General Motors, is preparing to offer a diesel in the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-sized pickups, according to Automotive News.
The redesigned pickups are slated to get a version of GM's 2.5-liter or 2.8-liter, four-cylinder Duramax turbodiesels, which power the Colorado in overseas markets. The diesel option is expected to be added to the U.S. lineup about a year after the fall 2014 launch of the redesigned trucks.
The shift toward diesels in light-duty trucks is the latest in a run of examples demonstrating how tightening fuel-economy standards are scrambling pickup makers' marketing strategies. Historically, they sought competitive advantage with incrementally more powerful V8 engines, or with nifty features such as the RamBox storage compartment. Radical departures in powertrain technology were rare.
With the addition of forthcoming diesels, light-truck buyers will have an array of powertrain choices, from four-cylinder and V6 diesels to turbocharged V6s and diesel V8s, coupled with fuel-saving features such as eight-speed transmissions, stop-start systems and cylinder deactivation.
(more on diesels in the pickup fuel-economy war . . . )
Nissan to Offer New Cummins V8 Diesel in Titan Pickup
Ram to Bring Diesel to its Half-Ton Pickups in 2013
GM's 2014 Silverado and Sierra 1500 Top V8 Pickup Truck Fuel Economy, Towing Capacity
F-150 V6 EcoBoost Matches Super Duty V8 Towing Capacity
