Six of the Best Ram Truck Engines of All Time
4. 2003 – Introducing the Modern Hemi V8
Today in 2020, the Dodge and Ram truck brands are both known for relying on Hemi power, but the modern Hemi era began back in 2003 with the Ram 1500. With a combination of 345 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque, the first modern Hemi V8 offered a handsome increase in power over the 360-cubic inch Magnum V8. For comparison, the 2003 Ford F-150 with the 5.4-liter Triton V8 delivered just 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque while the 6.0-liter Vortec in the Chevrolet Silverado offered 300 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque for 2003.
In short, the Hemi stormed onto the scene as the most powerful V8 in the half-ton class. In 2009, the 5.7-liter Hemi got a bump in performance to 390 horsepower and 407 lb-ft of torque and in 2013, the numbers climbed to 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. This engine is still offered in the Ram 1500 and it has been the most popular Ram 1500 engine since being introduced 17 years ago. Today, it still offers 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, offering the same horsepower and a bit more torque than the newest Ford F-150 with a V8 gas engine.
In addition to quickly becoming the most popular engine in the Ram 1500 lineup, the 5.7-liter Hemi also led to the creation of the 6.4-liter Hemi in the Ram Heavy Duty lineup. This larger Hemi was introduced in 2014 as the standard engine in the Ram 2500 and 3500, offering 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque.
5. 1989 – The First Cummins Ram
The first diesel-powered Dodge Ram pickup was offered in 1978, but the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter Mitsubishi inline-six was a far cry from today’s torque monsters. That first diesel offered just 105 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque for two model years and ten years later, the Cummins era began.
The first Cummins inline-six to come from the factory in a Ram truck came in 1989. That turbocharged mill delivered 160 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. The comparable Ford diesel engine offered just 185 horsepower and 338 lb-ft of torque while the strongest diesel-powered Chevy in 1989 had 143 horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque. The Cummins-powered Ram was the strongest truck in the segment and it would continue on with those figures through the 1995 model year with the automatic transmission while manual models offered 175 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996, the 5.9-liter Cummins climbed to 215 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque with the manual transmission and in 1998, the numbers jumped again, this time to 235 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. In 1998 through 2000, Cummins trucks with the automatic transmission had a lower power rating of 215 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Starting in 2001, all transmissions got “full power” of 235 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.
Output of the 5.9-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel bumped up to 245 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque in 2001 with the new “high output” version. There would be updates every few years until the final year of the 5.9-liter Cummins in 2007, when it delivered 325 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque.
6. 2020 – First-production Diesel with 1,000 lb-ft
The 5.9-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel was replaced in 2007 by the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel and like the original Ram diesel engine, the newer, larger CTD has routinely served as the strongest powerplant in the class. When it was first introduced in late 2007, it offered 350 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, which would remain steady through 2012 with either a manual or automatic transmission.
In 2013, horsepower remained unchanged for manual transmission trucks, but torque went up to 660 lb-ft. More importantly, the 2013 Ram with the Aisin automatic transmission and the high output CTD jumped up to 385 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque. There was also a lower performance automatic package with 370 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque, but we are focused on the big numbers here.
In 2015, the high output Cummins diesel got a torque increase to 865 lb-ft, then 900 lb-ft in 2016 and 2017 then in 2017, it hit 930 lb-ft. Finally, in 2019, the Ram Heavy Duty lineup became the first truck to top 1,000 lb-ft of torque. When coupled with 400 horsepower, the Ram 3500 quickly became the strongest truck in the class and those numbers continued for 2020.
Photos: FCA
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