Ram is reportedly considering adding a diesel option to the Power Wagon, supporting recent rumors leaked by dealerships. While the brand offers the Cummins diesel 6.7-liter straight-six on several HD models, the 2500 Power Wagon comes exclusively with a 6.4-liter V8 that burns gasoline. However, the company has said that may be subject to change in subsequent model years.
According to Car and Driver, a powertrain engineer from the business has confirmed that Ram has seen a lot of requests for a diesel-driven Power Wagon. The Hemi V8 is more than sufficient for the off-road trimmed pickup in my purview. But there are apparently diesel fans that want a diesel option.
While the initial thought was that it would help with towing, Ram has other 2500 pickups running the V8 capable of hauling far more weight than the Power Wagon because that’s not what its suspension was designed to focus on. In fact, it was stated to be that the truck’s off-road goodies were the main reason the Cummins never made it into the Power Wagon. The front-mounted winch (which the company said was essential to the trim) reportedly did not leave sufficient room for an intercooler.
From Car and Driver:
Car and Driver recently spoke with one of Ram’s powertrain engineers, and—unlike with Toyota’s manual-less 4Runner—customers have been asking for a diesel Power Wagon. In fact, we learned that recently a lot more customers have been asking for it—and their voices are being heard. “We hear what’s going on,” the Ram engineer said. “If there’s an opportunity there, then we can engineer it.” Despite the possibility of a future diesel Power Wagon, Ram’s engineer didn’t provide a potential timeline, other than confirming it’s not happening for the 2025 model year.
Ram’s HD lineup just got a thorough refresh, and we’ve now driven the updated version of its Cummins turbo-diesel, a 6.7-liter straight-six that makes 430 horsepower and 1075 pound-feet of torque. The Cummins is available on the off-road-oriented Ram 2500 Rebel, but for now, the Power Wagon is stuck with the Hemi V-8, which is good for 405 ponies and 429 pound-feet. The Ram engineer said he believes that application is well suited for off-road duty, even if some customers still want the Power Wagon to get a Cummins option. “It’s like, for some reason, people want 1000 pound-feet of torque to put in the sand,” he said.
While your author has a soft spot for older diesels vehicles, modern emissions systems have significantly reduced the advantages associated with owning one. Complicated emissions systems designed to minimize particulate matter coming out of the exhaust and the introduction of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) or AdBlue have successfully managed to capture pollutants. But if you forget to add the DEF while refueling, the truck will go into an emissions-compliant limp mode.
You’ll still get above-average fuel economy, a surplus of torque, and the emissions hardware is something you can technically bypass with modifications. However, you’ll be skirting federal laws by doing so and will still have to pay for the privilege of trying to revert the powertrain to something resembling the diesels of yesterday as you void the warranty. A lot of mechanics won’t even consider it, especially on a brand-new truck. Newer diesels are likewise extremely difficult to modify without creating other issues and some connected vehicles will even tattle on you to the EPA, which will then fine you for breaking emissions laws.
But if you’re someone who doesn’t mind the anti-pollution hardware, and smart enough to keep some extra diesel exhaust fluid in the garage, you can enjoy most of the upsides of running a diesel truck without too much hassle. Honestly, the real risk of putting a hypothetical diesel Power Wagon on the market is probably just the fact that the $70,000+ full-size and HD pickup market feels a little oversaturated right now.
Of course, the benefit is that the Ram brand gets to say it’s selling another diesel truck — something its most-ardent supporters have allegedly been asking for. It’s probably not a bad idea to do this if Ram is absolutely positive that customers will pay. Development should be relatively simple since the motor is already fitted to other 2500 pickups. We’re expecting a formal announcement from the brand confirming the mounting rumors before the end of 2025.
[Image: Stellantis]
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