2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Boasts More Torque Than 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Diesel
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At the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500‘s reveal in 2018, now GM President Mark Reuss said Chevrolet would lay claim to the “best-performing diesel in this segment.” Perhaps the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-6 engine will be good, but it certainly won’t produce the most torque.
On Monday, the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel bowed with a third-generation 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine. The powerplant makes 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. The latter figure is the important one—that’s 20 pound-feet more than the 2020 Silverado diesel. The bowtie brand was able to say the Silverado was segment-leading for only a few months with its performance specs.
We will note, the Silverado (and GMC Sierra) will have more horsepower, however. The 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six engine makes 277 horsepower compared to the Ram’s 260 horsepower. The Ram’s peak torque also comes on at a very low 1,600 rpm.
Ram revealed the pickup with utmost confidence that it will best the competition with top fuel economy and towing figures. While the brand didn’t reveal fuel economy estimates, it said the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will tow 12,560 pounds. We await what Chevrolet has to say about the towing figure and fuel economy; the brand hasn’t shared other specs aside from horsepower and torque.
Price will also be an important aspect. We know the Silverado 1500’s optional diesel engine will cost $2,495 to swap in over the 5.3-liter V8 engine, and $3,890 over the 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. If Ram undercuts Chevy here, it could be a major blow, especially with more torque and only slightly less power. We’ll need to look at the entire picture once we see full specs and fuel economy to see which diesel truck will be the better value.
Chevy also missed an opening to perhaps get out ahead of the 2020 Ram EcoDiesel. The brand delayed the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine‘s introduction to the 2020 model year. Originally, it was scheduled to launch with the 2019 model year pickups. We’ll see both pickups fight it out as Ram prepares to launch the EcoDiesel engine in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Another important thing to note about the Ram, is that you can get the Ecodiesel in EVERY trim, even a Single cab, 2×4 Tradesman with vinyl floors and a bench seat! Ford and GM need to get wake up, as some fleet buyers would certainly go for those trims, as well as normal, working class buyers like myself who can’t justify spending half the price of my 100k dollar house on a new truck, just to get a Diesel.
GM has the only realistic towing number too.
Ford proved there wasn’t enough power in their diesel to 7500lbs. But we are supposed to believe this can tow 5000 more?
Get real Ram. Especially with those low hp numbers.
Hopefully the New ED and Duramax are not slow turds like the original ED and Powerstroke.
It’s all about the ability of the transmission to live behind very high torque, that tow rating is based on. The Dodge will use a different transmission behind the 2020 3.0 liter diesel, so the tow rating can be boosted up to match or beat GM tow ratings. GM might already have the 2020 version of the 3.0 liter diesel back at the EPA to get a bit more torque. It’s OK to drop the HP rating by 5 or 10 HP as there is a tradeoff to get more torque, you drop it a bit.
“GM has the only realistic towing numbers”
Says who? There are standards now for testing and GM, Ford, and FCA follow SAE J2807 towing standards to make a realistic playing field. If there was any fudging of the numbers, it would REALLY hard to pull off a 5000 lb “math error” that nobody noticed. The test is not totally scientific these days, but they are pretty tight on the criteria on how you perform the tests and how the truck is allowed to react to it in order to “pass”. It could simply be that a Silverado can easily pull 12000 lbs with the diesel but couldn’t pass the handling test or the brake test. Therefore, it’s not that the Ram diesel is better than the GM in terms of performance, it’s the overall package where one came up shorter than the other.
Wat are the Standard Boost settings on Each Truck?
the GM diesel is not on the market yet. I would wager that the tune will be modified to be the class leader. I cannot see that GM would bow to the other two of the Big Three. Especially with this being such a pivotal sales point. I might be wrong, but I can’t see the LM2 to be the second in the race….
doubt it. modify the tuning and it goes back to EPA for certification.
I thought it was still in EPA certification that was the GM excuse for the delay.
GM just needs to be able to change faster be more nimble.
Maybe certify 4 tunes at once reduce individual tune certification costs, start at the bottom, then when the competition leapfrogs you, you can immediately follow suit.
RAM has simply raised the bar in all categories and GM fill be behind.
As GM focus is solely on profit.
RAM focus is solely on class leading.
GM has so much potential but just wants to make money above all else, so turns out just a good enough product and never a leader anymore.
General Motors is truly just general anymore.
Who cares, nobody wants a V6 Diesel. I6 all day!
Yep. Gimme the I6 and that 460lb-ft of torque @1500RPM. The phat amount of low end grunt is good to go!
Already placing bets that MPG will be below expectations for the GM diesel.
I haven’t cut GM slack on the T1’s on many things but I will with this. Someone above said GM has the only realistic tow rating. The Ford proved it. That half ton Ram with 12,500 on the back will be a terrifying experience. It will also be interesting to see what Ram does with the price. GM has a good price strategy equaling the cost of a 6.2. I’m looking forward to seeing how this stupid war plays out in real life. My money is on the inline Dmax in real life performance and economy.
IMO, if i’m regularly towing 12,500 pounds I’m going to go with an HD truck. Its nice to see the RAM doing well; hopefully it gives incentive for GM to create a class leading truck.
I obviously don’t care what Ram does to their GM engine. This is just marketing moves when Ford and GM came out with their HD trucks back in 2010 they were back and forth and Ford just topped it off at 400hp and 800lbs/ft. And when Pickuptrucks.com tested them in the Rockies the Silverado outperformed both other brands by a long shot.
Only thing that the ecodiesel has over the new I6 Duramax is that it has been out longer, and the bugs have been worked out. The engine GM blueprinted at VIA motors.
So I don’t go in to the number wars anymore I mean a little bit of computer work and bam there goes your extra 20lbs of torque, this is easy work but I understand EPA ratings . I’m am glad GM went with the I6 over the V6. I can’t wait to see it’s review. If it’s like any other GM diesel it’ll out match the EPA mileage. That’s the other thing I don’t get why they always tend to get worse ratings than other brands knowing good in well they can’t go above the average comes out to be. Maybe I’m being a little redundant but I call it how I see it.
I think the RAM s bigger problem is the fact that there drivetrains are so unreliable and they have a shortage of parts to fix these things