2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3.0L Duramax Delivers Estimated 7.2 L/100km Highway

With all-new turbo-diesel engine, Silverado delivers full-size truck capabilities with highway fuel efficiency of some family sedans

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the available, all-new 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine delivers an estimated 7.2 L/100km highway and 10.2 L/100km city in rear-wheel-drive models. Estimated fuel efficiency for four-wheel drive models is 8.0 L/100km highway and 10.4 L/100km city.

With an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the Silverado 3.0L Duramax with four-wheel drive is also capable of towing up to 4,218 kilograms (9,300 pounds) and a max payload of 848.2 kilograms (1,870 pounds).

This is the first diesel offered in Chevrolet’s light-duty trucks since 1997, and the brand’s first-ever inline-six configuration for full-size, light duty trucks. As such, engineers had a clean sheet to leverage the efficiency and balance of an inline-six-cylinder architecture.

Highly durable materials make up key components, including iron cylinder liners within the aluminum engine block, a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods as well as blended silicon/aluminum pistons for greater heat resistance and reduced expansion. The engine was subjected to the same extreme simulated and real-world performance testing every Chevrolet truck engine undergoes to ensure the highest standards of durability and performance.

The truck draws on innovative technologies to deliver impressive fuel economy and a refined customer experience.

The inline-six engine provides an inherently balanced configuration for low noise and vibration characteristics. It features an aluminum block for weight reduction, an 84mm x 90mm bore and stroke, dual-overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.

A new active thermal management system warms up propulsion components more quickly for more efficient operation.

The exhaust brake, which is available in tow-haul mode, can provide additional driver confidence when towing, especially when going downhill.

The driver-selectable stop/start technology enhances fuel economy by shutting off the engine at stoplights and certain other stop-and-go situations, helping save fuel. The engine automatically restarts when the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.

The 3.0L Duramax is exclusively paired with a Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission, featuring smaller gear steps and an overall larger ratio spread to enable peak efficiency. Intelligent controls adjust to the driver’s needs for smooth operation and aggressive response.

The Duramax 3.0L turbo-diesel marks Chevrolet’s third diesel truck in the available Canadian lineup, joining the Colorado and Silverado HD. The company draws on deep diesel truck experience from the Silverado HD with the Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8 and Colorado with the Duramax 2.8L Turbo-Diesel.

The new diesel option completes the all-new Chevrolet Silverado 1500 propulsion portfolio, which provides maximum customer choice through eight trims paired with six engine/transmission combinations. The 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel is available on the LT, RST, LTZ and High Country trims. For the LTZ and High Country, the 3.0L Diesel is a $3,245 option, identical to that of the 6.2L V-8. For the LT and RST, it is a $4,830 increase over a 2.7L TurboLengine.

Beyond the 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel, the 2020 Silverado 1500 propulsion lineup includes: 

- The most advanced V-8s in the brand’s history and updated versions of Chevrolet’s proven 5.3L and 6.2L engines equipped with industry-first Dynamic Fuel Management featuring 17 different modes of cylinder deactivation. The available 6.2L RST achieves class-leading light duty towing capability of 6,078 kilograms (13,400 pounds).

- An all-new, advanced 2.7L Turbo engine that replaces the 4.3L V-6 as the standard engine on the high-volume Silverado LT and new Silverado RST.

- Proven 4.3L V-6 and 5.3L V-8 engines deliver full-size truck capability and performance for the most affordable trucks in the Silverado lineup.