Jump to content
Create New...
  • 💬 Join the Conversation

    CnG Logo SQ 2023 RedBlue FavIcon300w.png
    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has been the go-to hub for automotive enthusiasts. Join today to access our vibrant forums, upload your vehicle to the Garage, and connect with fellow gearheads around the world.

     

  • William Maley
    William Maley

    General Motors: We Are Ready To Add Diesels To Our Half-Ton Pickups

    William Maley

    Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

    September 19, 2013

    It seems diesel mania is hitting truck manufacturers. Ram has the 1500 with a diesel option; Nissan has announced a diesel V8 for the next-generation Titan; and Toyota is considering whether to do a diesel option for the Tundra. Now a new report says General Motors is ready to join the diesel fray in half-tons if it proves to be popular.

    According to AutoGuide, GM can use the same 3.0L Diesel V6 found in Ram 1500. This is due to GM owning a part of the engine builder of the 3.0L Diesel V6, VM Motori. Also, General Motors commissioned VM Motori to build this engine for the European market CTS a few years ago. However, GM announced bankruptcy before the project was finished and the engine was shelved.

    General Motors spokesman Tom Wilkinson says that even if the company has access to that engine, they are pessimistic about the chances of diesel half-ton pickups succeeding. Wilkinson points out the high cost of diesel fuel and higher price premium the diesel models command over their gasoline brethren as possible reasons why diesel half-ton pickups could fail.

    But Wilkinson admits if diesel half-ton pickups take off, GM is “in a position to respond quickly.”

    Source: AutoGuide

    William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Dear GM, You have delayed making buyers with money wait and wait and wait and at this point you will be loosing buyers if you make us wait much longer to get a diesel option into 1/2 ton pickups and your full size Suburban / Yukon XL. There are plenty of needs for this solution for those of us that are big with big families and the need to pull a trailer without moving to the HD line of 3/4 & 1 ton pickups.

    To us the bed with a canopy is not as useful as the SUV inside space and for those that need to pull a small 2 horse trailer or boat, etc would love to have the torque in a 1/2 ton solution pickup without also having to spend the money on the HD line.

    WAKE UP TO YOUR CUSTOMERS NEEDS.

    Sincerely, your tax paying customer.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The Ram Ecodiesel is only a $2,000 increase over the Hemi and a $4,500 increase over the Pentastar, it's not that much more expensive when you're already dropping $32k on a V8 truck. Rumor has it that the RAM Ecodiesel EPA highway figure will be 27mpg, so for $2k, you'll get Hemi torque (20mpg highway) with better than Pentastar fuel economy (25mpg highway). Keep in mind that diesels almost always beat their EPA figures once out in the real world. If you're someone who puts a lot of miles on a truck and needs to tow, the Ecodiesel sounds like a good option.

    What's more, Ram isn't tying the Ecodiesel to other packages and it will be available on all trims except for the R/T. Want a Tradesman with an Ecodiesel? Just pick out what color. I'll have a full write-up on the Ecodiesel sometime soon.

    I think GM is sorely underestimating what Ram has going here.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Why don't they just do it instead of saying they are ready. GM is always ready to do something or it is "coming next year" but only after the competition beat them too it. The new trucks should have 8 speeds standard, and the diesel option should be there already. The 30 mpg pickup is coming, I bet the Ram diesel is near 30 mpg highway in real world, if you get some weight savings like the F150 is planning, you could have a 30 mpg highway rated pickup. And yet Ford and Chevy run ads bragging about 22 or 23 mpg, highway, imagine when Dodge starts claiming 27 or 28, or if the next-gen Tundra hits 30 mpg, and GM and Ford are still putzing around with 23 mg.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    So instead of leading the pack and risking creating and having 1st mover advantage in a segment (or sub-segment), you once again decide to wait and see... Nice going, GM...

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Dodge is already claiming 25mpg with the V6 + 8-Speed, so I don't know what Chevy and Ford are bragging about.

    True, but those awful Silverado ads about a man and a truck and a sheep and a fence end with claiming 23 mpg. It isn't even good, they should just throw the horsepower number up there, that is what people care about anyway. If they wanted gas mileage they wouldn't be buying a truck.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    So instead of leading the pack and risking creating and having 1st mover advantage in a segment (or sub-segment), you once again decide to wait and see... Nice going, GM...

    They are afraid of getting burned by making a decision...rather let others lead then follow, seems like..

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Support Real Automotive Journalism

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has delivered real content and honest opinions — not emotionless AI output or manufacturer-filtered fluff.

    If you value independent voices and authentic reviews, consider subscribing. Plans start at just $2.25/month, and paid members enjoy an ad-light experience.*

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • Its simple capitalism.   More precisely to say though...its GREED. And because this is happening in the US in 2025, and to be fair it is reciprocated here in Canada, and this phenomenon has been in effect since the 1980s, its CORPORATE GREED since both of our countries have made ourselves servants and lackeys  to these corporations. We abide by everything they tell us through their shytty adverts. We have stopped patronizing mom and pop shops etc...   And when Trump was tooting tariffs as his election campaign, the democrats warned of such dangers about corporate greed...about how tariffs work (the citizen pays the tariff and not the country as its a fancy word for tax and how corporations will augment the un-tariffed product to be closer in sales price as the tariffed product...  But, Harris and her party were all doom sayers.   And she has a weird laugh on top of that.  And the talk went on to be about how they are eating the dogs and they are eating the cats...     Basic education is terrible in the US.  And its by design as a certain political party in the US (and Canada to be fair but the tactic is less successful as Canadians are more community oriented)  defunds education every time they go into power. Its also by design that in today's world, the two most northern countries in North America choose to glorify ignorance and vilify knowledge and education. To a lesser extent up here in Canada for whatever reason.  Canadians in general continue to value enlightenment.     Critical thinking skills be shrinking in the US of A.   Liittle catchy slogans is what grabs attention though.  They are eating the dogs and eating the cats.  We did have something similar in Canada though.  Trudeau has nice hair was our cat/dog moment 10 or so years ago.  But Trudeau won.  And if it wasnt for Doge, Musk, tariffs, Epstein, 51st state rethoric, 36 counts of felonies, we too, be having our Maple Maga movement.  But...education is a priority up here in Canada still...      
    • AGREE!!! Dating myself, but back in the late 70's/early 80's I worked at the cinema and was the snack bar shift lead. One of the basic tests to get a position and make more money was those that worked the snack bar had to be able to do basic math in their head. I would daily have to test them by placing random order of products and they had to add it up in their head and then based on the cash received give back proper change but a requirement here in Washington state was to count it back so as a simple example. You order up $13.50 in food, give them a $20 dollar bill and they would have to count it back as food, $13.50, two quarters make it $14, a one makes it $15 and a five makes it $20 so they know they got the correct change. Today, go to any store and most struggle to look at the screen and figure out the proper change to give back and then they just hand you a pile of coin and paper without counting it back to ensure it is proper.  Basic math in America is terrible.
    • Yep. We're already not in a great place because of the tariffs, but companies are absolutely taking advantage of that and charging so much more than the tariff itself and then claiming it's raised because of tariffs. It's as if they don't think people understand how to do math.  Then again, in all fairness, most people don't know how to do simple math. So, there is that.
    • Agree with 15% on items from Ireland, it is crazy the price gouging that is going on. Retail grocery stores are even worse I see for items like Kerrygold butter.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search