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Ram announced a new addition to the 2020 Ram 1500: a third-generation 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine with more power, more torque than before and with it some half-ton bragging rights over Ford and Chevrolet.
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The 2019 Ram 1500 won PickupTrucks.com's on the strength of its technology, interior quality and high towing/payload ratings, and the new diesel power plant expands the truck's capabilities even more. The new engine remains a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 — like its last run in 2018 — but now it makes more power: 260 horsepower (an 8 percent increase) and a whopping 480 pounds-feet of torque (a 14 percent increase).
That's enough to give the 2020 Ram 1500 the best-in-class torque rating among the half tons — the Ford F-150 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel makes 250 hp and 440 pounds-feet of torque while the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 3.0-liter Duramax makes 277 hp and 460 pounds-feet of torque. The new EcoDiesel bumps towing capacity to a maximum 12,560 pounds. How did Ram do this? With a slew of changes from an increased compression ratio (16:1 to 16.5:1) to a new water-cooled turbocharger to redesigned pistons and cylinder head intake ports among other updates.
The new diesel engine will have wide availability across the Ram lineup, and Ram says it will be "available in all models and configurations," which includes an off-road-oriented Ram 1500 Rebel EcoDiesel for the first time. We are still two important numbers: pricing and fuel economy. Ram says those will be available closer to the truck's on sale date in the fourth quarter of 2019.
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