GM is going to offer a small truck diesel!

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

pronstar wrote:
If the Ram EcoDiesel sells in big numbers, I wonder if we could see the same VM Motori engine in a Silverado half-ton...VM is a joint venture between Fiat and GM, and both hold a 50% stake in the deal.

With Infiniti soon selling cars with Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engines, and Toyota and BMW teaming up to produce a small sports car, stranger things have happened...

Sorry GM is no longer involved with VM Fiat owns 100% now.

According to the company website it is still 50-50
http://www.vmmotori.it/en/00/01/11/index.jsp

pronstar wrote:
If the Ram EcoDiesel sells in big numbers, I wonder if we could see the same VM Motori engine in a Silverado half-ton...VM is a joint venture between Fiat and GM, and both hold a 50% stake in the deal.

With Infiniti soon selling cars with Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engines, and Toyota and BMW teaming up to produce a small sports car, stranger things have happened...

Sorry GM is no longer involved with VM Fiat owns 100% now.

If the Ram EcoDiesel sells in big numbers, I wonder if we could see the same VM Motori engine in a Silverado half-ton...VM is a joint venture between Fiat and GM, and both hold a 50% stake in the deal.

With Infiniti soon selling cars with Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engines, and Toyota and BMW teaming up to produce a small sports car, stranger things have happened...

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

ksss wrote:
I cant imagine a 4.5 baby Duramax making 310 and 520 when the LB7 was just 300 and 520. That would require 2500 sized running gear(in a 1500) and unless they found an efficiency Genie somewhere, marginal mileage. I believe in order for this diesel in a half ton thing to work. It has to be a good bit cheaper than the HD version, and get real close to 30 mpg. I think 500 foot pounds defies both of those criteria.

Putting a diesel in a compact pickup is a great idea. Your already buying a downsized pickup (your not looking to hook up to a 30'TH like many will with the 1500 diesels). So you put a moderately powered engine in it, that gets killer mileage, and watch them fly off the shelf. The fact that your the only player in that game right now certainly helps things.

I agree 100% and that is why the Ram will be a sales magnet.

Don

Yea I think it just might be. I think they got the hp/torque numbers right. It just needs to be fuel efficient, dependable with acceptable towing capacity. If they can establish a reputation for that in the first couple years of production, they will do well, and force GM and FORD to enter the market.

Where there is a fight for who has the biggest towing numbers in the HD market, I think this half ton diesel market will be a MPG race with towing capacity being less important. If they cant create significant mpg separation from the LD and HD pickups, their going to have a harder time selling them, even if they are cheaper.

I miss my VW Diesel PU..........no I don't!

300K with my knees against the dash. The good part was 40-44 mpg.

The next ones coming will look big in another 10 years.

Perysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
agree 100% and that is why the Ram will be a sales magnet. Will still be able to tow well but will get great mileage empty. The Nissan/Cummins V8 engine is almost the same numbers as my 2004 Cummins. So I'm not sure it's going to make big fuel economy numbers. But if they can come up with a better trans like an 8 speed or the up coming 9 speed GM/Ford combo who knows.

Remember the fuel mileage those first Dodge 5.9 Cummins diesels got? People bought them just to commute and tow boats.

k triple s wrote:
Putting a diesel in a compact pickup is a great idea. Your already buying a downsized pickup (your not looking to hook up to a 30'TH like many will with the 1500 diesels). So you put a moderately powered engine in it, that gets killer mileage, and watch them fly off the shelf. The fact that your the only player in that game right now certainly helps things.

Agreed.

ksss wrote:
I cant imagine a 4.5 baby Duramax making 310 and 520 when the LB7 was just 300 and 520. That would require 2500 sized running gear(in a 1500) and unless they found an efficiency Genie somewhere, marginal mileage. I believe in order for this diesel in a half ton thing to work. It has to be a good bit cheaper than the HD version, and get real close to 30 mpg. I think 500 foot pounds defies both of those criteria.

Putting a diesel in a compact pickup is a great idea. Your already buying a downsized pickup (your not looking to hook up to a 30'TH like many will with the 1500 diesels). So you put a moderately powered engine in it, that gets killer mileage, and watch them fly off the shelf. The fact that your the only player in that game right now certainly helps things.

I agree 100% and that is why the Ram will be a sales magnet. Will still be able to tow well but will get great mileage empty. The Nissan/Cummins V8 engine is almost the same numbers as my 2004 Cummins. So I'm not sure it's going to make big fuel economy numbers. But if they can come up with a better trans like an 8 speed or the up coming 9 speed GM/Ford combo who knows.

Don

My Canyon is in getting a new engine right now, if i had known there was a dsl option in another country i would have tried to get one instaed of replacing the gas engine. I just use the truck to run around town in.