(December 16, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler’s Pentastar 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 has been named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines for the third consecutive year.

But even in this elite group, the Pentastar rises to the top. While every other engine on the Ward’s 2013 list was tested in a car, mostly of the sporty variety, the DOHC Pentastar was evaluated in a truck — the 2013 Ram 1500 full-size pickup.

“We are most grateful to Ward’s for this recognition,” says Bob Lee, Chrysler Group vice-president and head of engine and electrified propulsion engineering. “It is testament to our efforts to design and build the most efficient, capable and fun-to-drive engines in the industry.”

The Pentastar, which delivers 305 horsepower in the Ram 1500 and has a 269 lb.-ft. peak torque rating, is a mainstay of Chrysler Group’s powertrain lineup. It is available in 13 nameplates, from the Chrysler Town & Country minivan to the Dodge Charger Pursuit police vehicle.

The net effect: a 7 percent across-the-board improvement in fuel efficiency.

“The Pentastar combines luxury-car-like refinement with a boatload of low-end torque to create an engine that seems almost too good to be in a pickup,” adds Drew Winter, Editor-in-Chief, Ward’s AutoWorld magazine. “In addition to delivering best-in-class fuel economy and best-in-class towing capacity, it’s just plain classy.”

Coupled with the segment-exclusive TorqueFlite 8-speed transmission, the naturally aspirated Pentastar helps the 2013 Ram 1500 achieve best-in-class fuel economy of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, trumping trucks that feature engines equipped with turbochargers and direct injection. The Pentastar-powered Ram also has a tow rating of 6,500 pounds, which is unmatched by any other pickup’s standard-equipment V-6.

Model-year 2013 marks the Pentastar’s debut in the Ram 1500. The result is a 42 percent horsepower boost and 13 percent gains in torque and fuel economy, compared with the 3.7L V-6 it replaced.