2023 Duramax diesel
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General Motors' 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six is a seriously solid alternative to gasoline. Drivers love it for its fuel economy and smooth power delivery, no matter which truck or SUV it's in. Up until now, it's made 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. For the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500, however, those numbers have been bumped to 305 hp and 495 lb-ft. Show This distances the compression-ignition lump from the 6.2-liter gas V8, as the two used to produce the exact same torque figure. Now, with the turbodiesel's 7.6 percent jump in that category, it has a clear advantage there. It's still behind on horsepower by a long way, but that isn't as crucial for jobs like towing. What's more, it now boasts better power specs than the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. That V6 lays down 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, so the Duramax has it beat in both areas now. Fuel economy figures for the 2023 model year haven't been released yet, but at present, the Ram tops out at 33 mpg combined, which is two more than the Silverado 1500. ChevroletGM says the power gains come courtesy of four key upgrades. First are the newly designed steel pistons with a combustion bowl that's different from before. Then come the improved fuel injectors, which pair with a retuned turbo compressor. Rounding it out is a short list of temperature control tweaks that make it safe to run higher output in all sorts of driving situations. The 3.0-liter Duramax will continue to be manufactured at GM's Flint Engine Operations facility, hitting certain Silverado 1500 models before year's end. If you want one of your own, you'll need to pick a Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, or High Country. No matter which one you choose, the engine will be mated to a 10-speed automatic. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: The new 3.0-liter Duramax Diesel LZ0 we’ll see on the 2023 Chevy Silverado takes the first-generation LM2 diesel and makes key improvements for better performance with more horsepower and torque. In effect, General Motors has taken a good powertrain and made it much, much better. And, um, hopefully, this new engine also fixes the long crank, slow start issue on the prior engine. What’s new on the 3.0-liter Duramax Diesel LZ0?What’s not new: This engine is still an inline six-cylinder turbo. But what is new is the power — and it is a big improvement. GM says the new LZ0 Duramax Diesel will deliver 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque, which are 10% and 7.6% increases from the 2022 model year. The 2022 diesel delivered 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. GM was able to do this by using new steel pistons with a revised combustion bowl, retuned turbo compressor, new fuel injectors and improved temperature control features. It will be available for the following 2023 Chevrolet Silverado trims: Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ and High Country. This new diesel engine will mated to the 10-speed automatic transmission like the older model. There is no official word yet as to which GMC Sierra trims will get it or availability on the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. What about MPG?Notably the press release leaves out any mention of fuel economy for the new 3.0-liter Duramax Diesel LZ0. While those figures will be released closer to launch, we have to imagine they will be similar to the prior LM2 engine. For reference, the Duramax Diesel LM2 returns upwards of 31 MPG on the highway for 2WD models. Then for city and combined driving numbers, you’re looking at 23 and 26 MPG, respectively. This fuel economy drops significantly with 4WD models as the highway MPG goes from 31 to 26 and the city MPG from 22 to 23. For the off-road models like the Trail Boss, fuel economy suffers even more, dropping to 23 MPG on the highway and 20 MPG in the city. In our testing, we saw similar numbers to the estimated MPG number. However, the big stand outs were how good it pulled a camper and the impressive fuel economy numbers when towing — which were in the mid-teen range. GM says the Duramax Diesel will continue to be assembled at the Flint Engine Operations, and it will be available on select trims of the 2023 Silverado 1500 by the end of 2022. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the prior generation saw a $995 up-charge. The bottom lineTaking an already beloved engine and improving it is a win-win proposition, and the 3.0-liter Duramax Diesel LZ0 is sure to be a fan favorite. Not only should it provide excellent fuel economy, but it will also likely be quick off the line, quiet and have plenty of passing power. Plus, if the previous generation is anything to go by, it’ll tow pretty darn well, too! The Duramax Diesel has been one of the biggest hits for GM’s powertrain department in recent memory, and we expect the trend to continue with this newest iteration. Related posts:
How much HP will the 2023 Duramax have?Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The optional Duramax diesel 6.6-liter V-8 carries over from the previous generation. It continues to make 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet, but now it hooks up to an Allison 10-speed automatic.
Is there a new Duramax coming out?General Motors just announced it will debut the second generation of its Duramax Diesel engine in 2023 for some Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups.
Is GM discontinuing the Duramax?So, if you're looking for a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD or a GMC Sierra the big 6.6 is your go-to. But for the 1500, GM is discontinuing the old 3.0-liter Duramax, which is internally known as the LM2, and replacing it with the next generation LZ0 for 1500 truck duty.
Is the Duramax 6.6 diesel a good engine?Duramax Engines have an excellent reputation for reliability. Each model year is associated with problems, especially when the engines reach 100,000+ miles. However, while Cummins engines may continue to edge out Duramax in terms of overall reliability, Duramax fans love their higher horsepower.
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