Watch: 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel video walkaround

Mike Cairns, chief engineer for Ram, says that people just can't help but pester him with the same damned question: “Why don't you put a diesel engine in a 1500?” Thanksgivings were, we imagine, brutal.

The coming 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel ought to steer family dinners back to less abrasive topics, like partisan politics. Get an up-close look at the truck in this video walkaround hosted by none other than Cairns himself.

This diesel-powered take on the redesigned 1500 will get a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, an eight-speed automatic transmission and a price tag likely to be a good amount higher comparable gasoline-powered 1500s. Cairns claims the EcoDiesel will get best-in-class fuel economy, but those numbers -- along with output and tow ratings -- aren't quite ready for public dissemination.

We do have some hints from the 2014 Grand Cherokee, which features the same engine making 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. If we had to bet, we'd say it would be close to those numbers.

Expect to see the truck on dealer lots by the end of the year.

By Graham Kozak