Pickup truck fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of light duty diesel engines in half-ton trucks for the past several years, and it now appears that at least one automaker is about to deliver. According to a report from the all-Mopar-knowing hive mind at allpar.com, Chrysler’s dealer computer system is showing new entries for a diesel-powered Ram 1500 in regular and Quad Cab configurations.
In addition, the list of transmission options for the diesel reportedly includes what appears to be the long-awaited hybrid unit that was last seen in the discontinued Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen. Is it possible that Chrysler plans to mate its hybridized automatic with the fuel-sipping and torque-laden diesel?
We have no way of verifying whether or not these high-efficiency trucks are scheduled for impending shipment to dealers, but we’re pretty stoked by the idea of a 5.0-liter V8 from the diesel experts at Cummins, assuming the automaker can manage to keep the price reasonable.
[Source: allpar.com]