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The top-of-the-line Longhorn crew cab we drove, however, topped $65,000. As expected, it was an exceptionally nice truck, and would have still been so if stripped of a few layers of frippery. The Ram’s signature features—its optional air suspension, multifunction tailgate, and 12.0-inch infotainment system—were all present and accounted for. Notably absent was much indication that this new engine was a diesel, save for some audible injector ticking at lower speeds.

While the second generation of FCA’s EcoDiesel was already a smooth-running, modern diesel engine, the third-gen is better, with no vibration at idle and minimal clatter. FCA says 80 percent of the Italian-built diesel’s parts have been redesigned, including the turbocharger, intake ports, exhaust-gas recirculation system, injectors, combustion-chamber geometry, pistons, rings, piston pins, oil sump, selective catalytic reduction system, and brake vacuum pump. So, yeah, pretty much everything. Even the tried-and-true eight-speed automatic the EcoDiesel shares with the Ram’s V-8 gas engines has been updated with new shift maps.

Combine the new EcoDiesel with the current Ram’s frame and chassis improvements, add in features such as an acoustic glass windshield and active noise cancelling in some models, and the result is a calm and quiet cabin at cruising speed. The driving experience was nearly indistinguishable from a Ram equipped with the gasoline Pentastar V-6. At least not until we hooked up a trailer and pulled out into traffic.

We had the opportunity to test the new truck’s towing capabilities with a 20-foot trailer carrying a pair of side-by-side UTVs. The rig weighed about 5000 pounds, well below the Ram EcoDiesel’s 12,560-pound capacity. So of course the Ram handled the trailer with aplomb, merging onto a busy road without drama. At lower speeds the Ram felt almost unencumbered, but when accelerating onto the highway the EcoDiesel reminded us that efficiency is a large part of its product brief. With just 260 horses on tap, getting up to 70 mph took some patience.

Speaking of which, Ram buyers will be kept waiting a bit longer for diesels to make their way to dealers, with availability of the new EcoDiesel slated for “early in the fourth quarter” of this year. FCA says official EPA fuel-economy numbers will be announced closer that time as well. The onboard display of our test vehicle had us at about 25 miles per gallon after half a day of mixed-speed driving. Ram has promised the new engine is more efficient than the second-gen, which in the old 1500 chassis managed a combined 22 to 23 miles per gallon in EPA testing.

FCA actually continues to build and sell that old truck, now dubbed “Ram 1500 Classic.” Its long 2019 model year will soon see the reintroduction of a diesel model—it’s been promised for the third quarter—but one fitted with the older, second-generation EcoDiesel V-6. (Yes, the same engine that was in the Ram trucks involved in the settlement agreement.) And while we’re on the subject, it’s worth mentioning that FCA lumps sales from both new and old trucks together, which helps explain why the Ram 1500 has been leading the Chevrolet Silverado this year, leapfrogging from third to second in sales.

If that’s a rather clever ploy to goose the numbers in the face of the historically tribal behavior of pickup buyers—and it is—that doesn’t take anything away from the new Ram 1500, which has proven itself a successful moonshot. Its smart handling, compliant suspensions, and first-class interiors have generated a nearly unanimous critical consensus to anoint it as the new leader of the full-size pickup field. The new EcoDiesel doesn’t change that analysis one bit.