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09 Dodge Ram review: Dodge Announces Improved Fuel Economy and Best-in-class Horsepower (390) and Torque (407 lb.-ft.) for All-new 2009 Dodge Ram New Ram Will Also Offer Best-in-class Aerodynamics (.419 Cd) and Performance (0-60 in less than 6 seconds)
Chelsea, Mich. – This morning, Dodge will showcase its new 2009 Dodge Ram powertrain lineup at the company’s proving grounds. Powertrain choices in all-new 2009 Dodge Ram models will offer improved fuel economy plus more power, torque and refinement than ever before. “While the all-new HEMI engine maintains the key characteristics that makes HEMI a household name in powertrains, we added new technologies, including Variable Valve Timing, that substantially improve fuel economy and refinement and maximize performance,” said Bob Lee, Vice President – Powertrain Product Engineering Team, Chrysler LLC. 09 Dodge Ram review All-new 5.7-liter HEMI to Offer Best-in-class Horsepower and Torque While the all-new engine maintains many of the basic features that make “HEMI” synonymous with “power,” several technologies were added or improved:
The result is improved idle quality and overall refinement, more horsepower (13 percent), more torque (8 percent) and better fuel economy (4 percent). The HEMI’s new VVT improves fuel economy under some conditions in two ways. First, it reduces the engine’s pumping work by closing the intake valve later. Second, it increases the expansion process of the combustion event. This allows more work to be transferred to the crankshaft instead of being rejected out of the exhaust port as heat. Essentially, VVT optimizes engine breathing, which improves engine efficiency and power. Dodge’s fuel-saving MDS system seamlessly alternates between smooth, high-fuel-economy four-cylinder mode when less power is needed, and V-8 mode when more power from the new 5.7-liter HEMI engine is in demand. An expanded MDS operating range in the new-for-2009 HEMI — aided in part by the Ram’s best-in-class aerodynamics — will allow customers to realize an even-greater fuel economy benefit. When MDS is operating, it is indicated by the fuel-economy-mode readout in the 2009 Dodge Ram’s Electronic Vehicle Information Center. Chrysler estimates that since its inception of MDS in 2005, nearly 100 million gallons of gasoline have been saved, along with reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of close to a million metric tons. 09 Dodge Ram review 4.7-liter V-8 The 4.7-liter V-8 shares some of the HEMI engine’s combustion technology with its twin spark plugs per cylinder. It also makes use of increased compression ratio, improved cylinder head port flow and a new slant/squish combustion system designed to optimize fuel economy, power and torque. This engine is also compatible with E85 fuel, earning the Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) designation that provides customers the option of operating their vehicle on mixtures of gasoline and ethanol. 3.7-liter V-6 Standard on all-new 2009 Dodge Ram two-wheel-drive regular cab and Quad Cab® models is a 3.7-liter Magnum V-6 engine, generating 215 horsepower (160 kW) and 235 lb.-ft. (319 N•m) of torque. Similar to the 4.7-liter and 5.7-liter V-8 engines, the 3.7-liter V-6 is equipped with Electronic Throttle Control, which provides engine torque control while compensating for changes in engine load caused by the air conditioning compressor, alternator and power steering pump. The 3.7-liter V-6 also offers fuel economy and performance benefits from technologies including exhaust gas recirculation, compacted graphite-iron bedplate and internal balance shaft. 6.7-liter Cummins Turbodiesel: Cleanest on the Market The inline six-cylinder turbodiesel engine uses a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an adsorber catalyst to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90 percent. In addition to the NOx adsorber and the DPF, the 6.7-liter turbodiesel engine includes other technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce unburned hydrocarbons:
As durable as it is powerful, the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel has life-to-major overhaul intervals of 350,000 miles, providing more than a 100,000-mile advantage over the competition. 09 Dodge Ram review All-new Light-duty Cummins Turbodiesel The new engine will provide a dramatic increase in low-end torque, up to a 25-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 20-percent reduction in carbon dioxide (C02) emissions when compared to an equivalent gasoline engine. With new, clean, quiet diesel technology, the new diesel engine will meet 50-state emissions standards for 2010. All-new Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid Combining Chrysler’s Multi-displacement System (MDS) and two-mode hybrid technology to greatly improve fuel economy, the 5.7-liter HEMI Hybrid V-8 offers performance and efficiency with up to 40 percent fuel economy improvement in the city and 25 percent overall. The two-mode hybrid system is currently being introduced in the company’s 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid and 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid. The two-mode hybrid system uses electric motors to allow the HEMI V-8 to remain in four-cylinder mode more often, improving fuel economy. In the first mode – at low speeds and with light loads – the vehicle may operate on electric power only, on engine power only, or any combination of the two. The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid may operate in electric-only mode during slow starts (city driving) up to 25 mph, further conserving fuel and reducing emissions. In addition, the HEMI V-8 can shut down when the vehicle comes to a stop or during deceleration, to conserve fuel and then seamlessly restart when power is necessary. The second mode, used primarily at highway speeds, augments electric assist with full power from the 5.7-liter HEMI when conditions demand it. The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid also features regenerative braking, which recycles electric energy that would normally be lost during braking or deceleration. This energy is reused to power the vehicle. The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid will also benefit from Dodge Ram’s best-in-class aerodynamics, which allows a greater operating range of MDS. Dodge Brand The Dodge brand’s first crossover vehicle — the all-new 2009 Dodge Journey — arrived in dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2008, and is now available outside North America in petrol and diesel powertrains in both left- and right-hand drive. The limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine that boasts 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque started hitting the streets this past spring. Later in 2008, Dodge will add three more vehicles to its product lineup – the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram with game-changing exterior and interior design, innovations, best-in-class features and craftsmanship; the all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger, a modern interpretation of the American muscle car; and the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid, a hybrid electric vehicle that combines fuel-efficient advance hybrid technology with full-size SUV performance and capability. Spy photo’s of 2009 Test Mule 09 Dodge Ram review |