Does Chevy Have A Diesel Truck?
Chevrolet trucks have been around us for decades. Known for their reliability and ruggedness, they can take you anywhere and tow anything. Though Chevrolet is known for its family of small block engines, some people might prefer a diesel. So, in this article, we’ll tell you all about the Chevy trucks that come with a diesel engine.
Does Chevy have a diesel truck?
Yes, Chevy has diesel engines in the Colorado, Silverado, and Silverado Heavy Duty trucks. The mid-size Colorado comes with the option to choose the 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel 4-cylinder engine. Also optional is the six or eight-speed transmission.
The full-size Silverado has the 3.0L Duramax Turbodiesel six-cylinder engine. The heavy-duty Silverado, the largest of the three, comes with the 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel V8.
Diesel engines are ideal for hard work. Given how these powerplants work, it’s best to have them warm up and operate for long periods.
The ideal scenarios are long towing journeys or several round trips where you don’t turn off your truck. In these conditions, and with proper maintenance, diesel engines can last for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Also, these engines produce more torque per displacement than gasoline engines. So, you can expect better-towing performance from diesel engines than their gasoline counterparts.
For decades, Chevrolet has offered diesel engines for their trucks, and it doesn’t look like they’ll stop anytime soon.
Currently, engine technology is improving. Efficiency is increasing, and manufacturers migrate to smaller engines. The four-cylinder turbocharged powerplants are the new norm.
But, no matter what configuration, it’s hard to replace the durable performance of a diesel engine. Diesel engines can produce all their torque at lower revolutions per minute.
Gasoline engines need much more revolutions to reach peak power and torque. Also, while diesel horsepower figures might be lower, their torque is usually higher.
So, let’s discuss which Chevrolet trucks come with a diesel engine.
These Chevy trucks come with a diesel engine.
Right now, three Chevrolet trucks come with a diesel engine. We are going to go into detail with each one, starting with the smallest of the family.
Chevrolet Colorado
Initially, the Chevrolet Colorado entered the US market as a light-duty truck to compete with the Ranger and the Tacoma. As the years progressed and these vehicles got bigger, so did the Colorado.
The latest generation is a mid-size truck. It falls in the light to medium-duty category and has good off-roading abilities.
The Chevrolet Colorado comes with a 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel 4-cylinder engine.
It produces 181 horsepower@3400 rpm and delivers all its 369 lb-ft of torque at just 2000 rpm. Users can choose between a 6-speed and an 8-speed transmission.
Let’s compare this performance with the 3.6L V6 gasoline engine. It puts out considerably more horsepower, 308 hp at 6800 rpm, but less torque at higher rpm, with 275 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
To get full power and torque on a 3.6L V6 Colorado, you have to rev the engine more. If you’re in working conditions, you want power and torque immediately.
Chevrolet Silverado
The Silverado is a mainstay in the Chevrolet lineup since it replaced the C/K line in 1999. The latest model offers a wide array of engines, from I4 to V8s. The diesel option is a 3.0L Turbocharged inline-six producing 277 horsepower at 3570 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at an impressive 1500 rpm.
Let’s compare this with the 5.3L V8 Ecotec, which produces 355 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 383 lb-ft at 4100 rpm. Since the Silverado is a full-size truck, this performance from its diesel engine shouldn’t surprise fans.
Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty
Both the Silverado Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 come with the same diesel powerplant. The 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel V8 is a powerful, rugged engine ideal for the heaviest loads and most demanding working scenarios.
This V8 produces a solid 445 horsepower at 2800 rpm. But its strong point is torque, as it puts out 910 lb-ft of torque at just 1600 rpm.
For comparison’s sake, we’ll use the 6.6L V8 offered on the Silverado 2500 and 3500. This gasoline engine produces 401 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 464 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. With just half the torque, it’s clear the gasoline engine takes silver in this category.
It’s important to highlight that Chevrolet belongs to General Motors, who also happen to own GMC. So, the latter offers its counterparts with diesel engines as well. You should expect similar performance from the GMC Canyon and Sierra.
But, GMC has aimed to have a luxurious interior and is known to sacrifice performance from time to time.
How do the diesel Chevrolet trucks compare with the competition?
For this section, we’ll only cover the competition’s diesel options. Three significant manufacturers dominate the truck market in the United States.
These are Ram, Ford, and General Motors. Plus, there’s a limited offer when it comes to diesel-powered trucks of all sizes. So, competition is tough.
First, let’s discuss the Chevrolet Colorado and its competitors. The following table shows how it and the rest of the mid-size diesel trucks perform.
| Make | Model | Engine | Horsepower | Torque |
| Chevrolet | Colorado | 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel I4 | 181 @ 3400 rpm | 369 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm |
| GMC | Canyon | 2.8L Duramax Turbodiesel I4 | 181 @ 3400 rpm | 369 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm |
| Jeep | Gladiator | 3.0L Ecodiesel V6 | 260 @ 3600 rpm | 442 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm |
As you can see, the options in mid-size diesel trucks are minimal. Other than its GM sibling, the Colorado only faces competition from the Jeep Gladiator.
With its 3.0L Ecodiesel V6, the Gladiator comes in at an impressive 442 lb-ft of torque. So, if towing is your thing, the Gladiator might be an attractive option.
Now, let’s compare the Silverado with its competitors.
| Make | Model | Engine | Horsepower | Torque |
| Chevrolet | Silverado | 3.0L Duramax Turbodiesel I6 | 277 hp @ 3750 rpm | 460 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm |
| GMC | Sierra | 3.0L Duramax Turbodiesel I6 | 277 hp @ 3750 rpm | 460 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm |
| Ford | F-150 | 3.0L Power Stroke Turbodiesel V6 | 250 hp @ 3250 rpm | 440 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm |
| Ram | 1500 | 3.0L Ecodiesel V6 | 260 @ 3600 rpm | 480 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm |
With more competition in the full-size truck segment, the Silverado still performs well, surpassing the Ford F-150. But the Ram 1500 has an excellent 480 lb-ft of torque, which enters at an ideal 1600 rpm.
No other manufacturer offers diesel engines in their full-size trucks, as Nissan ditched the diesel engine in its Titan due to low demand. So, it’s time to compare the heavy-duty trucks.
| Make | Model | Engine | Horsepower | Torque |
| Chevrolet | Silverado Heavy Duty | 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel V8 | 445 hp @ 2800 | 910 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm |
| GMC | Sierra Heavy Duty | 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel V8 | 445 hp @ 2800 | 910 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm |
| Ford | Super Duty | 6.7L Powerstroke Diesel | 475 hp @ 2800 rpm | 1050 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm |
| Ram | 2500/3500 | 6.7L Cummins Diesel I6 | 420 @ 3600 rpm | 1075 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm |
In the heavy-duty category, both Ford and Ram outperform Chevrolet by a lot. With their impressive performance numbers, these vehicles can tow heavy loads. But that’s not to say the Silverado doesn’t perform well.
When it comes to reliability, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has had low scores for 2021. Its larger brother, the Heavy Duty, has excellent reliability scores. As for the Colorado, it too has ranked low in the reliability ratings for 2021.
Closing thoughts:
A lot of people on the internet ask if Chevrolet offers diesel engines in their trucks. This article aims to answer this, but it also provides a comparison with its main competitors.
Chevrolet offers diesel options in the Colorado, Silverado, and Silverado Heavy Duty. The engines are 2.8L, 3.0L, and 6.6L in displacement.
Diesel engines are excellent for hard work. They deliver horsepower and torque at lower rpm’s than their gasoline counterparts. So, these engines offer the driver the most they can get to tow heavy loads.
Competition in the diesel truck segment is limited in the US. Brands like Toyota and Nissan opted to stay away from this particular fuel. So, the offer limits only American manufacturers, including Jeep, Ford, Ram, GMC, and Chevrolet. Nissan did offer a diesel engine for its Titan XD but withdrew it from the market due to low demand.
So, Chevrolet has few competitors, but that doesn’t mean that it outperforms them.
There’s high demand for diesel trucks. Since there are few manufacturers, they all work hard to squeeze the most power out of their engines.
The Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty comes with 910 lb-ft of torque, a number that many would say is considerably high. But, when you compare it to the Ram 2500 and the Ford Super Duty, it comes up short. Both competitors surpass the 1,000-pound mark, with similar displacements.
But that’s not to say that the Chevrolet trucks are underpowered. They can pull heavy loads and provide horsepower and torque at very low rpm’s. So, drivers looking to tow can rest assured that these trucks will do the jobs. At least most of them.