Chevrolet releases the official fuel economy numbers for the all-new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine in the 2020 Silverado 1500 half-ton trucks.
The 2WD truck has an EPA rating of 33 MPG on the highway. It’s rated at 23/33/27 MPG (city/hwy/combined). This is currently a class-leading fuel economy number. It’s a full 10% more than the 30 MPG rating for a Ford F-150 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6. We do not yet have EPA ratings for the upcoming 2020 Ram 1500 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6.
2020 Chevy Silverado 1500
If you are looking a 4×4 diesel truck, the rating is lower – but it’s still very impressive: 23/29/25 MPG. The highway rating is significantly lower on these diesel half-ton trucks because they in a higher weight classification for EPA testing. This requires a heavier load during the laboratory dyno testing.
Chevrolet says that while the fuel economy and emissions certification took longer than originally expected, they are confident that all details and questions have been worked out and resolved.
Chevrolet says that the clean-sheet engine design that includes adjustable thermal management, short air intake paths, dual air intake paths, turbocharger design, and much more contribute to a good balance of power and efficiency.
The 3.0-liter Duramax is rated at 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine has class-leading horsepower and fuel economy ratings.
The diesel Silverado 1500 does not have class leading payload or towing numbers. The maximum payload is listed at 1,870 lbs, and maximum towing is 9,300 lbs. The towing rating is significantly lower than the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 diesels.
The diesel is available on LT, RST, LTZ, and High Country trim levels. The engine cost is $2,495 higher the 5.3-liter V8 / 8-speed. This is exactly the same price increase as the big 6.2-liter gas V8. The most affordable Silverado 1500 Diesel 2wd will go for just over $42,000. The diesel truck goes on sale in the early fall of this year.
Check out TFLnow for all the data and Chevy Silverado engine comparison.
