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Diesel details: Comparing Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, Chevy Silverado Duramax, Ford F-150 Powerstroke

With specifications for the 2019 Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel already out, and the details on the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and Chevy Silverado Duramax (and its GMC Sierra twin) trickling out, we felt it was a good time to start comparing the full-size trucks' light-duty diesels. Bear in mind, we've only driven one of these new diesel trucks, so we'll be sticking to numbers for now. Some numbers haven't been announced yet, either, but stay tuned, because we'll be updating this post with additional specifications as they become available. And if you want to compare any other versions of these trucks with other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tool. Now let's start comparing, starting with our big chart of numbers below. As we can plainly see, these trucks are quite closely matched. Each one has six cylinders, a displacement of 3.0 liters and a turbocharger to boost it. The output of each is somewhat close, too. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the torque king at 480 pound-feet, 20 more than the GM trucks and 40 more than the Ford. The GM trucks win on power, though, with 277 ponies, 17 more than the Ram, and 27 more than the Ford. GM does report that you get their trucks' peak 460 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 rpm to 3,000 rpm, whereas the others only report peak torque at a particular point in the rev band, but all of these trucks should have wide, flat torque curves as you would expect from modern turbodiesels. 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel View 8 Photos Engine output is only one part of the truck performance equation. We also have towing and payload capacity, as well as fuel economy. With towing, the Ram 1500 is the current leader with a maximum capacity of 12,560 pounds. That tops the Ford F-150's 11,400-pound tow rating by well over 1,000 pounds. The F-150 can carry 2,020 pounds in its bed, but we don't know yet whether that's better or worse than the Ram or the GM trucks. We also don't have numbers for the GM trucks' towing capacities. View 9 Photos As for fuel economy, the Ford F-150 manages a thoroughly impressive 22 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway with two-wheel drive. Choosing four-wheel drive drops those numbers to 20 and 25 respectively. The fuel economy numbers for the Ram, Chevy and GMC haven't been revealed yet, but for some comparison, we can look at the old Ram EcoDiesel. That truck's best fuel economy was 20 in the city and 27 on the highway with two-wheel drive.

Ram 1500 is first full-size pickup to earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Fiat Chrysler says the Ram 1500 Crew Cab truck has been named a Top Safety Pick+ for 2019 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, making it the first full-size pickup to earn the sought-after top designation. The rating applies to the 2020 and to current-year models built since May, when equipped with adaptive LED headlamps with high-beam assist, plus Ram’s automatic emergency braking system, a.k.a. forward collision mitigation. The addition of the LED projector headlamps appears to have sealed the deal, as previously tested versions of the 2019 Ram 1500 built after July 2018 but before June of this year earned “marginal” and “poor” marks for headlights, IIHSÂ’s newest requirement to earn the top mark. The truck had otherwise previously earned “good” ratings for all crash tests, including driver- and passenger-side small overlap and side crashes. The headlamps are available on the Laramie and Limited trims.  2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel View 46 Photos Ram uses an integrated radar camera module to enable its forward collision mitigation system, which earned a “superior” rating. FCA consolidated the radar and camera components behind the vehicleÂ’s rear-view mirror, which it says helps to simplify the interface and keeps the technology out of harmÂ’s way in the event of a collision. The system, which is also optional, first warns the driver to take action to avoid a collision, then activates the brakes automatically if the driver fails to intervene. Other safety systems available include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and ready alert braking. The 1500 also benefits from its patented splayed front frame-rails, which help better manage crash energy in certain frontal collisions. Ram earlier this year rolled out its second-generation 260-horsepower EcoDiesel V6 for the 1500 and Ram 1500 Classic. ItÂ’s one of four engine options for the truck.

Ram/Jeep Ecodiesel engine has Maserati roots

The 3.0L turbodiesel V6 in the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel earned a slot on Ward's Automotive 2014 10 Best Engines for its power, fuel economy and refinement. In a piece looking at how Fiat subsidiary VM Motor developed the engine, Ward's also makes note of the fact that the same lump goes in diesel versions of the Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli. They're tuned a bit differently, naturally, with the QP putting out 275 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, the smaller, lighter Ghibli making do with the same number of horses but a lower torque output of 420 lb-ft.
The 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet put out by the oil-burning six-cylinder in the Ram was tamed with a host of advances, but it appears that Ram hasn't tamed demand: the initial allocation of 8,000 engines was spoken for within three days of the truck going on sale. Head over to Ward's to read the story of how Ram worked out the equation light-duty-pickup + diesel = success.