Chrysler-Fiat took the wraps off its long-anticipated 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the first light-duty pickup truck to be offered with a diesel engine in many years.

The new diesel pickup uses the same 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 already fitted to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel utility vehicle.

In the pickup truck, it's rated at 240 horsepower and a substantial 420 pound-feet of torque.

The turbodiesel V-6 powers the truck through a new eight-speed automatic transmission, also fitted to most other Ram 1500 models (including the base 305-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and optional 395-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 gasoline engines).

Other fuel-saving elements of the Ram 1500 line include active grille shutters, engine stop-start technology, and aerodynamic panels underneath the truck that give it what Chrysler says is the lowest coefficient of drag among all full-size pickup trucks.

The new diesel Ram pickup will have what Chrysler terms "best-in-class fuel economy," but final EPA ratings have not yet been released.

The price of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is $2,850 higher than a comparably equipped Ram 1500 fitted with the Hemi V-8 gasoline engine.

Chrysler says that the truck will pay back the increased cost in three years or less.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will arrive at Ram truck dealers this fall.

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