Detroit DD5: Manufacturing Process and Design

With the introduction of the new four-cylinder Detroit™ DD5™ engine, Detroit has officially entered the medium-duty market. Available in the Freightliner® M2 106, the DD5 features up to 230 horsepower and up to 660 lb-ft of torque. Though the smallest engine in the DD line, the DD5 will be tested like every other Detroit™ engine, ensuring consistent quality and performance across Detroit engine platforms. 

Like the Detroit heavy-duty platform, which includes the DD13®, DD15® and DD16®, each DD5 must pass rigorous quality control inspections before it leaves the plant, including the Performance Hot Test, a series of tests that verifies horsepower, turbo speed and other various aspects of each individual engine.

Detroit is the only manufacturer in the industry that hot tests every component, under load, at speed, with heat and noise, ensuring that each engine is ready for the road. Because of the comprehensive manufacturing quality control process, Detroit engines have a First Time Through Rate of 96.4%.

Designed for durability and sustained performance, the DD5 has an expected B10 life of 400,000 miles and is backed with a three-year / 250,000-mile engine and aftertreatment system warranty.

Production of the engine is scheduled to begin this fall, and the first DD5 engines are expected to be delivered near the end of the year. Initially, the DD5 will be manufactured in Mannheim, Germany. Daimler Truck North America has invested $375 million into the Detroit facility in Redford, Michigan to bring production of the DD5 to the United States in 2018.