The all-new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 is among Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2014. WardsAuto is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for more than 85 years.
The all-new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 generates 240 hp at 3,600 rpm and 420 ft/lbs of torque at 2,000 rpm. WardsAuto judges tested the engine in a 2014 Ram 1500-the NAFTA market's first and only light-duty pickup powered by clean diesel technology.
"Quiet, strong and as smooth as the diesels we've been testing in luxury cars, the Ram 3.0L V-6 works in perfect harmony with Chrysler's standard 8-speed transmission to deliver an unbeatable combination of power and efficiency," says Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of WardsAuto. "Thanks to advanced emissions-control technology, its exhaust is ultra-clean, making this engine available in all 50 states. If you're planning serious work or play, the Ram EcoDiesel really makes sense."
The EcoDiesel's fuel pump is upgraded to accommodate the engine's 2,000-bar (29,000-psi) high-pressure common-rail injection system. The engine also benefits from Fiat's MultiJet 2 technology, which enables Injection Rate-Shaping - fuel injection that is modulated to mitigate noise and improve low-speed throttle response, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The system's high-dispersion nozzles and advanced-technology servovalve can accommodate up to eight fuel-injection events per cylinder cycle.
The EcoDiesel V-6 contributed to the 2014 Ram 1500's victory in the latest Motor Trend Truck of the Year competition. Its fuel-economy rating is not yet final, but it will be best-in-class - a distinction currently accorded the Pentastar-powered 2013 Ram 1500 which gets 25 mpg in highway driving.