Until emissions testing/inspection becomes national... one of the reasons I'm getting eager to ditch the 6.7

 

I would not have a dakota if they would have pulled their head out of their %$* and put a diesel in a half ton back in 08. But just like every other company they kept pushing it back...if it were not so expensive, I would import a diesel from out of country.

Why is it that this news keeps coming back, each time this news hits the channels, SO MANY PEOPLE jump all over it showing all kinds of support, yet each time the ceo's and companies bury their heads in the sand and continue to worry about how many more gears they can add to a transmission.

Honestly, check online, every time there is news of a company considering a light duty diesel, there are hundreds even thousands of comments, nearly all of them positive. But look at the page about the 8 speed transmission found on google, and its nearly dead...seems to make sense from a business stand point, cater to the 1%, and ignore the mass crowd gathered behind the idea you just $*&% canned.

But as someone else said, now the possibility of a light diesel is dwindling because of all the new sanctions the govt keeps putting on diesel. Which is worse? Cutting mileage in half and needing to burn twice the fuel to get the job done for marginally better emissions, or burning half the fuel for marginally worse emissions?

You can be assured if they will offer one with a stick, I will be getting one and lopping all the emissions crap off of it, even putting fakes back on if I have to.

Would be awesome if they would bring back a solid axle for the diesel version...

One thing I can tell you is that they more than likely wont offer a manual transmission, which totally sucks, that right there is a deal breaker...total and complete deal breaker.

 

Can I get a shout out for a decent diesel-powered Durango? Same comment apply; I pull a 6x12 trailer regularly, and it's a pisser seeing my highway mileage drop from 22 to 17.

 

Maybe they can ask GM what they did with all of their 'converted to diesel' 350 gasoline blocks? HA! what a mess they were.........now lets just put glow plugs in where them spark plugs used to be, ya, that otta' work.....

 

So what engine is in the diesel van chrysler sold? would it perform in a 1500? The vast majority of guys I know with 1500's [regardless of brand] get the max use hauling groceries home and occasionally a few bags of mulch to spruce up the yard in the spring. The cummins would be too much soup for the can.

 

There will be a diesel version for Ram 1500, since FIAT is planning to sell Ram in Europe and for Europe you need a diesel only. Ram1500 will have the same engine as in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Lancia Thema- VM Motori V6, 237bhp, Max. Torque 550@1800. In Grand Cherokee and Thema this diesel is very detuned, to meet EU criteria and to keep CO2 emmision low. CO2 emmision is affecting amount of tax you have to pay here. So Chrysler is trying to keep optimal ratio between power and tax you pay in Europe. Anyway, if you tune this engine, you can get up to 300HP. It is tested - it works!

If Chrysler/Fiat has plans to sell Durango enywhere else, but US, than there should be a diesle for it as well. Unfortunately Dodge is not available in Europe anymore.

Sorry for mistakes. I'm not English native speaker.

 

Chrysler Grand Voyager (Town&Country) has 2.8CRD, the same as in KJ/KK Jeep Cherokee or some other new and strange name you had in US for this model. 2.8 is dated engine. It is developed from engine, what originaly was used for Black cabs in UK. In Europe Chrysler uses 2.8 for JK Wrangler. Well ..... Wrangler is a good car, but not with 2.8 CRD.

 

cosa nostra - Sadly your information isn't of much use to us. Sure, Chrysler may put a diesel in the 1500, but I highly doubt it for the north american market. The 2.8 CRD motor in the Liberty (your Cherokee) has had problems here and was only available in 2005 and 2006. It could not meet federal emissions mandated 1/1/2007 and so it was dropped.

The Grand Cherokee got a diesel for a couple of years (2007/08) here as well, but it hasn't been available since 08.

Believe it or not, US emissions restrictions are even tighter than European, and a lot of the cool diesel products over there can't pass over here and therefore aren't available.

 

The 4 popper cummins diesel or their 5.0L V8 diesel would be good either one.

"Would I buy a diesel 1/2 ton without the cummins name?" No.
And The less electronics the better on a diesel. really that goes for the whole vehicle.

 

One thing that I think is overlooked as a difference between the US and Europe, as far as mileage and meeting emissions are concerned, is that their diesel is of much better quality than ours... IIRC our diesel is between 10 and 15 points lower in cetane rating. That alone makes a world of difference in soot emissions.

Now, if Dodge were to grow a pair and put the already developed and tested V8 and V6 Cummins light duty engines into service, I think they would see plenty of return. I personally would love to have the comfort of the new half tons, but I refuse to buy a gas powered pick-up. I'd like to see a manual option, plenty would, but the days of the hand shaker in a half ton are gone.

I'd probably be guilty of finding the limits of the block and stock rotating assembly as soon as the waranty was expired too :P

PS for those wondering about the ISB 4.5 and the little 3.8 in half tons... Market research has shown that any inline 4 platform, regardless of power numbers, would be a hard sell to most half ton truck buyers. Just something about the stigma of I4s being gutless.