Chrysler adds diesel engine to light-duty Ram

Chelsea — Chrysler Group LLC announced Friday that it will begin offering a diesel engine in its Ram 1500 light-duty pickup for the 2014 model year.

That will make Ram the first truck brand to offer a small-displacement diesel in a half-ton truck.

“The key to success in this business is product,” Ram brand president Reid Bigland told reporters at the company’s Chelsea Proving Grounds Friday, noting that Ram has gained 8 full percentage points of market share since it was spun off from Dodge in 2009 and is now the fastest-growing truck brand in America. “In 2014, we’ll raise the bar even more — raise the bar on ourselves and raise the bar on our competition.”