Chrysler Group's Ram 1500 pickup is apparently set to become the first modern half-ton pickup with diesel option in the US market; with the company having announced that it intends launching a diesel version of the standard-duty Ram 1500 pickup in the 2013 third quarter.

Chrysler's decision to offer a diesel variant of its Ram 1500 pickup will obviously attract a lot of buyers because - despite the typical higher up front cost of a diesel-engine vehicle vis-a-vis a gasoline engine model - diesel vehicle are more fuel efficient than their gasoline counterparts; and also last longer, have more pulling power and higher resale value.

Even though diesel variants have largely been limited to huge and hefty units in heavy-duty pickups - the three-quarter-ton and higher-duty models that cost much more than standard-duty trucks -, Chrysler's Ram brand CEO Fred Diaz said that he feels that there is a deep pool of half-ton diesel customers.

Though Diaz refrained from projecting the sales of the diesel version of Ram 1500 pickup, he did say in a telephone interview from Mexico that internal studies carried out for Ram have clearly revealed that buyers have been "emphatically asking for this (diesel option for Ram), thirsting for it, craving it."

Further adding that the "business case for Ram is a positive one," Diaz said: "This isn't just a little side note. We plan to do good business with the diesel."