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More Signals That Ram Will Bring Out 1500 Diesel

Since TundraHeadquarters.com was founded way back in March 2007, we’ve been pining for a diesel Tundra. Anyone who has driven one of the big diesel trucks from Ford, GM, or Chrysler-Fiat will testify to the power, performance, and efficiency of the modern turbo-diesel. I’ll go a step further and say that – disregarding cost – a diesel is the best pickup truck engine option for a hauling or towing.

The trouble is, I have to qualify my statement by saying “disregarding cost,” and that just doesn’t reflect reality. Despite their performance benefits, no automaker has offered a diesel engine in a light-duty truck in recent memory. The general reason is cost, or more specifically, emissions. US vehicle emissions rules are strict, which means US diesel engines need a lot of emissions controls, which means they’re expensive….which means the rest of world enjoys torquey little high-mileage diesels while we don’t.

However, recent comments from Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne – combined with some interesting rumors about a Ram 1500 diesel we reported back in December 2010 – indicate that Ram might be the first company to offer a diesel in a light-duty pickup.