The availability of turbodiesel engines in General Motors vehicles sold in the U.S. has doubled in the past five years. During the 2016 model year, just six GM diesel models were available. In 2021, that number has risen to 12.
Diesel engines offered in GM models since 2016 have ranged from the 1.6L I4 LH7 WhisperDiesel, first used in the Astra hatchback marketed by GM’s former European brands Opel and Vauxhall, to the large 6.6L V8 L5P, which has a torque figure approaching 1,000 pound-feet. All of these engines, plus their power and torque figures (including variations), are shown in the table below.
| Engine | Power (hp) | Torque (lb-ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6L I4 LH7 | 137 / 170 | 203 / 240 |
| 2.8L I4 LWN | 181 | 369 |
| 3.0L I6 LM2 | 277 | 460 |
| 6.6L V8 L5P | 445 | 910 |
| 6.6L V8 LGH | 260 / 335 | 525 / 685 |
| 6.6L V8 LML | 397 | 765 |
Six GM diesel models were on sale in the 2016 model year, then nine in 2018 and 12 in 2021. The increase between 2018 and 2021 is particularly notable because both the Chevrolet Cruze and the 1.6L I4 LH7 engine fitted to the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers were discontinued during that period.
| Model Year | 2016 | 2018 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Escalade | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN |
| Chevrolet Cruze | - | 1.6L I4 LH7 | - |
| Chevrolet Equinox | - | 1.6L I4 LH7 | - |
| Chevrolet Express | 6.6L V8 LGH | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| Chevrolet Silverado HD | 6.6L V8 LML | 6.6L V8 L5P | 6.6L V8 L5P |
| Chevrolet Suburban | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| GMC Canyon | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN |
| GMC Savana | 6.6L V8 LGH | 2.8L I4 LWN | 2.8L I4 LWN |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| GMC Sierra HD | 6.6L V8 LML | 6.6L V8 L5P | 6.6L V8 L5P |
| GMC Terrain | - | 1.6L I4 LH7 | - |
| GMC Yukon | - | - | 3.0L I6 LM2 |
| Totals | 6 | 9 | 12 |
The greater amount of GM diesel engines offered in 2021 is essentially the result of the Detroit-based automaker beginning to offer its new 3.0L I6 LM2 turbo-diesel Duramax engine in its full-size, body-on-frame vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe/Suburban, as well as the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL, along with the Cadillac Escalade.
3.0L I6 LM2 Duramax diesel in the 2020 Silverado 1500
The increase in GM diesel models is greater still when markets outside the U.S. are included. Cadillac waited to introduce the XT4 luxury crossover in Europe while it was developing the 2.0L I4 LSQ motor due to the historic popularity of diesel engines in the region. As GM Authority exclusively reported in March of 2020, the LSQ is unlikely to be offered in vehicles sold in the U.S. or Canada.
European-market 2021 Cadillac XT4 350D is powered by a market-specific turbocharged 2.0L diesel engine
Ironically, the XT4 350D went on sale in Europe on October 10th 2020, the month after European diesel sales fell below those of EV models for the first time ever, according to industry analyst JATO Dynamics. The strategy of offering more GM diesel vehicles comes at a time when the automaker plans to launch 30 EVs worldwide by 2025. The first of these will be the Cadillac Lyriq, which is due to arrive in the first quarter of 2022, nine months ahead of the original schedule. Even so, it is unlikely that EVs will outsell GM diesel models in the U.S. until several years after that.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more around-the-clock GM news coverage of gasoline, diesel and electric models.
Comments
Yes, GM went from 6 to 12 as long as you want a truck or body on frame SUV. What ever happened to the diesel cars that GM was going to have? The Cadillac sedan? I fully understand that the reason the market doesn’t have diesels (outside of trucks) is because people don’t buy them. Got it. But people can’t/won’t buy what they can’t see or drive. Case in point? GM offered the Equinox and Terrain with a diesel. But could you find one? The Cruz diesel? It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Like I’ve always said: You can’t sell from an empty shelf.
Now, what I’m the most interested in would be a diesel/electric hybrid!! I’ve been asking for someone to bring one out since around 2009, but nobody does. Can you imagine having the efficiency of the small turbo diesel along with the benefits of a hybrid? Can you say 100 mpg? Build it and I will buy one (GM, Ford or Chrysler). Period.
Oh, and please don’t bring up GM’s 5.7L diesel v8 from the late 70’s into the mid 80’s. That’s a worn out argument that doesn’t hold water today. The vast majority of people out buying cars today have no clue or would never know about those. On top of that, I know many people who owned those types of cars from Olds, Pontiac, Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac who put well over 150,000 miles on them without issues (post 1981 engines). The facts are that most people who did purchase them had no idea how to properly care for a diesel. Many were told by dealers that they needed less service (kind of like they were comparing it to a semi tractor engine). And, many were starting them up and driving them 3 miles just to turn them off again. a true diesel back then was really a long distance road car.
Dan, you are the only one that brought up the converted gas to diesel engines ! They were not true diesel motors .
Louis O. Yes, because every time a diesel article pops up on here, there are always those who end up bringing those up from 43 years ago. Just a preemptive comment. haha.
The 1977 to 1980 engines were truly just converted over from the 350 gas. However, many changes were made to the 1981 engine making it much better and more of a true diesel. Not sure I can say it was what it needed to be yet, but still a huge difference from the original converted engine.
“Can you imagine having the efficiency of the small turbo diesel along with the benefits of a hybrid? Can you say 100 mpg?” I love the way you are thinking and I couldn’t agree more, I’d be first in line!
No Brandon, you would be the second in line directly behind me!! haha.
I had one in 81, from vibration problems, blown head gasket at 45K, fuel gel in the winter and pumping fuel at truck stops, never going back to a diesel. Tried a ram 1500 and couldn’t order at a drive thru without turning the noisy thing off.
@Thomas Meyer: Things have changed a lot. I had a 2014 Cruz with the diesel. Loved it and it was quiet enough that most people never knew it was a diesel. I purchased that only for driving Uber and I put a ton of miles on it with no issues. As for trucks, yes the older diesel trucks were certainly loud. But today, you can barely hear them or know it’s a diesel unless they have made alterations to it. I recall when I was the sales manager at a Chrysler store in 2004. I had a client trade in his 4 year old Ram diesel on a new one. When picking it up, they were both sitting side by side and running. We had the hood open on his new truck and the old truck was about 4 feet away from us with the hood closed. We couldn’t hear the new one running over the old one!! Today, they are even more quiet. The only thing you mention above that should not have happened and should not be normal (for that time) was the head gasket. Sadly, many did have that issue but was mostly on the pre 1981 engines.
@Dan Bearning
Nobody is making cars anymore because Americans only want trucks and Suvs… those are the hot sellers.
I had a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado with the 2.8 diesel and I did not like it. It felt slow, and all the extra emission control crap on it was a pain… about 2-3 times per tank it would do this thing called a regenerative where you have to drive randomly 15 minutes so it burns off the soot trapped in the dpf filter.
And it was also an interference engine with a timing belt so if the belt ever went say bye bye to the engine.
Even the 3.0 i6 has a belt instead of a chain
GM Need to Design their on American Diesel engine. Not Getting it or relying from Japan which is Isuzu Duramax. C’mon look at FORD they finally got their own Scorpion 6,7L.
not From International anymore more.Previous GM 5.7 Diesel engine was P o …junk& 6.2 L Too. If Ford can do it..
GM we know you can Do it too…..and Chrysler .
Thankfully all automakers not named Volkswagen aren’t going to scam the public over decades with knowingly false fuel rating numbers. But hey they got away with it with a slap on the wrist and people with short memories still buy their junk. I haven’t forgotten the thievery.
You can thank our government for all that crap.
Turbo-diesel can be made more fuel-efficient with higher torque by as much as 25% (Rim’s GreenPower Muffler system).
This will dampen the Battery Electric Vehicle trend.
Does anyone know if GM will make,the necessary modifications to put the 3.0 diesel in the Z71 Tahoe?