First Ram 1500 EcoDiesels expected to hit dealerships in February

Updated Jan 10, 2014

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Later this month, Chrysler Group will begin assembly of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel with the first deliveries to dealerships occurring very soon after.

According to a report from Automotive News, about 1,000 pre-spec—units not based on dealer orders—versions of the truck will be made in the next few weeks and then distributed in February.

Dealers will then begin taking customer orders for the truck, powered by a 3.0-liter diesel engine produced by Fiat-owned VM Motori.

The EcoDiesel package comes at a premium of $2,850 over the comparably-equipped Ram with a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. The DOHC turbodiesel puts out 240 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque and was the main reason Motor Trend named the Ram 1500 its Truck of the Year for the second consecutive year in a row. The engine provided fuel economy of up to 28 miles per gallon in Motor Trend‘s testing.

Ram has called reaction to the EcoDiesel “unprecedented” and has said it is unsure whether or not production will be able to meet demand.