road north of Los Angeles in a well-equipped (estimated price: $39,940) Ram 1500 2WD crew cab with mid-level Lone Star trim. The truck likely tipped the scales just shy of 6000 pounds, yet the winsome combination of a wide-ratio eight-speed automatic transmission and generous low- and mid-range grunt delivered ample acceleration and flexibility.
Underhood, the variable-vane turbocharger does a good job of taming low-speed turbo lag. Even at part-throttle, it was easy to make time on back roads or jockey for slots in the ebb and flow of suburban traffic. Chrysler says the 3.0 EcoDiesel engine weighs only 50 pounds more than the Hemi V-8, which is light for a diesel. Keeping extra pounds out of the nose contributes to the EcoDiesel’s feeling of agility, something the big-dog Cummins diesel in heavy-duty Rams can’t claim. While the 6.7-liter Cummins in HD Rams offers a sick 30,000 pounds of towing muscle, the EcoDiesel V-6 is still rated for a healthy 9200 pounds.
And there it is. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel for now has the half-ton diesel market to itself, although Nissan has confirmed it will enter the fray with its next-gen Titan. (GM and Ford are for now content to sit it out, although the General had an engine basically ready to go before bankruptcy canceled the program.) Such trucks represent a new full-size-pickup sweet spot that combines respectable performance, hauling ability, and fuel economy barely attainable in smaller trucks just a few years ago. Sounds pretty damn practical, no?
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive, 2–5-passenger, 2–4-door truck
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $29,580
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 182 cu in, 2988 cc
Power: 240 hp @ 3600 rpm
Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 120.5–140.5 in
Length: 209.0–237.9 in
Width: 79.4 in Height: 74.4–79.9 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 5150–6200 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.9–8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0–16.7
Top speed: 115 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 20/27 mpg
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