Sport Durst CDJR | Durham, NC
Which RAM 1500 Trims Come With a Diesel Engine or Cylinder Deactivation?
Short version: no RAM 1500 offers a diesel today. Cylinder deactivation comes with the 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque, which can be built on eight of the ten trims. RHO and Tungsten are the two that cannot.
Two Questions, Two Different Answers
These get typed into Google together because both are about saving fuel in a full-size truck. They have very different answers, so here they are separately.
Diesel
None on the RAM 1500
Ram lists four engines for the 2026 RAM 1500 and every one of them runs on gasoline. The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 was the last half-ton diesel, and it went out of production in January 2023. Ram still builds a diesel, but it now lives in the Heavy Duty line.
Cylinder deactivation
HEMI V8 only
Ram calls it Fuel Saver Technology and names it as a feature of the 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 and both 3.0L Hurricane inline-six engines are not described with it. So the question of which trim has cylinder deactivation is really the question of which trim can take the HEMI.
RAM 1500 Engines and Cylinder Deactivation by Trim
The HEMI V8 came back to the RAM 1500 for the 2026 model year after a one-year gap. It is the only engine in the truck with cylinder deactivation, so this table is the answer to both halves of the question in one place.
| Trim | Standard engine | 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque | Cylinder deactivation | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tradesman | 3.6L Pentastar V6 eTorque | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Express | 3.6L Pentastar V6 eTorque | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Big Horn and Lone Star | 3.6L Pentastar V6 eTorque | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Warlock | 3.6L Pentastar V6 eTorque | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Laramie | 3.0L Hurricane Standard Output | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Rebel | 3.0L Hurricane Standard Output | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| RHO | 3.0L Hurricane High Output | Not offered | No | Not offered |
| Limited | 3.0L Hurricane High Output | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Limited Longhorn | 3.0L Hurricane High Output | Available | Yes, with the HEMI | Not offered |
| Tungsten | 3.0L Hurricane High Output | Not offered | No | Not offered |
Read the window sticker before you sign. Engine availability moves during a model year, and a truck on the lot is built the way it was ordered, not the way the brochure reads. Every RAM 1500 we stock lists its engine on the window sticker and on its listing page. Browse the RAM 1500 inventory or the wider new RAM lineup in Durham and we will confirm what any specific truck is carrying.
What Cylinder Deactivation Actually Does
A V8 makes far more power than a truck needs to hold 65 mph on a flat stretch of I-40. Fuel Saver Technology takes advantage of that. When the engine is barely working, it shuts four of the eight cylinders down and runs the truck as a four-cylinder. Ask for power and all eight come back.
On the 5.7L HEMI the eTorque system smooths the handoff. eTorque replaces the alternator with a belt-driven motor generator running off a 48-volt battery, and it adds a little torque at the crankshaft right as the engine transitions. Ram is direct about the purpose: it improves the cylinder deactivation and cuts the noise and vibration that used to give the system away.
The honest summary is that this is a highway feature. It pays you back on a run to Wilmington or a commute down 15-501, and it does very little in stop and go traffic on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard.
Where the RAM 1500 Diesel Went
The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 arrived for the 2014 model year and ran through early 2023. Ram ended production in January 2023, part way through that model year. In its last season it could be ordered on Tradesman, Big Horn and Lone Star, Laramie, Limited Longhorn and Limited.
That means an EcoDiesel is a used-truck conversation now. They still trade in around the Triangle, and stock changes week to week, so check our used RAM 1500 listings or call and we will tell you what is actually on the ground.
If you wanted the diesel for torque
The 3.0L Hurricane is the closest thing in the current lineup. It is a twin-turbocharged gasoline inline-six, so it has the shape a diesel buyer is used to: a lot of pull low in the rev range from a six-cylinder. The Standard Output version makes 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft. The High Output version makes 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft. A properly equipped RAM 1500 tows up to 11,610 lbs and carries up to 2,360 lbs of payload.
If you wanted the diesel for a heavy trailer
Then you probably want a heavier truck. Ram still builds the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel I6, and it is available in the RAM 2500 and RAM 3500. Bring your trailer weight and we will work out which side of the line you are on. Guessing at this is how people end up with the wrong truck.
Which Engine Fits Which Driver
- 3.6L Pentastar V6 eTorque, 305 hp and 269 lb-ft. The standard engine on Tradesman, Express, Big Horn and Warlock. Enough truck for a landscaping trailer and a daily commute. No cylinder deactivation, because it does not need to shut down cylinders it does not have.
- 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque, 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. The one with Fuel Saver Technology, and the one people came back for. Tows up to 11,320 lbs when properly equipped.
- 3.0L Hurricane Standard Output, 420 hp and 469 lb-ft. Standard on Laramie and Rebel. This is the tow rating leader in the lineup at up to 11,610 lbs when properly equipped.
- 3.0L Hurricane High Output, 540 hp and 521 lb-ft. Standard on RHO, Limited, Limited Longhorn and Tungsten. The most powerful engine Ram has put in a 1500.
All four pair with an eight-speed automatic. Towing and payload figures are maximums when properly equipped, and the real number depends on cab, bed, axle ratio and how the individual truck was optioned. Ask us to pull the tow rating for the exact VIN you are looking at before you commit to a trailer.
If you are still narrowing down the lineup, our trim comparison format walks through the same kind of decision on the Jeep side, and our finance team can start you at the online credit application whenever you are ready.
RAM 1500 Engine Questions
Does the RAM 1500 come with a diesel engine?
Not anymore. Ram lists four engines for the 2026 Ram 1500 and all four run on gasoline. The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 was the last diesel offered in the half-ton truck, and production of it ended in January 2023. If you want a Ram diesel today, it lives in the Heavy Duty line as the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel I6 in the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500.
Which RAM 1500 engine has cylinder deactivation?
The 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque. Ram calls the system Fuel Saver Technology and lists it as a feature of that engine only. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 and both 3.0L Hurricane inline-six engines are not described with cylinder deactivation.
Which 2026 RAM 1500 trims can be built with the HEMI V8?
Eight of the ten trims. The 5.7L HEMI V8 eTorque is listed as available on Tradesman, Express, Big Horn and Lone Star, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel, Limited and Limited Longhorn. RHO and Tungsten are built around the High-Output 3.0L Hurricane and do not list the HEMI.
What does cylinder deactivation actually do?
It shuts down four of the eight cylinders when the engine is barely working, such as a steady cruise down I-40. The truck runs on four cylinders until you ask for power again, then all eight come back. On the 5.7L HEMI the eTorque motor generator smooths that handoff so most drivers never feel it happen.
Is the Hurricane inline-six a diesel?
No. The 3.0L Hurricane is a twin-turbocharged gasoline inline-six. People ask because it is a turbocharged six with a lot of low-end torque, which is the shape a diesel usually has. The Standard Output version makes 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft, and the High Output version makes 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft.
I wanted a diesel for towing. What should I drive instead?
Drive two trucks back to back. A Ram 1500 with the Standard Output Hurricane tows up to 11,610 pounds when properly equipped, which covers most boats and travel trailers around the Triangle. If your trailer is heavier than that, step up to a Ram 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel. Call us at 919-873-4578 and we will line both up.
Can I still buy a used RAM 1500 EcoDiesel near Durham?
Sometimes. EcoDiesel trucks were built from the 2014 model year through early 2023, so they only turn up on the used lot. Availability changes week to week. Check our used inventory or call and we will tell you what is on the ground today.
What Our Durham Customers Say
Come Drive One in Durham
Sport Durst Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM
4511 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd
Durham, NC 27707
Sales: 919-873-4578
We sit on the Durham-Chapel Hill corridor, about seven miles from the UNC campus and a straight run down 15-501 from Chapel Hill. Cary, Apex and the RTP office parks are all inside a half-hour drive.
The fastest way to settle a HEMI versus Hurricane argument is to drive both. Tell us which trims you are weighing and we will have them side by side when you get here.
Find the RAM 1500 With the Engine You Want
Tell us how you use the truck and we will point you at the right engine, not the most expensive one.
Sources
- Engine lineup, outputs, towing and payload: Ram 1500 FAQ and Ram 1500 Capability, ramtrucks.com.
- Fuel Saver Technology and eTorque description: Stellantis media release, "The Legend Returns: 2026 Ram 1500 Offers 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 eTorque Engine," June 2025.
- Per-trim engine availability: Ram published vehicle data for the 2026 Ram 1500, ramtrucks.com.
- Towing and payload figures are maximums when properly equipped. Additional options, equipment, passengers and cargo weight affect towing and payload. Contact the dealership for details on a specific vehicle.
Specifications verified September 2026. Ram may change availability during a model year, so confirm equipment on the window sticker of the individual vehicle.