Photo: Chevrolet
For the time being, the Ford F-150 Power Stroke has the best-in-class fuel economy. 30 miles to the gallon on the highway, 22 in the city, and 25 combined are the EPA-rated numbers, but the competition is catching up to the Blue Oval with six-cylinder turbo diesels of their own.
Ram introduced the next generation of the EcoDiesel V6 in the 2020 model year half-ton pickup truck, but gas mileage hasn’t been announced yet. What we do know is that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has best-in-class torque, rated at 480 pound-feet and complemented by 260 horsepower.
Last, but certainly not least, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax enters the scene with an inline-six turbo diesel. Codenamed LM2, the 277-horsepower and 460-pound-feet engine is priced similarly to the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8. Coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard, the Duramax has been proved to beyond 40 miles to the gallon by automotive journalists on a 15-mile loop designed for hypermiling the half-ton truck.
During the media testing, other people achieved more than 30 miles to the gallon, which goes to show that Chevrolet prepares to take the crown from the Ford Motor Company. Marketing director Sandor Piszar expects the Duramax to account for 10 percent of Silverado 1500 sales. Barry Engle, president of the Americas at General Motors, told Automotive News “you’re going to be shocked when you see the fuel economy of that product.”
In addition to the number of cylinders and displacement, the turbo diesels from Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors don’t have too much in common. This type of competitiveness is what drives the Big Three in Detroit to work their magic as best as possible, and that’s a good thing in the long run. But there’s a different yardstick these three should focus on, and that’s electrification.
Ram has the upper hand in this regard thanks to the eTorque mild-hybrid system in the Pentastar V6 and HEMI V8, but Ford plans to hybridize and electrify the F-150 in the coming years with the know-how of Rivian. General Motors has also confirmed a full-electric pickup truck, but didn’t mention when the e-workhorse would be presented to the public of when it would arrive at U.S. dealerships.
Last, but certainly not least, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax enters the scene with an inline-six turbo diesel. Codenamed LM2, the 277-horsepower and 460-pound-feet engine is priced similarly to the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8. Coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard, the Duramax has been proved to beyond 40 miles to the gallon by automotive journalists on a 15-mile loop designed for hypermiling the half-ton truck.
During the media testing, other people achieved more than 30 miles to the gallon, which goes to show that Chevrolet prepares to take the crown from the Ford Motor Company. Marketing director Sandor Piszar expects the Duramax to account for 10 percent of Silverado 1500 sales. Barry Engle, president of the Americas at General Motors, told Automotive News “you’re going to be shocked when you see the fuel economy of that product.”
In addition to the number of cylinders and displacement, the turbo diesels from Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors don’t have too much in common. This type of competitiveness is what drives the Big Three in Detroit to work their magic as best as possible, and that’s a good thing in the long run. But there’s a different yardstick these three should focus on, and that’s electrification.
Ram has the upper hand in this regard thanks to the eTorque mild-hybrid system in the Pentastar V6 and HEMI V8, but Ford plans to hybridize and electrify the F-150 in the coming years with the know-how of Rivian. General Motors has also confirmed a full-electric pickup truck, but didn’t mention when the e-workhorse would be presented to the public of when it would arrive at U.S. dealerships.
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