Cummins is going after more of the light- and medium-duty market with its new ISV5.0, a 5-liter (302-cubic-inch) V-8 diesel that promises high performance and low total cost of ownership.

Available in about a year, the engine is aimed at pickup-and-delivery vehicles, other light- and medium-duty trucks, school buses and motorhomes, the company said in announcing the engine today.

Nissan North America has said it will offer the “Turbo Diesel” in its redesigned 2015 Titan pickup, and Cummins is talking with other original-equipment manufacturers about using it.

Four ratings will be offered: 200 and 220 horsepower with 520 pound-feet of torque, and 250 and 275 horsepower with 560 pound-feet. Rated speed is 3,200 rpm. Nissan’s ratings are different and have not been announced.

"Cummins’ ISV5.0 creates new opportunities for our OEM customers as a compact and lightweight engine that delivers best-in-class fuel efficiency and total cost of ownership,” said Dave Crompton, vice president and general manager at Cummins Engine Business.

“Many of our customers have asked for a Cummins alternative for gasoline or other small displacement automotive diesel engines," he said. "The ISV5.0 represents the next dimension in fuel economy and performance as Cummins continues to broaden our on-highway product line.”

The ISV5.0 is designed to fit where a comparable V-8 or V-10 gasoline engine is now used, he said. Multiple front-end accessory drive options handle the common automotive accessories required by a variety of applications, including the alternator, air compressor, A/C compressor and hydraulic pump.

These options, coupled with Cummins’ integration expertise, minimize OEM engineering time and vehicle retooling costs, Crompton said. The engine will be supported through Cummins’ dealer network.

Features include a compacted graphite iron cylinder block, forged steel crankshaft, high-strength aluminum alloy heads, composite valve covers and dual overhead camshafts are designed for maximum durability in a lightweight package. Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) are said to be low to enhance driver comfort.

High injection pressures from the latest Bosch high-pressure common-rail fuel (HPCR) system and multiple-firing piezo fuel injectors provide precise fuel control for optimized in-cylinder combustion, leading to better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. Integrated electronic controls manage the fuel and air system, whose heart is a Cummins variable geometry turbocharger.

Other features include:

•  Advanced ceramic glow plugs for easy starting in cold weather, and the plugs are designed to last the life of the engine, with no maintenance;

• A two-stage fuel filter system using the latest NanoNet media from Cummins Filtration, which provides low fuel-flow restriction and traps greater than 99% of all particles as small as 4 microns;

• A high-efficiency coalescing crankcase filter to eliminate hydrocarbon emissions and oil mist.

Cummins will market the ISV5.0 in the United States and Canada, and it will be certified to the near-zero NOx and particulate emissions levels required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At launch, it will also meet greenhouse gas requirements through 2016, and 2015 California Air Resources Board standards, including on-board diagnostics.

The ISV5.0 and the Nissan Turbo Diesel will be manufactured at the Columbus Engine Plant. Production of the ISV5.0 will start during the fourth quarter of 2014.