General Motors adds diesel engine to mid-size pickup trucks
General Motors has dropped the details on its new diesel pickups.
The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will be available this fall with a new 2.8-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel that'll cost $3,730 more than equivalent trucks with V6 gasoline engines.
At starting prices of $31,700 and $33,200, respectively, the diesels will deliver 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque that's good for a max tow rating of 7,700 pounds in two-wheel-drive trucks, up from 7,000 for the V6.
The diesels are available only in Crew Cab configurations. They come with a six-speed automatic fitted with a centrifugal pendulum vibration absorber to reduce engine vibration and an exhaust braking system what works with both the cruise control on downhill stretches and with the pedal. A trailering package with hitch and 7-pin connector, electronic locking rear differential and two-speed transfer case on four-wheel-drive models are all standard equipment.
One thing that's yet to be announced is fuel economy, but GM says it will beat the current gasoline four-cylinder's top rating of 27 mpg. The most fuel efficient pickup on sale today is the larger Ram 1500 Ecodiesel, which gets 29 mpg highway and has a base price of $38,395.