SAN DIEGO -- Daimler Trucks North America announced that it will offer Detroit medium-duty engines beginning in 2016.

Speaking to journalists attending the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition, DTNA President and CEO Martin Daum pointed out that while the Detroit brand has grown to include not only heavy-duty engines but also transmissions and axles, "something is missing – a medium-duty engine. I am announcing today, the DD5 and the DD8 medium-duty engines to the North American market."

Detroit’s new DD5 and DD8 engines are a part of Daimler Trucks’ Global Excellence Strategy to have uniform production standards and processes worldwide. Global testing and validation is being undertaken in both Europe and the United States. Versions of the engine series have been produced in Europe since 2012, but the line will be customized for the North American market, much as the Detroit DT12 automated transmission was developed.

DTNA’s entire product line-up, including vehicles equipped with the DD5 and DD8, will meet GHG17 standards early. The engines will be initially built and shipped from Daimler’s powertrain facility in Mannheim, Germany, with further plans to industrialize the engines in North America in 2018.

"It will be a great engine, we are all excited about that," Daum said.

When asked for more details about the engines, Brad Williamson, manager of engine and component marketing for DTNA, quipped, "Stay tuned."

The new DD5 and DD8 engines will be offered throughout Daimler Trucks North America’s product portfolio, which includes Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, and Freightliner Custom Chassis vehicles.