Saturday, February 16, 2013

Thread of the Day: Should Ford, Chevrolet Follow the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel?s Lead?

With the official announcement of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the automaker has confirmed it will offer a new and highly anticipated powertrain choice for light-duty pickup buyers. Should the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and others follow Ram?s lead into the half-ton diesel market?

2013 Ram 1500 rear three quarter in motion1 300x187 imageDiesel-powered light-duty trucks isn?t without precedent: Ford once considered a 4.5-liter turbo diesel V-8 engine for the F-150 pickup, about the same time GM was developing a 4.5-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine for GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 trucks. Development of both engines has been put on hold.

Chrysler went with a smaller 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 for the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which it shares with the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. In that SUV, the 3.0-liter turbodiesel is rated 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, with mileage as high as 30 mpg highway. Backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, the powertrain in the Jeep is tow-rated at 7400 pounds. The 2013 Ram 1500 is shown here.

Pricing hasn?t been announced for the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, but we expect a premium over the 3.6-liter V-6 and 5.7-liter V-8 gas engines. Chrysler cites internal research showing customer demand for a diesel-powered half-ton pickup, and we wonder how many will actually buy a 1500 EcoDiesel when it goes on sale later this year. Should Ford and GM offer diesel-powered half-ton trucks in response to the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel? Share your thoughts below.

Source: http://wot.motortrend.com/thread-of-the-day-should-ford-chevrolet-follow-the-2014-ram-1500-ecodiesels-lead-329875.html

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