RAM OIL

FOR THOSE WHO WANT A TURBO-DIESEL RAM 1500 LARAMIE, THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER.

- Dean Mellor

EATS UTES for breakfast, drinks fuel like a sailor? Well, not quite, because when we tested the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 that exclusively powered the RAM 1500 pick-up until now, it proved surprisingly frugal … for a huge petrol donk, that is. But with the recent release of the RAM 1500 Laramie V6 EcoDiesel to the Australian market, you can now have your big slice of American pie and eat it too.

Sure, some of the charm of driving around in a Ram 1500 is the fact it has a stonking great V8 under the ‘hood’ that pumps out a more-than-handy 291kW (395hp in the old language), but for those who can live without that top-end poke and the sweet V8 soundtrack, the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine is a more-than-worthy Ram powerplant.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

THE ECODISEL is essentially the same VM Motori 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine that powers other FCA product including the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the obvious benefit in choosing the oiler over the petrol V8 is the former’s better fuel economy, which brings much greater touring range, no doubt attractive to those who intend to tow a large ’van and the like over long distances.

This diesel is no one-trick pony; as well as impressive fuel economy it also packs a decent punch in the torque stakes, producing a meaty 569Nm at 2000rpm. By contrast, the Hemi V8 only makes 556Nm at a considerably higher 3950rpm. Yep, for those who have heavy loads to carry and/or big trailers to haul, the EcoDiesel suddenly starts to make a lot of sense.