The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is currently the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup truck on sale in the U.S., but Ram plans to improve on that performance.
Well, it plans to improve the ratings by 1 mpg, anyway.
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The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE--for High Fuel Efficiency, of course--increases the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 Ram's fuel-economy advantage over rival full-size trucks, but only by a little.
Ram says the new model will return 24 mpg combined (21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway). That's a 1-mpg improvement in each of the three categories over the standard rear-wheel drive EcoDiesel.
2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE
While the EcoDiesel engine is also available with four-wheel drive in other trim levels, the HFE is rear-wheel drive only. The diesel engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission in all models.
The HFE is also limited to a single body configuration--a four-door crew cab with the 6-foot-4-inch bed from the base Ram 1500 Tradesman model.
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It also gets a body-color front fascia and and HFE badge that "heralds its mpg claims," according to Ram.
Imagine a world where pickup owners brag as much about fuel economy as they do about tow ratings and horsepower!
2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE
The EcoDiesel HFE joins an existing HFE model offered with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. That version is rated at 21 mpg combined (18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway).
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Both HFE models also include the same fuel-saving features that are standard across the Ram 1500 range, including active grille shutters, aerodynamic under-body panels, and an engine start-stop system.
The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE goes on sale in "late first quarter" 2015. Pricing will be announced closer to that date.
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