Chrysler's light-duty diesel plans for the half-ton Dodge Ram have joined GM, Ford, and Toyota's similar ambitions on the sidelines, as any intent Chrysler had to furnish the Ram with a light-duty diesel have been put on the shelf for the time being.
When pickup truck sales were booming, Chrysler and diesel engine supplier Cummins had hammered out a contract for light-duty diesels to begin hitting the U.S. market by 2010, which was later pushed back to 2011. We have seen what has unraveled in the past year, as worldwide economic turmoil have pushed auto manufacturers to trim their fat and reassess all aspects of their operations. As a result, the old contract between Chrysler and Cummins has been voided and assigned to Old Chrysler as part of Chrysler's Chapter 11 debt restructuring.
For Chrysler, the first of the domestics to enter bankruptcy, abandoning the light-duty diesel contract was a natural decision. Even though a light-duty diesel won't make its way into a half-ton Ram truck any time soon, Cummins will continue developing their light-duty diesel engine.
As it stands now, light-duty diesels will have to continue to wait on making any headway into the half-ton truck market. Light-duty diesel offerings for the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tundra have all been put on hold.
Previous announcements on light-duty diesel offerings:
- Toyota: Reportedly going to offer its 4.5L V-8 used in some foreign markets, announced it was placed on hold in October 2008
- GM: 4.5L Duramax, announced it was shelved in March
- Ford: 4.4L V-8, announced it would need reassessment in May
Source: Pickuptrucks.com