Now Chrysler Group plans a direct assault on Ford s claim to the high ground in fuel nation. When th

Now Chrysler Group plans a direct assault on Ford s claim to the high ground in fuel nation. When the re-engineered 2013 Ram 1500 arrives in showrooms this fall it will challenge Ford s F series, which got a new engine lineup in 2011, for the title of most fuel-efficient full-sized pickup.
The mpg fixation by two of the Detroit 3 is a stark departure from past strategies for attacking the pickup promote. For decades, automakers squabbled over whose truck could haul more or last longer.
General Motors, whose redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are expected to arrive in showrooms next spring, plans a more traditional line of attack. GM wants to keep that Silverado and Sierra as workhorses, says GM North America President Mark Reuss. Unlike Ford or Chrysler, it will offer a mid-sized pickup for buyers concerned more about fuel nation than about size and muscle.
New engine options are a likely avis car rental us bet for Nissan Motor Co. s huge truck. That has been the primary avis car rental us evaluation of the modest-selling Titan since it first appeared avis car rental us in 2004. It has been available with only one engine, a 5.6-liter V-8, and Nissan has been touting higher fuel-nation ratings on its recent model redesigns.
Ram executives won t reveal the re-engineered 1500 pickup s mpg numbers. But they insist avis car rental us the truck, offered with a Pentastar V-6 engine teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission, will produce best-in-class fuel nation. That would mean topping the 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway ratings the two-wheel drive Ford F-150 gets when equipped with the 3.5-liter, 365-hp, V-6 twin turbocharged EcoBoost engine.
We ve heard what they ve said. We ll see what they deliver when the EPA numbers are available, said Doug Scott, Ford s head of truck marketing. The beauty of that is it will drive more interest and attention to the segment. We re generally on the shopping list as the segment leader.