2026 Ram Power Wagon diesel: winch delete explained, specs, towing and price
Ram's 2026 Power Wagon diesel drops the factory winch to fix cooling and weight. 6.7L Cummins HO (430 hp), 9.1-ton towing, 1.36-ton payload, from $88,470.
Developing the 2026 Ram Power Wagon diesel proved more complicated than the company expected. CEO Tim Kuniskis acknowledged the engineers had to make serious compromises to get the diesel version into production. The front end was the sticking point: the diesel is heavier than the gas engine, and the factory winch, he said, hindered cooling and added extra mass over the nose.
As a result, Ram decided to drop the stock winch—a hallmark of the Power Wagon for years. Kuniskis made it clear the team chose the diesel even if that meant deleting the winch and dealing with the rest later. The trade-off subtly reshapes the truck’s character: die-hard off-road fans may miss the built-in recovery gear, but the engineering logic is hard to dispute when cooling headroom and front-axle weight are on the line.
The diesel Power Wagon will use a 6.7-liter Cummins High Output rated at 430 hp and about 1,458 Nm of torque. Sales are expected in the second half of 2026, with a starting price of $88,470. Ram also cites towing of nearly 9.1 tonnes and a payload of nearly 1.36 tonnes. The message is clear: capability comes first.