Motor Trend has selected the Ram 1500 as its 2014 Truck of the Year. The announcement was made at the Chrysler Group LLC’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan, the birthplace of Ram Trucks.

Nine “Truck of the Year” contenders were put through testing designed to evaluate every aspect of each vehicle. In addition to the 2014 Ram 1500, the Motor Trend judges examined other all-new or updated trucks the industry produced this year, including the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ram Heavy Duty and Toyota Tundra pickups.

To determine which truck deserved top honors, the judges tested each truck’s performance with these exercises: standard testing (without load), limit handling (without load), tow/payload testing and road looping. Each contender was measured up against the award’s six criteria: design advancement, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function.

“For 2014, we had a large and highly competitive field of contenders for Motor Trend's Truck of the Year," said Edward Loh, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend. "At the end of the day, though, the Ram 1500 quickly rose to the top. Not only did it withstand our rigorous testing, it thoroughly impressed our judges with its vast array of standard and optional equipment, and, most notable, its fuel-efficient, segment-exclusive EcoDiesel V-6."

"With 420 lb.-ft. of torque and up to 28 ‘Real MPG’ highway, the EcoDiesel is a true game-changer. In fact, it helped make Ram 1500 the Motor Trend 2014 Truck of the Year – and the only consecutive winner in the history of the award,” added Loh.