GM Offers Growing Number of Diesel Models
Photo: General Motors
If you’re in the market for a diesel vehicle, the General Motors lineup might be the place to look. Over the past five years, the automaker has doubled the number of diesel-equipped models it manufactures — although that expansion hasn’t involved any smaller vehicles.
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According to an analysis by GM Authority, GM offered just six diesel vehicles in 2016. For the 2021 model year, that number has increased to 12.
Which GM models are available with diesel engines?
GM’s diesel growth is primarily due to one big move. For the 2021 model year, redesigned versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade went on sale. For the first time, each of these full-size SUV models offered a diesel option. All of these vehicles can now be equipped with a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel that delivers 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.
Also new to the GM diesel lineup are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, both of which are available with the Duramax turbodiesel.
Other GM diesel models include the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. All of these vehicles carry 2.8-liter inline-four diesel engines. The Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD truck lineups feature a 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel option.
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Photo: General Motors
Although GM has seriously expanded its diesel lineup, it’s not exactly a balanced situation. All of the automaker’s diesel vehicles are either pickup trucks, vans, or large SUVs. If you’re looking for a more compact diesel-powered ride from GM, you’ll be out of luck.
For 2017, GM introduced a highly efficient 1.6-liter diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze sedan. Diesel variants for Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact SUVs followed in 2018. However, all those moderately sized diesel models have since been discontinued.
It’s not clear whether GM’s diesel expansion will continue now that it’s reached all the automaker’s biggest vehicles. With 30 new EVs promised by 2025, electric power looks to be the primary focus for future GM models.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.