2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 Duramax gets 33mpg highway

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Diesel ½-ton trucks just got a lot more interesting.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the all-new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine delivers an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway and 23 city in rear-wheel-drive models.

EPA-estimated fuel economy for four-wheel drive models is 29 mpg highway/23 city.

With an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the Silverado 3.0-liter Duramax with four-wheel drive is also capable of towing up to 9,300 pounds and a max payload of 1,870 pounds.

“We designed the all-new Silverado and the all-new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel to deliver both performance and efficiency,” said Tim Herrick, Silverado executive chief engineer. “The engine utilizes state-of-the-art technologies to optimize every drop of fuel, and takes advantage of architectural changes to make Silverado larger, lighter and more aerodynamic than before. The resulting combination offers all of the performance, refinement and capability customers want in a full-size truck, with highway fuel efficiency you would expect from a family sedan.”

This is the first diesel offered in Chevrolet’s light-duty trucks since 1997, and the brand’s first-ever inline-six for full-size, light duty trucks. As such, engineers had a clean sheet to leverage the efficiency and balance of an inline-six-cylinder architecture.

“We set out to offer light duty truck customers the best of diesel – outstanding fuel economy, great horsepower and responsive torque – plus unexpected levels of refinement,” said Nicola Menarini, director for diesel truck engine program execution. “We leveraged our global diesel expertise to make sure the all-new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine offers the impressive performance and durability our truck customers demand.”

Chevy sought out to use highly durable materials in key components, including iron cylinder liners within the aluminum engine block, a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods as well as blended silicon/aluminum pistons for greater heat resistance and reduced expansion.

Other features:

  • The inline-six engine provides a balanced configuration for low noise and vibration characteristics. It features an aluminum block for weight reduction, an 84mm x 90mm bore and stroke, dual-overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.
  • A new active thermal management system warms up propulsion components more quickly for more efficient operation.
  • The exhaust brake, which is available in tow-haul mode, can provide additional driver confidence when towing, especially when going downhill.
  • The driver-selectable stop/start technology enhances fuel economy by shutting off the engine at stoplights and certain other stop-and-go situations, helping save fuel. The engine automatically restarts when the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.
  • The 3.0-liter Duramax is exclusively paired with a Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission, featuring smaller gear steps and an overall larger ratio spread to enable peak efficiency. Intelligent controls adjust to the driver’s needs for smooth operation and aggressive response.

The Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel marks Chevrolet’s fourth diesel truck in the available lineup, joining the Colorado, Silverado HD and Silverado Medium Duty. The company draws on diesel truck experience from the Silverado HD with the Duramax 6.6-liter Turbo-Diesel V8 and Colorado with the Duramax 2.8-liter Turbo-Diesel.

The new diesel option completes the all-new Chevrolet Silverado 1500 propulsion portfolio, which provides eight trims paired with six engine/transmission combinations. The 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel is available on the LT, RST, LTZ and High Country trims. For the LTZ and High Country, the 3.0-liter Diesel is a $2,495 option, identical to that of the 6.2-liter V-8. For the LT and RST, it is a $3,890 increase over a 2.7-liter Turbo engine.

The first customer deliveries of the 2020 Silverado 1500 with the available 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel are expected to begin in the fall.