Could Ram's Power Wagon Finally Get a Diesel Option? It's Possible

The is the beefiest off-road version of the brand's heavy-duty pickup truck, but its lone engine option is a gas-fed 6.4-liter V-8.
Ram offers a Cummins diesel 6.7-liter straight-six on its other HD trucks, and recently more customers have asked for a diesel Power Wagon.
A Ram powertrain engineer told that, while it's not happening for the 2025 model year, an oil-burning version of the HD off-roader is possible.
Ford and GM's heavy-duty off-road-ready pickup trucks all offer diesel engines, but that's not the case for the Ram Power Wagon. Its sole engine option is a gas-powered 6.4-liter V-8, which is naturally aspirated, so it avoids the intercooler that's employed on its turbo-diesel siblings. Since the intercooler interferes with a front-mounted winch, and Ram insists the Power Wagon has to have a winch, that's one of the main reasons it's gas only. However, it's possible the brand's beefiest HD off-roader could finally get a diesel option.
Car and Driver recently spoke with one of Ram's powertrain engineers, and—unlike with Toyota's manual-less 4Runner—customers have been asking for a diesel Power Wagon. In fact, we learned that recently a lot more customers have been asking for it—and their voices are being heard. "We hear what's going on," the Ram engineer said. "If there's an opportunity there, then we can engineer it." Despite the possibility of a future diesel Power Wagon, Ram's engineer didn't provide a potential timeline, other than confirming it's not happening for the 2025 model year.
Ram's HD lineup just got a thorough refresh, and we've now driven the updated version of its Cummins turbo-diesel, a 6.7-liter straight-six that makes up to 430 horsepower and 1075 pound-feet of torque. The Cummins is available on the off-road-oriented Ram 2500 Rebel, but for now, the Power Wagon is stuck with the Hemi V-8, which is good for 405 ponies and 429 pound-feet. The Ram engineer said he believes that application is well suited for off-road duty, even if some customers still want the Power Wagon to get a Cummins option. "It's like, for some reason, people want 1000 pound-feet of torque to put in the sand," he said.
Obviously, there's a big difference between something that can be done and will be done. But at least the people who have dreamed of a diesel-powered Power Wagon know that it's being considered. And who knows? If customer demand keeps rising, perhaps Ram will finally give its HD off-roader the diesel treatment.
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