LAS VEGAS, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- International Truck today unveiled the International® HV™ Series Mid-Range Diesel (MRD) at the World of Concrete 2018 North American Commercial Vehicle Show—that includes a bridge formula truck for the concrete industry. Mark Stasell, vice president, Vocational Truck Business. Redesigned from the inside out, the HV Series interior was crafted with driver and body company feedback to ensure the most comfortable and productive environment possible, while the exterior continues with powerful styling.

The HV Series also features the intelligence of the industry-leading Diamond Logic® electrical system for the automation of tasks and interlocks to help protect both equipment and crew. The truck offers customers an incredibly versatile foundation for any configuration necessary to be productive at any job and includes power options like the International® A26, an engine designed with uptime in its DNA.

Photo 32/34 | New for the ’18 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is a range-topping luxury trim that’s as sumptuous as the truck is capable. Pricing is not confirmed for the ’18 Ram 1500 with the EcoDiesel V-6. Ram ProMaster remains essentially unchanged for 2018, which we don’t mind, as you shouldn’t try to fix something that’s working quite well.

Additions to standard equipment include Uconnect 5.0 (while making navigation optional), integrated voice commands with Bluetooth and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and a backup camera or backup camera kit for chassis-cab/cutaway models. Right and left sliding doors now feature a window grate, with fixed glass as an option. The only front-wheel-drive fullsize van in the segment is still powered by a 3.0L EcoDiesel I-4 engine that makes 174 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Maximum payload is 4,116 pounds with the high-roof long-wheelbase ProMaster 3500, which also boasts 5,100 pounds of trailer towing capacity. 94,455, we have to ask ourselves: Who are the people spending six figures on a pickup, The answer is not people who tow or haul all day every day. Those folks would just get a tractor.

But we believe those people whose business requires them to tow serious loads on a semi-regular basis are folks who are apt to make the big purchase. Think the rancher who has to transport his most profitable bulls, or a farmer or oil-field worker who might have to pull or move heavy equipment. These are the same people we imagine wouldn’t be caught dead in a luxury sedan but don’t mind a leather-wrapped interior and heated everything. With nearly every automaker represented in this guide rolling out even more luxurious models each year, the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down, either.

It’ll be optional on the 2018 F-150 Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum edition SuperCrew trucks with either a 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed configuration, and SuperCab trucks with a 6.5-foot bed configuration. Fleet customers, meanwhile, will be able to spec it on all F-150 trims with SuperCrew 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed configurations and SuperCab trucks with a 6.5 foot bed. Pricing will be announced later this month, when dealers begin taking pre-orders.

Here in the United States, the diesel is a workhorse. Most diesel engines in America are relegated to commercial use (think duallies and semis). For years, though, Americans have been largely missing out on diesel power in passenger cars. A change is under way. We love our trucks and SUVs, and now, thanks to advances in diesel-engine technology and consumer demand, car manufacturers have begun rolling out a slew of diesel options unimaginable in years past. Here's why the diesel revival is starting with the pickup truck.

The market for diesel passengers cars is huge overseas, and the rest of the world has enjoyed excellent diesel engines for years. Nearly 50 percent of sales by European manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Range Rover, Jaguar, and Peugeot, are diesel-optioned. In the U.S., we outfit our big rigs with diesel engines because the torque advantage of diesel engines makes them ideal for hauling heavy loads. The other reason: commercial trucks don’t have to meet the same emissions standards as passenger vehicles.

American emissions laws also focus on removing greater amounts of nitrous oxide than the European and Asian markets. This fact requires manufactures to produce unique engines specific to the American market, including the addition of awkward urea tanks for trapping nitrous oxide. Our federal government also taxes diesel fuel at a rate about 25 percent higher than gasoline. As a result of all this—and leftover stigma from the dirty, low-performance old days of American diesel—manufacturers have been reluctant to offer diesel engine options in new cars and trucks in the U.S.