The folks over at TruckTrend, MotorTrend’s sister publication, have announced their pick for the 2014 Truck of the Year; and the honors go to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel.

The Ram 1500 had a thick field of competitors, ranging from the Chevrolet/GMC 1500 twins and Toyota Tundra to Ram’s own ProMaster transport van and Heavy-Duty truck->ke4685 lineup. Although the competition was fierce, each vehicle was judged against six key criteria: Advancement in design, safety, value, efficiency, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function.

Not only does Ram take home the prized golden calipers trophy, it does so for the second consecutive year – a first for the Truck of the Year award. It’s important to note the competition is only open to new or significantly updated vehicles. TruckTrend editors had to decided if a new powertrain option counted as a “significant” update to the otherwise unchanged Ram 1500. Their decision to allow the Ram 1500 to re-compete happened only after careful deliberation and consideration that a diesel powerplant in the half-ton class could be a game-changer.

As described in the video above, the EcoDiesel certainly has put the truck industry on notice. TruckTrend’s own testing revealed staggeringly impressive fuel economy numbers from the clean-diesel powerplaint – 18 mpg city/28 mpg highway/22 mpg combined in a crew cab 4X2 with a 3.55 rear axle. That, combined with an attractive interior, useful exterior, and 7,300-pound towing capacity makes the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel TruckTrend’s Truck of the Year for 2014.

Click past the jump for more info on the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Exterior

The Ram EcoDiesel can be fitted with the RamBox storage compartments that dramatically increase lockable, dry storage space. The bed also comes with an optional bed extender for longer loads while standard tie-down points are located throughout the truck bed.

Interior

Ram's eight-speed Torqueflight automatic transmission is electronically-controlled through a rotary dial located on the instrument panel. Real wood and soft-touch materials lend a premium feel to the cab while generous amounts of rear-seat legroom are found in crew cab models.

Check our TopSpeed's own review of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel