EcoDiesel engine propels Ram 1500 to first ever back-to-back Motor Trend Truck of the Year honors

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

In his explanation of why Motor Trend has awarded the Ram 1500 the 2014 Truck of the Year honor, Michael Febbo explains that it was only 15 years ago that a half-ton truck with a diesel led to diesel’s disappearance from mainstream America.

Now, thanks to the Ram EcoDiesel engine, it’s the main reason the 1500 has won Truck of the Year for an unprecedented second year in a row. Impressive, considering some strong competition on GM’s behalf in the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500s.

Febbo goes on to briefly explain the “superiority of diesel,” saying it is a more stable fuel,  has a slower burn rate and that it’s 15 percent more energy dense that gasoline. That means if a tank of gas is going to get you 500 miles, a tank of diesel the same size will get you 575 miles.

And the Motor Trend editors really liked the EcoDiesel itself. The 3.0-liter DOHC turbodiesel puts out 240 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. “Our judges rated the EcoDiesel the highest in ease of towing as well,” Febbo wrote. “That’s the brilliance of this truck: It never feels like it’s trying.”

And the fuel economy numbers are certainly game-changing. Though official EPA ratings haven’t yet been released, Motor Trend‘s rigorous IntelliChoice Real MPG testing found that the EcoDiesel got “from 19/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined for a Laramie Longhorn 4×4 with a 3.92 rear axle to 18/28/22 for a Lone Star 4×2 with a 3.55.”

The Truck of the Year honor is sure to only up the consumer hype surrounding the 1500 EcoDiesel. Ram recently said it’s worried about whether it will be able to fulfill demand.

Read Motor Trend’s full Truck of the Year report on the Ram 1500 by clicking here.