It used to be the sound of diesels limited their American appeal, now the emmisions equipment is too expensive (think DPF's, urea injection, or EGR's). Ford developed their gasoline direct injection over diesel for a reason - it's cheaper to sell.

GM is coming with a small diesel for trucks
 

Anyway they have hinted for a one. IF GM are coming with their 4500 Duramax
that´s likely it will get Ford to respond.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/11...or-trucks.html

a quote taken directly from your links article: As for a turbo-diesel in either of the coming GM half-tons (a la the Duramax 4.5-liter V-8), we think the chances are quite slim.
so, in other words, there ain't a snowballs chance in hell it will ever happen.

I also don't see it happening, I would like it to happen, but I don't see the market when diesel costs so much right now.

Yea, the truck that's getting the diesel from GM is likely the Colorado. As we're now (finally) getting the same Colorado that's offered globally. Since most of the engine options for that truck overseas are diesels, it stands to reason that we'll get at least one of the diesel options federalized for use in the states.

As far as a diesel for the half-ton trucks, the only maker that seems committed to it right now is Ram. It's likely they'll offer the Ram 1500 with the same 3.0L VM diesel they're putting in the Grand Cherokee. Should have right around ~250hp and ~400ft-lbs tq and get close to 30mpg on the highway.

As far as Ford goes, the only new vehicle they've announced with a diesel is the full-size Transit Commercial vans. Likely it will be the 3.2L I5 diesel they offer overseas, but personally I would rather have the 4.4L V8 diesel. Right around 300hp/500ft-lbs tq would be perfect and is right on par with what GM offers in their current Vans.

If dodge does make it to market with a 30 MPG 1/2 ton ram, I think they would sell a lot of units.

well to throw diesel on the fire, I personally think the idea of a V8 diesel in the F150 is overkill, not saying that is bad, we all know too much is just right. I would be satisfied with a 4 banger diesel option in the F150/Expedition. It doesn't need to make a ton of HP, but 350 ft/lb's should be easily obtainable and the mpg's should be pretty good as well. I would be all over it. If you really need more than that, I guess they could have a V8 diesel as an option for those who felt they need it, or you could just buy a Super-duty. However, these are all just pipe dreams. The majority of consumers are far more interested in hybrids (vomit) and Ford has said they have no interest in building a diesel engine line up for vehicles other than the super duty line. They are sticking with eco-boost for now and expanding hybrid/electric technology. I will pass, you can't put a supercharger and nitrous on an electric motor.

Cylinder count is almost meaningless to a diesel engine because the combustion cycle has no trouble with large volumes of fuel in huge cylinders. That's why everything from a Dodge 3/4 ton pickup truck to the largest semi trucks on the road do it with 6 cylinders. The Dodge is a 6.7L 6-cylinder engine, and my last Kenworth had a 15.2L twin-turbo 6-cylinder engine. The Ford, GM, and Navistar V8s are the only ones I've ever heard of.

The commercial market is almost exclusively 6-cylinder diesel. Throw a 6-cylinder ISX or C15 in a pickup truck and the frame would be nearly resting on the ground.

you forgot the 92 series Detroits Tom.
nothing screamed crazy power like a 8V-92TT Detroit Diesel

Semis in north America are mostly I6 engines.
There are many v8, v12, v16 truck / industrial engines that run just fine.
I don't know where the I6 idealism keeps getting generated from, but it is absolutely ridiculous.

I do agree that the I6 package is great for semi's though, I have nothing against them, but they are not superior just because they are an inline 6.

I never said that they were. Let me restatate the theme of my previous post:

Or the legendary CAT 3408!!! My dad had a twin turbo 3408 in his Kenworth and that thing sounded like a freight train!!! They still make the 3408 for international (foreign, not the truck) sales.

-The Great

If I had the cash, I'd buy a new one, strip the engine out and find a nice little 4 cylinder Diesel to go in there, set it up for Waste Veggie Oil and Biodiesel.

Clint, the international engine you are thinking about is the 9 liter. it is about the same size and sorta looks like the 3408, but it is a completely differently animal.

Tom, hate to disagree with you, but they do in fact still build them. My brother drives out bull dozers with them in it every day. Hes a repairman at Cat in East Peoria, also my mom works at the fuel systems plant in Pontiac ad builds the imjectors for them.

-The Great