Last week, General Motors announced that it would no longer offer the 1.6-liter LH7 diesel engine on the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox and 2020 GMC Terrain crossovers.
The take-rate on these diesel engines was extremely low, the automaker indicated, with GMC spokesman Stu Fowle saying a “huge majority” of Terrain buyers ordered the base 1.5-liter LYX four-cylinder or turbocharged 2.0-liter LTG four-cylinder gasoline engines.
“We will only offer our two turbocharged gas engines in the Terrain for 2020,” Fowle elaborated. “Diesel represented a very small percentage of sales. We believe in diesels in segments where customer interest is higher. The Canyon continues to offer a diesel, the Sierra will offer an all-new and refined 3.0-liter Duramax for 2020, and the next-gen Sierra HD is shipping to dealers now with the most capable Duramax ever.”
| RPO Code | Displacement | Configuration & Cylinders | Aspiration | Ignition | Valvetrain | Engine Stop/Start | Power (hp / kW @ RPM) | Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ RPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYX | 1.5L | I-4 DOHC | Turbocharged | SIDI | 4-valves per cylinder | Yes | 170 / 127 @ 5600 | 203 / 275 @ 2000-4000 |
| LTG | 2.0L | I-4 DOHC | Turbocharged | SIDI | 4-valves per cylinder | Yes | 252 / 188 @ 5500 | 260 / 353 @ 2500-4500 |
One major downfall of the 1.6-liter LH7 diesel engine was its towing capacity. It did not improve the crossover’s tow capacity over the base 1.5-liter LYX four-cylinder, with both having a max rating of 1,500 lbs. The 2.0-liter LTG four-cylinder, meanwhile, more than doubles the tow capacity to 3,500 lbs.
Furthermore, the 2.0-liter Terrain Denali SLT is essentially the same price as a 1.6-liter diesel Terrain Denali SLT, carrying a small $300 price premium.
The 1.6-liter LH7 diesel engine is rated at 137 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque in the Terrain. While it offers no towing or performance benefit, it had some fuel savings potential in areas where diesel isn’t too expensive. In FWD Terrain models, the engine was rated at 28 MPG city and 39 MPG highway for a combined average of 32 MPG.
Stay tuned for more details on the 2020 GMC Terrain, as we will have more information about the crossover shortly. In the meantime, subscribe to GM Authority for more GMC Terrain news, GMC news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
No surprise here. No real reason to get the diesel. Its more expensive to maintain. You have to add Def fluid. I been seeing 31mpg on the highway for my Terrain Denali.
And the Diesel Terrain/Equinox owners see well over 40mpg on the freeway – and by us, diesel is far cheaper than Premium, so…
DEF is dirt cheap, and doesn’t have to go in all that often. I add a 2.5 gallon jug about every 8000 miles in our Cruze Diesel – at a whole $12.
Watching a Jeff bezos talk last day : He says – I sleep every day 8 hours. As a senior executive all i am paid is for talking a small number of quality decisions . Second : on his AWS, he says we got 7 years of business with no completion and that made all success.
Back to GM :
GM lost hybrid war where Toyota believed there is a way now they owns almost 55% of market share for hybrids. GM lost money and didn’t made credibility.
Tesla launched Model S in 2012 and still continues without competitor ( I am not sure whether Bolt counts as a completion for any Tesla products , i never count as ) . The fact is GM launched Bolt which is not a competition and trying to find a market for it.
GM launched VOLT but never capitalized on it and never made power-train across as PHEV and lost money on it.
Add to spending , they added 1.6 Diesels and spend/wasted money.
In summary, i think GM management needs good sleep to make some quality decisions … instead of making all these bad decisions .
To be honest the Diesel deal failed for several reasons. One the extra cost to buy it due to the added emissions GM was subjected to.
Then the PR fall out from the VW deal did not help as everyone kept accusing GM of cheating that was never proven.
Finally as most of us know Diesel engine are not super popular outside trucks and German cars in America.
I think if the VW deal had not happened and the added cost to purchase one could have been avoided it had a chance.
At least they tried
The move to build more expensive Cadillac EV models is the right move. Even Tesla has proven you can sell a cheaper model but there is little money there in profits at this point. The cost still need to come down to do cheaper profitable cars.
I am not a big tesla fan but to be true model 3 is not a cheap car ( even for EV ). 4 people I know have model 3. 2 of them payed 70k plus and other 2 payed 60k plus. All of them booked thinking model 3 is 35k car. None of them regrets for the purchase. Even a 15k car looking bolt costs 40k plus , just adding 20k more , they are getting a lux car with space ,saftey , technology, performance and pride. Don’t forget free money from the govt. Lot workplace free charging.
Operating costs very less, super charging network, design all adds up.
I am sure tesla also makes profit .
The 3 even at the price point it is there is little money.
The real money was in the S when it was $100k. It made money so they could build the X but volumes there were not what they needed to produce money for the 3 so they had to Pressley the cars.
Noe the 3 is struggling even at higher volume to produce money for the next models like the small, such based on the 3, the truck and roadster.
The sales of the S has also dropped and they had to lower the price on them too.
Cost in materials and labor are just too high on the low end EV cars even the Bolt so while GM wants to build them to try to lower cost the to build them odds are good they may not even be breaking even on them.
In time cost will come down and profits will rise but MFGs need to focus on more expensive models to make anything on them.
Let’s put it this way if there was big profits at $40-50k everyone would have a EV at that price.
“a “huge majority” of Terrain buyers ordered the base 1.5-liter LYX four-cylinder or turbocharged 2.0-liter LTG four-cylinder gasoline engines.”
Given that GM maybe told about six people that the 1.6L TD was an option, this is not a surprise.
Definitely an interesting, yet very fuel-efficient package, doomed by GM’s wonderful marketing team.
Poor product placement and even worse marketing. Didn’t help that dealers didn’t stock them.
Diesels are great on interstates and rural roads with small towns. You don’t need to ride the brakes as much downhill. Dealers there missed out promoting a product lots of people would enjoy if they tried it.
I saw advertisement for the diesel, they had as soon as you went on the webpage, even the auto journalist basically did free advertisement for it.
Very few in the US want a diesel in this line of vehicle. Mazda is bringing the CX-5 diesel over but its going to be over 40k to start. Its just not a viable reason to buy it over the gas engine. VW did really kill the party on small diesels so the cost to make manufacture and support is not worth investment in small diesels anymore. Now if they could put the 2.8 in the Colorado in the Terrain you might have a winner but still going to be costly to do that if it even would fit.
I don’t think the VW effect can be overstated; it opened the door for a PR agenda against any diesel. Kudos to Mazda for going in. The more power angle has a better chance here than the mpg angle (something I was wrong on). Maybe the Terrain needed a newer 2.0 instead of the 1.6? I think the 2.8 is on the older side.
GM is going to still need diesels for other markets and if they want back into Europe. A powertrain partner or two for scale would make that path easier.
Cut the lack of marketing angle as this engine was in more stories and tested by many publications and web sites. It was well known and well documented engine. There was no lack of marketing.
The bottom line was the added cost as it was the most expensive engine played a big role. If it were the same as the 2.0 it still would have been difficult to sell as Americans don’t like small diesel cars and CUV models as a whole. If it is not the cost it is the lack of love that killed this deal. VW only poisoned the well with their moves.
If the media did anything it was the unfounded storied of GM being accused of cheating.
Another Ruess mistake. How many swings does this guy get?
Will min is diesel and I have alot problem with it and I went to dealership 6 times same issue and never dis nothing for me but I thing GMC they should give me another car because I spend alot money on that car and every month happen again transmission services soon this is how is start until 3 hour later they car stops driving and shifting
GM has a buy back program or they did for problems such as you describe. IF you bought it new your dealership should help you
The engine is a piece of ****. Had problems with it ever since I bought it.
I am apparently the sole driver in Michigan with a 2018 Equinox DIESEL.
Let me first say that I LOVE this vehicle in pretty much every way:
1. I get 42-45mpg on the highway,
2. The car has been very reliable over the 85,000 miles I’ve put on it,
3. Acceleration and performance have been more than adequate,
4. The AWD makes it perfect on snow or mud,
5. Some repair issues that did come up (sensors, wiring, software) were all resolved during warranty period 🙂
I do wish it were easier to find service outside of a dealership.
I also wish a few more people had bought the diesel option, as it’s been very good to me & my family.
— “Lonely in Michigan”
Why make a lame 1.6 diesel engine? Ideally, the engine size at 2.0 offer good fuel economy and decent towing, and not everybody considers towing capacity as a buying factor, buyers would appreciate a diesel size that is good on gas and still has decent power. MB, BMW and even VW had common sense to put in a 2.0 engine size in their vehicles. GMC and CHEVY needs to hire common sense people.