GM News: GM Inline-6 Diesel Rated

[Drew Dowdell]

The GMC Build and Price tool has let the details slip on the power ratings of the upcoming inline-6 diesel due to be released in the Sierra and Silverado in a few weeks.  The 3.0 liter turbo diesel will produce 277 hp at 3,750 rpm and 460 lb-ft at a mere 1,500 rpm. The only transmission choice will be the 10-speed automatic. These numbers are SAE certified and verified by GM. The diesel motor will be available on LT and above trims on the Chevy and on all GMC trims except the base.

These numbers make the GM six more powerful than Ford's V6 Powerstroke diesel which runs at 250 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque.  The New Ram 1500 still hasn't gotten a diesel unit, but it will probably be the same rating as the 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque in the Jeep Gladiator.

One area still unknown on the GM unit is fuel economy. The Ford F-150 Powerstroke is EPA estimated for 30 mpg highway/25 combined/22 city. 

The GM diesels 1500 trucks will be at dealerships this summer. 

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[G. David Felt]

That is awesome, way to Rock it GM!

[Drew Dowdell]

I6 is better than V6.... especially for longevity

[ccap41]

The price being the same as the 6.2 is HUGE. i think that lone will help get sales moving on this. The premium Ford and Ram charge is outrageous.

I priced the cheapest F150 with their 3.0 and it's 47k. The cheapest 4WD + Super Crew cab is 53k. Insane. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by ccap41

[Drew Dowdell]

5 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I6 is better than V6.... especially for longevity

Why confused @balthazar.

7 main bearings > 4 main bearings, plus less vibration from imbalance = better longevity everything else being equal.

[riviera74]

If GM can build a great I6 diesel, then why can't (or won't) GM build a great gas I6?  Cadillac/Camaro/Corvette(?) could use one.

[smk4565]

35 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

If GM can build a great I6 diesel, then why can't (or won't) GM build a great gas I6?  Cadillac/Camaro/Corvette(?) could use one.

They should make an I-6 gas in a final death blow to the 3.6 V6.  Anything front drive can get enough power from a 4-cylinder especially with electric boost as an option.  So if 6 cylinder is only in rear drive then it should be inline. 

Side note, they should put the in-line 6 in the Tahoe also.

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Why confused @balthazar.

7 main bearings > 4 main bearings, plus less vibration from imbalance = better longevity everything else being equal.

The increased number of bearings are necessary due to increased crankshaft length/ torsional stresses.
V6 doesn't have room for more than 4, but doesn't need more either.

I'm not sure an empirical study has been made studying your claim, would be interesting. Probably too many factors to isolate one cause (oiling, engine speed, start/stop cycles, etc).

BTW- there have been 4 main bearing I6s in the past, wonder how they stack up to a V6 for longevity (4 = 4).

[Drew Dowdell]

My dad's I6 in his F-150 will likely outlast the rest of the truck.  I6es just seem to go on forever. 

[balthazar]

I had that same 300 in my '94 F-150 - tough beast. But part & parcel of that longevity is the fact that motor was like what- 25 years old? All the bugs were long ago worked out of it, and the era it was gestated in was on the tail end of over-building motors.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, balthazar said:

I had that same 300 in my '94 F-150 - tough beast. But part & parcel of that longevity is the fact that motor was like what- 25 years old? All the bugs were long ago worked out of it, and the era it was gestated in was on the tail end of over-building motors.

Still... even in BMW and Benz and even the Atlas I6... the motors long outlasted the vehicles they were in. 

[balthazar]

Yeah- some indeed did. The MoPar 225 was one of the 'unkillable' I6s, but it came out in 1961.
The old, decidedly unstressed Stovebolt 6 from Chevy was another- lasted forever, built for decades.
But the Pontiac I6 was no longer lasting than their V8 (another very long-lasting 'plant).

I'm not convinced cylinder arrangement is the leading cause of longevity- too many other factors.
I have no data to contribute RE foreign I6s in this arena, tho.