The new diesel engine, which GM said is specifically designed for trucks, was built in Thailand and has already been used in global versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and Canyon.
According to Car and Driver, General Motor's unveiling of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado came with an interesting twist--the mid-size pickup.
A 2.8L, inline 4-cylinder Duramax diesel will join the engine choices for the new Colorado and Canyon pickups, set to be released this Fall. On the other hand, the 2016 model year pickups are projected to hit dealership lots.
The Thai-built 2.8-liter turbo-diesel inline-four makes 181 hp at 3,400 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. It will be available only on crew-cab trucks but limited to LT and Z71 trims on the Colorado, SLE and SLT on the Canyon, but can be specified with either two- or four-wheel drives.
It carries a maximum tow rating of 700 pounds more, which is 7,700 pounds with 4x2 trim and 7,600 pounds with 4x4 trim. A 2015 Colorado or Canyon with the gasoline V6 tops out at 7,000.
Today, not only is the economy on the rise, the demand for diesels is also on the rise as more and more drivers begin to accept the benefits of modern diesel technology, both in terms of fuel economy and emissions. Unless another automaker swiftly brings a diesel in to the market before this Fall, GM will be the only diesel in its class, Car and Driver reports.
The forward-collision and lane-departure alerts, and convenience package rear-window defroster with sliding glass, fog lamps, remote start, damped tailgate are also installed in this newest model of Chevy, which give a total base price of $33,520. The GMC would cost up to $34,875.
According to CTV News, the Duramax diesel will be available in 2WD and 4WD variants. The LT and Z71 Crew Cab trims are available for the Colorado, and the SLE and SLT Crew Cab trims for the Canyon. The engine will cost $3,730 more than the V6.
