GM plans to build many units of the 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax engine in the coming months as the powerplant garners rapid sales among Silverado buyers, GM Authority has learned.
While the 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500 introduces only a handful of changes from the previous model year, as it rolls out the seventh model year since the pickup’s fourth generation launched with the 2019 Silverado 1500, its LZ0 diesel engine mix sets it apart from the outgoing year.
Specific figures are still unavailable, but the information gained by GM Authority indicates the diesel engine mix will be far higher than the 2024 model year. Starting in October 2024 and running through March 2025, General Motors will produce a lot of turbodiesel LZ0 Chevy Silverado 1500 units to meet anticipated consumer demand.
The news follows recent sales figures showing that diesel-equipped Silverado 1500 trucks are turning fast on dealer lots. The typical LZ0 Silverado is turning (selling) in less than 40 days, approaching the first-place 34 days for the highly regarded, naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine.
The diesel-powered Chevy Silverado 1500 is likely selling so fast in part because it has no direct competition in today’s market. Its fuel type is now a segment exclusive, since the diesel engine variant was dropped from the Ram 1500 lineup after the 2023 model year and the Ford F-150 retired its diesel powerplant choice even earlier, following the 2021 model year.
The new LZ0 turbodiesel outperforms the powerplants offered in the most recent Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 diesel models, developing 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque. The Ford Power Stroke V6 diesel is rated at 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, while the Ram EcoDiesel edges a little closer to the LZ0 with 260 horses and 480 pound-feet. The LZ0 also offers the highest fuel economy among Silverado 1500 engines, as the following table shows:
| Trim Level | Engine | Drivetrain | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | 2WD | 23 | 29 | 26 |
| All | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | 4WD | 22 | 26 | 24 |
| All with Mud-Terrain Tires | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | 4WD | 21 | 24 | 23 |
| ZR2 | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | 4WD | 20 | 23 | 21 |
| All | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 2WD | 18 | 21 | 19 |
| All | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 4WD | 17 | 20 | 18 |
| All | 5.3L V8 L84 | 2WD | 16 | 21 | 18 |
| All | 5.3L V8 L84 | 4WD | 16 | 19 | 17 |
| All | 6.2L V8 L87 | 2WD | 15 | 20 | 17 |
| All with Mud-Terrain Tires | 5.3L V8 L84 | 4WD | 15 | 19 | 17 |
| All with Mud-Terrain Tires | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 4WD | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| All with Mud-Terrain Tires | 6.2L V8 L87 | 4WD | 14 | 17 | 15 |
| ZR2 | 6.2L V8 L87 | 4WD | 14 | 17 | 15 |
As a reminder, pricing for the 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500 starts at $38,995 for a rear-wheel drive WT trim in Regular Cab and Standard Bed configuration, cresting at $78,590 for the ZR2 Bison with 4WD and the L87 engine. The prices of all trims rose $100 to $800 for the 2025 model year.
The GM T1 platform provides structure under the Chevy Silverado 1500’s sheet metal. The pickup continues to be produced at three GM facilities, namely the GM Fort Wayne plant in Indiana, the GM Oshawa plant in Canada and the GM Silao plant in Mexico.
Comments
It’s a great engine. Tons of torque. 28 to 32 mpg at steady highway speeds with a 4wd truck is hard to beat. GM needs to fix the DEF range warning while towing though. Everyone that tows inevitably gets the warning saying DEF is low when the tank is clearly full. Still worth choosing it over the other options.
They have a fix for the def warning, its a software update. I’ve towed 3000 miles since the update with no warnings.
Sweet engine in a Half ton truck👍
I have a 21 GMC 3.0 diesel. In 34000+ miles. The worst mileage I ever got was 28mpg and the best was 34mpg on a tank. Just about all short trips under 50 miles. A tank of fuel will easily exceed 750 miles without running out of fuel. Unless you are pulling a heavy trailer.
save your fuel savings for expensive emission repairs and pulling the trans. for oil pump belt
I have two friends with the 3.0 diesel and they love them. Amazing fuel milage and extremely quiet for a diesel. Both are short trip driven with no issues. I was sure that was going to be an issue but 3 years for the pickup and still running great.
I have a 24 chev 3.0 took a 60 mile trip it showed 39.8 mpg speeds were around 60mph. Milage gets better as engine gets broken in.
My AT4 got wrecked and I bought the 6.2 denali, dang do I miss mine! it was fantastic!. I used to go three weeks before fill ups, now with the 6.2 every week and a half, not that I don’t like the v8 its nice but hard to beat the feel economy that little baby diesel. It was so sweet. that was an amazing power plant!
My dad has the 3.0 ED in his 22 Ram. If I could take this engine and put it in the 5th gen Rams I would. I think the 5th gens have a better interior by far, but this engine, paired to the ZF 8-spd…..unstoppable combo.
The engine’s timing components are located at the rear of the engine, and feature timing chains to drive the camshafts and high pressure fuel pump, and a wet belt to drive the oil pump. not so sure about that , plus have to pull body to access them.
That’s because the 3.0 Dmax is based on the same design as the BMW M57/N53. It would have required significant re-engineering of the design to move the components to the front. Ironically, services like the 200k mile oil pump belt change requires fewer labor hours than the oil pump belt service on F-150’s with the 2.7 Ecoboost or 5 0 Coyote. It takes a ton of work to get all the stuff out of the way on the front of an engine… like all the accessories, cooling shroud, harmonic dampener and timing chains in the case of the Fords.
*N57
The 3.0 LZ0 is a great engine, but dont be fooled, the push for increased LZ0 sales is because GM is trying to tweak the CAFE fines and penalties. ……. Because EV’s arent selling to adjust the CAFE.
That’s fine. The 3.0 Dmax is a better engine than the 5.3 and 2.7T and very competitive against the 6.2. Unless GM gets a major bump in power with the 5.3 or increases displacement to 5 7, I don’t see how people could pick it over the 3 0. 495 lb-ft and 30+mpg just blows the 5.3 out of the water. Sounds great too.
For every person that likes the diesel, there’s someone that doesn’t. If you figure the additional cost of the diesel engine and the diesel fuel into the mix, even with better MPG you’re not saving money with the diesel engine.
How so? Diesel is $3.49/gal here vs 3.19 for ethanol contaminated 87. The 3.0 easily gets 30 mpg at normal highway speeds. The best my 5.3 with DFM would average under those driving conditions was 23 mpg. Oil changes are maybe $20 more and steadily goes 6000 miles on a tank of DEF. All while making more torque than any other engine available in a GM half-ton. The 3.0 is top tier engine option.
This engine is NOT available in Qatar…or the Middle East. Either the 6.2 or the 5.3 V8…..only. Saw one Turbomax for sale.
The only diesel trucks I have seen are on 6.6L Duramax, a couple of Ford PS V8s, and some RAM Ecodiesels….