Customers will find the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab loaded with all the Magnum engine horsepower and torque expected from the Dodge family of trucks.

Two optional V-8s - the only V-8s in the compact pickup segment - are available, including a new addition to the Dodge Magnum engine family for the 2000 model year. This new V-8 engine - a 4.7-liter Magnum, tuned for even more power and fuel efficiency - produces 235 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.

"Our new 4.7-liter Magnum engine has more usable power, smoothness and durability than the 5.2-liter it replaces," said John Felice, Vice President, Truck Platform. "It's the most refined V-8 engine ever offered in a Dodge Truck." The engine will be available on all Dakotas for the 2000 model year.

The 4.7-liter V-8 is tuned for optimal airflow, powertrain stiffness and improved balance. Overall, the engine achieves more power and better fuel efficiency, yet produces fewer emissions than the 5.2-liter V-8. It also meets California Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standards.

The 4.7-liter engine was designed from a clean sheet of paper to provide more usable power and drivability under all conditions. It features a cast iron block and cast aluminum cylinder heads with a single overhead camshaft per bank. Small cylinder bores create a more compact engine package without compromising capability.

With a tuned-length-runner intake manifold, free-flowing intake and exhaust ports and fast-burn combustion chambers, the new engine has optimum breathing and combustion efficiency.

Operating with a 9.3:1 compression ratio, the 4.7-liter Magnum V-8 still requires only regular-grade fuel, which directly translates into cost savings for the consumer.

Aluminum cylinder heads, hollow camshafts with sintered steel lobes, magnesium valve covers, a molded composite intake manifold and accessories directly mounted to the engine structure contribute to an overall weight reduction of 54 pounds compared to the previous 5.2-liter engine.

Drivability is enhanced by variable fuel injection timing, sequential multi-port injection, a quick-sensing inlet-side thermostat and coil-on-plug ignition, giving each individual spark plug its own secondary ignition coil.

The engine is designed to operate 150,000 miles under normal conditions without a part replacement other than normal maintenance items. A new automatic serpentine belt tensioner increases the average accessory belt life to 100,000 miles.