X

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has tech, torque and towing capability in spades

Ram's diesel-powered, half-ton truck offers 480 pound-feet of torque and a 12,560-pound tow rating.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
2 min read
Ram

Good news, truck fans: The new half-ton can now be had with diesel power. officially announced the 2020 1500 EcoDiesel on Monday, and it boasts torque, tech and towing capacity that'll give other full-size pickup trucks a run for their money.

Ram's new, turbocharged, 3.0-liter diesel V6 produces 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which arrives at just 1,600 rpm. These represent decent increases of 20 horsepower and 60 pound-feet over the last-generation Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Ram hasn't released fuel economy estimates just yet, but says the EcoDiesel engine "is expected to lead the segment on fuel economy," according to a statement. The last Ram 1500 EcoDiesel was rated at 21 miles per gallon city and 29 mpg highway.

Be sure to read our spec comparison to see how the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel stacks up against the diesel-powered Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and GMC Sierra.

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel
Enlarge Image
2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 produces 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

Ram

Ram says the 1500 EcoDiesel will be the outright towing leader of the full-size, diesel-powered class, rated to pull a maximum of 12,560 pounds when properly equipped. The EcoDiesel can be had with the Ram 1500's auto-leveling air suspension, which can lower itself at higher speeds for improved highway fuel economy.

What's perhaps most interesting is that Ram says the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine will be available on every 1500 trim level. That includes the off-road-ready Ram 1500 Rebel, pictured in red here. Hell, even the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic -- a last-generation truck that carries over for the current model year -- is available with EcoDiesel power. And don't forget, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine is expected to slot into the 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, as well.

Since the EcoDiesel option is just an engine, the trucks feature all the same comfort and convenience features as other Ram 1500 models. That means Ram's excellent Uconnect infotainment tech will be on offer, housed on the truck's huge, 12-inch, portrait-oriented screen.

What we don't know just yet is how much the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will cost -- it'll surely command a decent premium over the gasoline-powered Ram trucks. The truckmaker says we'll have official pricing information later this year, before the trucks hit dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2019.

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is a torque-tastic truck

See all photos