Yes, Cummins Does Make V8 Engines (And Here's What They Power)

Since being introduced in 1989, six-cylinder Cummins diesel engines have enjoyed years of success. In addition, the 6.7L Cummins I6 is a good engine, earning high levels of owner satisfaction while powering several generations of Ram pickup trucks since 2013, and given the dominance of the Cummins 5.9L 6BT and its 6.7L I6 turbo diesel replacement, it's understandable if you find yourself asking if Cummins even makes a V8. 

On the other hand, you may be shocked that the Cummins diesel engines powering heavy duty Ram pickup trucks are not eight-cylinder designs. While you won't find a Cummins V8 diesel in a Ram pickup, you could find one under the hoods of 2016-2019 Nissan Titan XD trucks, delivery trucks, or motorhomes. 

In the company's early years, founder Clessie Cummins experimented with a variety of engine designs, including a two-stroke diesel entered in the Indianapolis 500. After the two-stroke engine finished the race in a cloud of smoke, Cummins invested its efforts in the four-stroke design. While the inline six-cylinder is arguably the most popular, Cummins does make diesel-powered V8 engines.

The introduction of the 2016 Nissan Titan XD also featured the North American debut of the Cummins 5.0L V8 turbo diesel engine. While the partnership between Nissan and Cummins began in 2010, the diesel-powered Titan XD era came to an end following the 2019 model year with the deletion of the Titan XD diesel engine option.

The Cummins 5.0L V8 turbo diesel in the 2016 Nissan Titan XD produced 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, MotorTrend reported the same model year 6.7L I6 Cummins turbo diesel in heavy duty Ram pickups delivered 385 horsepower with torque values at 900 lb-ft. However, Nissan didn't pretend the Titan XD had the brawn to compete with heavy duty pickup trucks from the big three U.S. automakers. Instead, Nissan aimed for the middle ground between the Ford F-150 and F-250 and the Ram 1500 and 2500 offerings, calling the Titan XD the "Every Duty" truck.

The Cummins 5.0L V8 turbo diesel was also available in other parts of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe according to Cummins. Torque output ranges between 500 and 600 lb-ft with the same 310 horsepower found in the Titan XD. Cummins takes a similar approach to marketing its 5.0L V8 as Nissan it did with the XD by highlighting its capability between "smaller and larger diesel offerings in the pickup market." The Cummins V8 features a compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine block topped by aluminum alloy cylinder heads, a forged steel crankshaft, and dual overhead camshafts.

The other Cummins V8 turbo diesel engine is the ISV5.0 from which the 5.0L V8 derived. The Cummins ISV5.0 was developed through a partnership with Chrysler funded by the Department of Energy, according to MotorTrend. As you might expect, the ISV5.0 was destined to power the Ram 1500 pickup but with Chrysler's financial woes, and subsequent merger with Fiat, the project never came to fruition.

Cummins says the ISV5.0 is "ideally suited" for light- and medium-duty pickup and delivery trucks, school buses, and recreational vehicles, claiming "20-40-percent" better fuel economy than comparably capable gas V8 engines. The ISV5.0 features the same CGI, aluminum alloy, and forged steel components as the 5.0L V8, along with its dual overhead cams.

Depending on its application, horsepower ratings for the ISV5.0 range from 200 to 275 and torque varies from 520 to 560 lb-ft with a governed engine speed of 3400 rpm. Its 5.0-liter (304.5-cubic inch) size comes from 94mm (3.70-inch) diameter cylinders and a 90mm (3.54-inch) crankshaft stroke. Each cylinder has four valves, which combined with Cummins' variable geometry turbocharger (VGT), allows the engine adequate air flow. Like the 5.0L V8, the ISV5.0 is available in several parts of the world.