Ram has finally figured out how to give the Power Wagon a Cummins diesel engine. All it had to do was drop one of the truck’s signature features.
But if you’re OK with trading some actual pulling power — in the form of an electric winch — in favor of some stump-pulling torque, then the 2027 Ram Power Wagon diesel has you covered. It’s a trade-off that Ram says its buyers have been asking for.
Power Wagon Means 2 Things: Off-Road Suspension, Factory Winch (Until Now)
When Ram first relaunched the Power Wagon for 2005, there were two main reasons to buy it. A suspension lift and a 12,000-pound Warn winch.
Almost 10 years later, the suspension was completely reimagined, and it now had a special five-link coil spring setup in the back. The new suspension gave the truck more rear axle articulation, with changes to give it more in the front as well.
Power Wagon was now a very serious off-roader for buyers who needed an HD truck. But it was still missing the most HD of features: a diesel engine.
Ram Customers Wanted a Power Wagon Diesel
Ram said it couldn’t make a Power Wagon Cummins diesel because of that winch. It blocked too much air from the cooling system needed to tame the 430-horsepower, 1,075 pound-foot diesel engine.
“Customers have been telling us for years to put the Cummins in the Power Wagon,” said Ram boss Tim Kuniskis. So how did Ram solve the airflow problem? It didn’t.
Ram simply didn’t add the winch. Or a winch bumper, though it points out there’s nothing stopping you from buying one later.
No Factory Winch on Diesel Power Wagon
For some customers, that will matter. The standard winch set the Power Wagon apart from other trucks, though Ram quietly made it optional on the gas model for 2025. For a long time, it was the only pickup with a factory winch. That has changed, though, with Ineos adding an option for its Grenadier Quartermaster and Jeep recently adding the Gladiator Shadow Ops special edition.
Ram told GearJunkie the packages that contain the optional winch are extremely popular. Other customers won’t care about the missing option, because it finally unlocks real truck capability in the Power Wagon.
Big Capability Upgrades
Yes, the Power Wagon gasser 6.4 is an HD truck, but its payload capacity is just 1,570 pounds. Half of what a normal gas HD Ram can manage, it’s also just 70 pounds more than a front-drive hybrid compact Ford Maverick.
Towing isn’t much better, at just 10,530 pounds — less than some Ram 1500 trucks and at least 2.5 tons less than a standard Ram 2500.
The 2027 Ram Power Wagon diesel will tow nearly 20,000 pounds, Ram says, along with a payload of almost 3,000 pounds. Both of those “almosts” come directly from Ram, which didn’t give the exact figure. Now you can actually do HD truck stuff with it, at least until you need a winch.
More Than Just an Engine Upgrade
Adding the Cummins wasn’t the only change to boost those figures. Ram added new E load range tires (in the same size) and made some other small suspension changes. The entire front axle is diesel Power Wagon–specific, with larger half-shafts and a larger housing.
To enhance the extra capability, Ram has added some other new features. You can get the diesel Power Wagon with a fifth-wheel prep package. You can also opt for an automatic-leveling rear air suspension that includes a bed-lowering mode.
2027 Ram Power Wagon Diesel Arrives Later This Year
Gas and diesel trucks both get the Power Wagon’s standard front and rear e-locker differentials, and the rear is a mechanical anti-slip when it’s not locked. They come with Bilstein off-road shocks and an electronic-disconnect front sway bar for even more articulation. These big trucks deliver 13.2 inches of ground clearance and come with standard Mopar rock rails to protect the cab when the clearance isn’t enough.
Are those extras enough to justify losing a signature feature of the model?
The 2027 Ram Power Wagon Cummins diesel is set to hit showrooms in the second half of 2026. Pricing starts from $88,470, including destination. That’s $12,995 more than a 2026 Power Wagon gas, with the Cummins normally a $12,500 upgrade on 2500 trucks.
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