Chrysler dealt the first
blow in a new pick-up truck battle the North American International Auto (NAIA)
Show in Detroit on 14 January when it launched the Jeep Grand Cherokee equipped
with a 3-litre V6 EcoDiesel. It has since been forced to confirm the same V6 EcoDiesel
will become available in 2014 model year Ram 1500 pick-up trucks from July this
year.
Ram is the first brand to
announce a diesel engine in the critical half-ton pick-up truck sector,
throwing down new competitive benchmarks in fuel economy, CO2 emissions,
driving range and torque. The Ram 1500 is the standard-duty version of the
well-known pick-up truck that won the 2013 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award.
If Ford and GM now follow
suit, then this could not only boost diesel activity in North America, but make
waves in the foundry supply industry, as all three engines most likely will use
compacted graphite iron (CGI) as the material of choice for cylinder blocks.
