Chrysler is breaking new ground with their Ram 1500 pickup as it was just announced that it will be available this year with a diesel V6. Arriving in the third quarter of 2013 as a 2014 model, this will be the first time that a light-duty pickup truck is sold with a diesel engine.

“Truck owners have been emphatically asking for it, and Ram will be the only manufacturer to offer a diesel powertrain in the half-ton segment with the 2014 Ram 150 EcoDiesel,” said Ram CEO Fred Diaz.

Expected to offer best-in-class fuel efficiency ad torque, the 2014 Ram 1500 will have a 3.0 liter diesel engine that will be fitted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Although Chrysler hasn’t released official output figures yet, we do know that the Ram 1500 has the same engine Jeep will soon offer in the Grand Cherokee. Taking that into consideration, it offers 420 lb-ft of torque, can tow up to 7,400 lbs and is said to manage 30 mpg on the highway.

“The half-ton truck market is incredibly competitive, and although we’re honored the Ram 1500 has received a number of prestigious awards, we cannot rest on what we have accomplished, we must keep pushing,” Diaz said.