DETROIT — General Motors is delivering on a promise that the new diesel engine in the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 pickups will achieve segment-leading power.
GM on Monday said the Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six turbodiesel will deliver an SAE-certified 277 hp and 460 pound-feet of torque.
That compares with Ford Motor Co.'s 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6 diesel rated at 250 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque in the 2019 F-150 and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' previous 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 in the Ram 1500, which was rated at 240 hp and 420 pound-feet of torque.
Ram is working on a new version of the EcoDiesel, which its website says was last available for the 2018 model year. The engine is expected to debut in the Jeep Wrangler in 2019, followed by the Jeep Gladiator pickup in 2020. The company has not announced availability of the engine for the Ram 1500.
When unveiling the 2019 Silverado in January 2018, GM product boss Mark Reuss, now also president of the company, said he was "really confident" that GM would have "the best-performing diesel in the segment."
GM didn't release towing capacity, payload and fuel economy ratings for the Duramax diesel model, which is expected to arrive in dealerships this summer. It will be a first for a full-size GM pickup since the late 1990s.
The fuel economy improvements in the pickups' gasoline engines have been unimpressive, including some carryover engines that achieve up to 3 mpg combined below the comparable outgoing models.
The Duramax diesel model — paired with a 10-speed transmission — will be priced starting at $2,495 over a 5.3-liter V-8 model and $3,890 over a 2.7-liter turbo model. Both prices are identical to the upcharge for a 6.2-liter V-8, which is rated at 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 460 pound-feet of torque.
Richard Truett contributed to this report.
