On Thursday diesel power got a chance to sneak a peak at the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.  While it’s always interesting to see what the new gas-powered trucks have to offer, we went looking for one thing, and one thing only- The upcoming 2010 Cummins diesels.

That’s right, “diesels”.  As in more than one engine.  Because we’re predicting that come 2010, you’ll not only be able to buy the 6.7L Cummins in the 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks- you’ll also see a 5.6L V-8 Cummins in the 1500 trucks and as the base engine in the 2500 and 3500 trucks.

If we’re correct, you should begin thinking about the 5.6L V-8 engine as the new “small-block” diesel, while the 6.7L will become the “big-block” diesel option.  There’s even a new 4.2L V-6 engine that could show up as well.

The interesting thing here is the power and torque that the new 5.6L Cummins V-8 will likely make in the Ram 1500.  The way we see it, if the new Hemi is going to offer 380 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque, the 5.6L Cummins diesel will likely be rated for 325 HP and 500 lb-ft of torque.

For more information see our Cummins V-6 and V-8 engine sneak peak story we published back in December of 2006.