3-Ton Pickup With Less Than 6 Km/L in the City: The Real Consumption of the Ram 2500/3500 With Cummins Engine Surprises Brazilian Buyers

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 19/01/2026 at 08:58

Picape de 3 toneladas e menos de 6 km/l na cidade: o consumo real da Ram 2500/3500 com motor Cummins surpreende compradores brasileiros

Be the first to react!

With the Cummins 6.7 engine, over 1,000 Nm of torque and less than 6 km/l in the city, the Ram 2500/3500 surprises Brazilian buyers with its consumption and brute force.

When we talk about large pickups, the Brazilian imagination usually thinks of Hilux, S10, Ranger, and Frontier. But there is a category above them, the so-called Heavy-Duty, which operates on a completely different level of weight, power, torque, and towing capacity.

And within this universe, one of the protagonists is the Ram 2500/3500, equipped with the iconic Cummins 6.7 turbodiesel engine, a block designed to last hundreds of thousands of kilometers and tow tons of cargo. What many buyers discover only later is that this immense force comes at a price at the pump: urban consumption below 6 km/l, even when running empty.

Why Does the Ram 2500/3500 Consume So Much?

The first point is physical: a Ram 2500/3500 weighs between 3,200 and 3,600 kg, depending on the version. This is double that of a traditional medium-sized pickup and three times the weight of a small urban hatchback. Maneuvering this “block of steel” through the city requires more energy and, therefore, more fuel.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Real Consumption in Brazil: Numbers That Impress

Consumption data measured in the country shows the reality:

City: ~5.1 km/l
Highway: ~7.6 km/l

These numbers vary with load, towing, and driving style, but they clearly indicate the profile of the mechanical set: power without a commitment to urban efficiency.

In the U.S., where roads are longer, straighter, and more consistent, the context is different, but even there, urban consumption rarely exceeds 12 mpg (approximately 5 km/l when converted to the Brazilian system).

Urban vs. Highway Behavior

The behavior changes significantly when the Ram leaves the city and hits the road:

Aerodynamics, although far from efficient, becomes less relevant
The engine works at lower and more consistent RPMs
The electronic control reduces turbo pressure at cruising speed

So, highway fuel consumption jumps to something between 7 and 8 km/l, which is impressive for a vehicle over 3 tons, with a huge frontal profile and 275/70R18 tires.

Comparison with More “Common” Vehicles

To provide context, here are some examples:

Toyota Corolla 2.0: 10–12 km/l city
Hilux 2.8 diesel: 9–11 km/l city
Jeep Compass diesel: 10–12 km/l city
Ram 2500/3500 diesel: ~5 km/l city

In other words, the Ram consumes double the diesel compared to most SUVs and mid-sized trucks sold in Brazil.

This does not mean that the Ram is “inefficient” — it simply means it belongs to a different category, designed for heavy-duty tasks, not to move lightly in urban traffic.

Monster Torque and Clear Purpose

The Cummins 6.7 was not designed with shopping trips in mind. It was created to:

tow over 7 tons in the U.S.
run for thousands of hours at idle
withstand heat, dust, and thermal loads
work with trailers, fifth wheels, and implements

That’s why the engine has:

cast iron block
long stroke
high thermal efficiency turbocharger
robust crankshaft
reinforced automatic transmission

This set prioritizes longevity and continuous torque, not fuel economy.

Technical Specifications: Ram (Brazil)

Engine: 6.7 Cummins Turbodiesel
Configuration: 6 cylinders in line
Torque: over 1,000 Nm (varies by year/version)
Gross Weight: ~3,200–3,600 kg
Traction: 4×4 with low range
Urban Consumption: ~5.1 km/l
Highway Consumption: ~7.6 km/l

For those who view the Ram 2500/3500 as a passenger car, the consumption seems absurd.
But for those who understand the original purpose of the project — towing, carrying, operating for long hours, the consumption makes perfect sense.

It was not made to save fuel. It was made to work hard.

And that explains why many buyers are surprised to discover that a vehicle of this size drinks more than many SUVs and even more than some old V8s, even with a modern turbodiesel.

3-Ton Pickup With Less Than 6 Km/L in the City: The Real Consumption of the Ram 2500/3500 With Cummins Engine Surprises Brazilian Buyers

With the Cummins 6.7 engine, over 1,000 Nm of torque and less than 6 km/l in the city, the Ram 2500/3500 surprises Brazilian buyers with its consumption and brute force.

Why Does the Ram 2500/3500 Consume So Much?

Real Consumption in Brazil: Numbers That Impress

Urban vs. Highway Behavior

Comparison with More “Common” Vehicles

Monster Torque and Clear Purpose

Technical Specifications: Ram (Brazil)

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Spain installs two giant pipelines 2.2 km off the coast to draw water from the Mediterranean and supply a megafacility capable of producing 200 million liters of drinking water per day.

Without wheels, iron, or machines, teams of up to 32 men would have dragged 2.3-ton blocks over wet sand up a ramp embedded in the pyramid itself, raising the structure in 20 to 27 years, according to a new computer model that reignites a millennia-old debate.

The United States purchased for $125 million a ship that Shell used for drilling oil in the Arctic, spent another $25 million refurbishing it, and renamed it Storis because the largest economy on the planet can no longer build an icebreaker on its own.

Carnivorous dinosaur in China left footprints at just 1 km/h and surprised researchers in the field with more than 5,000 tracks preserved for over 100 million years.

The largest car carrier ship in the world will unload 7,200 BYD cars at the SC Port in June, but before that, an Italian ship will arrive this Tuesday with another 4,500 vehicles, totaling 11,700 cars, 150 workers, and a 24-hour non-stop operation at the Port of Itajaí.

African country launched a $145 million project to rehabilitate 35 dams and drill deep wells seeking water stored for millennia beneath the desert, a plan that Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s government presents as a path to the country’s water sovereignty.

A 400-meter colossus powered by natural gas has just set sail from Shanghai to Europe, carrying over 24,000 containers. It is the world’s largest dual-fuel container ship and can cross the planet without refueling even once.

3-Ton Pickup With Less Than 6 Km/L in the City: The Real Consumption of the Ram 2500/3500 With Cummins Engine Surprises Brazilian Buyers

With the Cummins 6.7 engine, over 1,000 Nm of torque and less than 6 km/l in the city, the Ram 2500/3500 surprises Brazilian buyers with its consumption and brute force.

Why Does the Ram 2500/3500 Consume So Much?

Real Consumption in Brazil: Numbers That Impress

Urban vs. Highway Behavior

Comparison with More “Common” Vehicles

Monster Torque and Clear Purpose

Technical Specifications: Ram (Brazil)

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Spain installs two giant pipelines 2.2 km off the coast to draw water from the Mediterranean and supply a megafacility capable of producing 200 million liters of drinking water per day.

Without wheels, iron, or machines, teams of up to 32 men would have dragged 2.3-ton blocks over wet sand up a ramp embedded in the pyramid itself, raising the structure in 20 to 27 years, according to a new computer model that reignites a millennia-old debate.

Forget the basic popular car: used sedans like Passat CC, Kia Cerato, Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Volvo S60 show that it’s still possible to buy more performance, comfort, and technology for less than many new compacts.

Used Honda Civic: 3 versions of the Japanese sedan with naturally aspirated engines of up to 155 hp, fuel consumption of up to 13.8 km/l, robust automatic transmission, and a reputation for reliable mechanics still dominate the used car market in Brazil.

Toyota Hilux becomes a ‘cargo truck’: automaker declares a new era for the pickup with greater capacity, reinforced chassis, 2.8 turbodiesel engine, raised suspension, 1,525 kg load capacity, and targets Ford Ranger Super Duty, which tows an impressive 4,500 kg.

Could the invasion of Chinese cars in Brazil be destroying the country’s automotive industry? Analysis points to problems

The United States purchased for $125 million a ship that Shell used for drilling oil in the Arctic, spent another $25 million refurbishing it, and renamed it Storis because the largest economy on the planet can no longer build an icebreaker on its own.

Carnivorous dinosaur in China left footprints at just 1 km/h and surprised researchers in the field with more than 5,000 tracks preserved for over 100 million years.

The largest car carrier ship in the world will unload 7,200 BYD cars at the SC Port in June, but before that, an Italian ship will arrive this Tuesday with another 4,500 vehicles, totaling 11,700 cars, 150 workers, and a 24-hour non-stop operation at the Port of Itajaí.

African country launched a $145 million project to rehabilitate 35 dams and drill deep wells seeking water stored for millennia beneath the desert, a plan that Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s government presents as a path to the country’s water sovereignty.

A 400-meter colossus powered by natural gas has just set sail from Shanghai to Europe, carrying over 24,000 containers. It is the world’s largest dual-fuel container ship and can cross the planet without refueling even once.