GM’S NEW OIL-BURNER IS A SMOOTH OPERATOR
Most truck fans, at some level, long for diesel. That used to mean going heavy duty, but now all three Detroit automakers offer small diesels in their half-tons — including my tester, the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500. But just because you dream of diesel, it may not be your best choice. It’ll depend on your budget, as well as how much you drive and what you need the truck to do.
The diesel is one of six engines available with the Silverado; the others, all gasoline, range from a 2.7-litre turbo-four to a 6.2-L V8. The oil-burner option is a 3.0-L Duramax in-line six-cylinder mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and it’s a beauty. Ford and Ram also make very good small diesels, but GM’S unit (also available in the GMC Sierra 1500) gets my nod for its silky smoothness. It makes 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque — halfway in torque between Ford’s 440 and Ram’s 480 lb-ft.
The first roadblock is the price. The diesel is available in four trim levels, starting with the LT, and the extra cost depends on the base engine you’re replacing. It can be as much as $8,500 on top of the truck’s price to switch it up from the least expensive engine. In my top-line High Country tester, which starts at $66,398 with a 5.3-L V8, going with diesel added $3,245 to the sticker. My truck had several other options as well, and rang in at a princely $79,038 before freight and taxes.
You’ll pay more for oil changes, and you have to add diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Diesel prices can sometimes spike; at the time of this test, I paid 10 cents a litre more than gasoline. On the other hand, these are stout engines that can last a long time if they’re properly maintained, and they usually have solid resale value.
In 4x4 configuration, the Silverado diesel is rated at 9.4 L/100 kilometres. On a longer highway cruise, I got it down to 8.5 L/100 km. That’s mid-sized sedan territory, not oversized-two-tonneplus truck.
But you have to cover a lot of kilometres overall to make up the cost of the engine itself, not to mention diesel prices versus gasoline, so take that into account when making your decision.
The days of sitting and waiting for diesels to start are long gone; the Silverado fired up immediately, save for a four-second delay after the truck had been sitting overnight at -17 C. It even has automatic start-stop technology, which shuts the engine off when you’re idling with your foot on the brake, such as at a red light. It has become common on gasoline engines, but I never thought I’d see it on a diesel (you can disable it, if you prefer).
The Silverado offers up a very smooth ride. The model line overall has a maximum towing capacity of 13,400 lb., but that changes according to configuration. The 4x4 crew cab with short bed and diesel can pull up to 9,300 lb., along with a maximum payload of 1,870 lb.
The Silverado’s cabin was the one to beat when its new styling debuted, and it’s still a decent design, but it’s starting to look a little tired in comparison to the top-rated Ram. Even so, I love the simplicity of the controls, where everything uses big dials and buttons that are easy to operate with gloves. And when you’re not bundled up because it’s sweltering outside and the truck’s been sitting in the sun all day, a button simultaneously drops all four windows for a little more comfort before the dual-zone climate control starts pumping cold air.
Switching from two- to four-wheel drive — including an automatic 4x4 setting — is done with buttons, while a dial switches through normal, sport, off-road, or tow-haul driving modes. My tester had an optional head-up display, and while some automakers require that you page through computer screens to change the display’s height or brightness, GM uses toggle switches. It’s a far better solution for when I share my truck with a taller family member, and have to adjust it frequently.
The High Country includes heated and ventilated seats, and you can choose full heating or just warm your back. The seats are comfortable front and back, and the rear ones not only fold up for more storage space, but have storage cubbies in their backrests.
The simplicity continues outside, where GM uses the industry’s best access to that too-tall bed: steps in the bumper ends, with a handhold in the box side. Ford offers a step that you have to pull out of the tailgate, while Ram gives you nothing. The High Country also includes a power tailgate, operated via the key fob, an interior switch, or a button on the gate, and at the moment is the only down-and-up one out there.