Chrysler plans to introduce its Pentastar V-6 engine and an eight-speed transmission on its 2013 Ram pickup later this year, according to the company's annual report.
Both the engine and the transmission are expected to improve the fuel efficiency of the Ram pickup.
The Pentastar engine is a flexible engine platform for Chrysler that offers more power and better fuel efficiency than the range of six-cylinder engines it has replaced. The V-6 Pentastar engine is already available in 11 vehicles across the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups.
The 8-speed transmission is already offered on the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. In general, the transmission reduces fuel consumption by up to 12 percent compared with Chrysler's current 5-speed transmissions.
By the end of 2013, Chrysler plans to introduce the transmission in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Dodge Durango and Ram 1500 pick-up truck, the company said in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this week.
The Ram pickup hasn't been redesigned since its 2009 model year.
According to the automaker's five-year plan, Ram is scheduled for a major upgrade this year. That means the 2013 Ram will likely be shown at the New York auto show in April since it is the last major auto show in the U.S. until late November.
Ram spokesman David Elshoff declined to comment on when the new model will be revealed or disclose any other changes that are planned.
Chrysler also revealed a more definitive plan for the introduction of start-stop technology in its annual report.
Stop-start technology improves the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks because it turns off the engine and fuel flow when the vehicle comes to a full stops, and re-starts the engine automatically upon acceleration.
"We aim to incorporate this technology into 90 percent of our models in North America by 2017," Chrysler said in its annual report.
