2.8L Duramax Diesel (Chev Colorado ZR2 Fall 2015 / 2016)

[onza]

Theorycraft thread:
So this was announced not too long ago, did a search and nothing popped up.

Few questions -
What kind of MPGs to expect?
Towing capabilities if any?
Price point will probably be around 35-40k!? nutty

High level specs:
From Chev URL below:

The all-new durable 2.8L Duramax® Diesel engine (available in production models in 2016) powers this concept truck over the most extreme terrains with an estimated 181 horsepower at 3400 rpm and 369 lb.-ft. of torque at 1000 rpm.

180HP (current international specs)
325 ft/lbs TQ (current international specs)


Few Articles and reads:
http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/duramax-2-8l-diesel/
http://www.duramaxdieselspecs.com/2.8-duramax.html

Chevy ZR2
http://www.chevrolet.com/culture/article/colorado-zr2-off-road-truck.html

 

[Jumpem]

It will be priced too high. The current pricing for the new GM and Chevrolet small trucks is already too high.

 

[NutBucket]

Compared to what? From what I see prices are similar to Toyota and obviously big discounts are the norm.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

The price isn't too high at all compared to the competition, it's just the nature of the beast. Some people above are showing their bias by saying GM is pricing too high. The Toyota TRD Pro King Cab is near nearly $39K, and the Nissan Frontier Pro-4X is also near $36K.

The ZR2 is not a standard pickup with fender flares, but a heavily modified vehicle according to the concept. When you think of this truck as a Ford SVT Raptor "Light" sort of vehicle, the pricing is actually fairly good compared to its Japanese brethren.

 

[Conroe]

I bet it gets 30 mpg and can tow 10000.

The ZR2 is no baha runner like the Raptor, it's a rock crawler. But the diesel has too much torque to do that easily.

 

[Ferzerp]

ZR2 seems a strange option code, but oh well.

 

[WackyDan]

I bet it gets 30 mpg and can tow 10000.

The ZR2 is no baha runner like the Raptor, it's a rock crawler. But the diesel has too much torque to do that easily.

You can bet it won't tow 10k... It will be rated for 5-6k to ensure you buy a 1500 for anything over that.

 

[olds]

I can't see a 2.8L Diesel towing 10k.

 

[onza]

30mpg + 5-6k towing sounds pretty good to me.

 

[KentState]

I would say 7k max if the frame/suspension can support it. I know that the Lambda platform can tow around 5,500lbs and that's a heavier/unibody vehicle.

 

[Tuanies]

You can bet it won't tow 10k... It will be rated for 5-6k to ensure you buy a 1500 for anything over that.

Except the V6 is rated to tow up to 7000lbs with the trailering package so I'd assume the torquier diesel would do the same if not better.

 

[SithSolo1]

While the diesel has been confirmed the ZR2 is still just a concept they haven't said they are going forward with, if they do I'd be complete surprised if it started under $39k.

My guess is the diesel will be a $3-4k premium over the base i4, making it about $1500-2500 more than the V6. If it can't do at least 30mpg hwy then it won't gain much traction especially with current fuel prices. As for towing it will be somewhere in the 8-9k range. Any less than that won't be enough to jump from the v6, any more and you encroach on the V8 full size trucks.

So best case scenario: $1500 upgrade over the V6, 30MPG Hwy, 9k Lbs towing.

 

[onza]

ZR2 is def a concept, but the Diesel engines are going to hit the colorados for sure next year for 2016, so very late 2015.

 

[Jimzz]

While the diesel has been confirmed the ZR2 is still just a concept they haven't said they are going forward with, if they do I'd be complete surprised if it started under $39k.

My guess is the diesel will be a $3-4k premium over the base i4, making it about $1500-2500 more than the V6. If it can't do at least 30mpg hwy then it won't gain much traction especially with current fuel prices. As for towing it will be somewhere in the 8-9k range. Any less than that won't be enough to jump from the v6, any more and you encroach on the V8 full size trucks.

So best case scenario: $1500 upgrade over the V6, 30MPG Hwy, 9k Lbs towing.

I agree the mileage and tow claims are close to maybe what they will be but it will cost a fair amount more than $1500 to get the diesel over the V6.
Diesel options add a lot of money and require packages(usually on the transmission), I would say at least 3k over a V6 option.

 

[SithSolo1]

You are probably right but like I said, $1500 is best case. $3000 on top of the V6 puts it at $4200 over the base engine. The jump in the Ram 1500 and Jeep GC are right around $4500 over base but you are getting a larger V6 diesel with more power and torque.

IF it were released tomorrow fuel prices would really hurt it. I know the current prices won't last forever but around here there is a $0.70 gap between regular and diesel. The diesel would need to net something like 23/33 or better to start earning back any extra cash out front. Even then the truck would fall apart or be replaced before you made any significant headway. With only towing going for it in this scenario I don't know that the market uptake would be high at $3k over the V6.

 

[Jimzz]

You are probably right but like I said, $1500 is best case. $3000 on top of the V6 puts it at $4200 over the base engine. The jump in the Ram 1500 and Jeep GC are right around $4500 over base but you are getting a larger V6 diesel with more power and torque.

IF it were released tomorrow fuel prices would really hurt it. I know the current prices won't last forever but around here there is a $0.70 gap between regular and diesel. The diesel would need to net something like 23/33 or better to start earning back any extra cash out front. Even then the truck would fall apart or be replaced before you made any significant headway. With only towing going for it in this scenario I don't know that the market uptake would be high at $3k over the V6.

Well diesels also hold resell value much better, as long as its not a turd of a diesel... I'm looking at you ford. So the towing ability, better mileage, and resale could make it worth it. But have to wait at least a year or 2 to see how it holds up. That and Nissan is coming out with the New titan and it will also have a diesel option.

 

[LTC8K6]

Right now, diesel is just about $1 more per gallon than gasoline where I live, and even when gasoline was higher, diesel was still about 65 or 70 cents more per gallon.

I think towing is where the benefit will be with these diesel pick ups, and if you tow a lot, you probably want a full size truck. You probably don't want a 4 cylinder diesel for lots of towing duty.

If you aren't going to do a lot of towing, then it seems like it won't make sense to pay the extra for the diesel engine option. There's some additional maintenance too.

But I really wouldn't know for sure.

The Cruze diesel seems stuck at about 2% of Cruze sales. So it doesn't look like America is too hot for a Chevrolet diesel car, yet.

Whereas Audi/VW TDIs sell pretty briskly.

 

[Jimzz]

Right now, diesel is just about $1 more per gallon than gasoline where I live, and even when gasoline was higher, diesel was still about 65 or 70 cents more per gallon.

I think towing is where the benefit will be with these diesel pick ups, and if you tow a lot, you probably want a full size truck. You probably don't want a 4 cylinder diesel for lots of towing duty.

If you aren't going to do a lot of towing, then it seems like it won't make sense to pay the extra for the diesel engine option. There's some additional maintenance too.

But I really wouldn't know for sure.

The Cruze diesel seems stuck at about 2% of Cruze sales. So it doesn't look like America is too hot for a Chevrolet diesel car, yet.

Whereas Audi/VW TDIs sell pretty briskly.

They do not sell that many TDI's actually. ALL VW/Audi diesels together only amount to about 100k. GM and Toyota are selling millions of cars a year. 100k is not going to make a high profit/difference for a car company. Let alone that 100k is over 12 models. That's getting into the area of Cruze diesels sold for its model range when averaged out.

So with all their praise TDI's are not some big seller. Mind you VW/Audi do not sale that many cars in the US either. Even talk of VW pulling out of the US for a while.

 

[LTC8K6]

As of 11/2014, VW cars totally dominate the US diesel car market, by a wide margin:

Jetta TDI 35,150
Passat TDI 26,992
Golf TDI 5,398

CruzeTDI 5,488

Jeep GC diesel 1,546

Total diesel 128,453

RAM diesel not included in the total because they apparently won't release those numbers, but they likely would not change the overall picture much.

VW has ~75% of sales in the US, most of which are the Jetta and Passat.

http://www.hybridcars.com/november-2014-dashboard/

 

[LTC8K6]

The new Golf TDI has only been available for 6 months, I think. It would likely be ahead of the Cruze otherwise.

 

[Jimzz]

As of 11/2014, VW cars totally dominate the US diesel car market, by a wide margin:

Jetta TDI 35,150
Passat TDI 26,992
Golf TDI 5,398

CruzeTDI 5,488

Jeep GC diesel 1,546

Total diesel 128,453

RAM diesel not included in the total because they apparently won't release those numbers, but they likely would not change the overall picture much.

VW has ~75% of sales in the US, most of which are the Jetta and Passat.

http://www.hybridcars.com/november-2014-dashboard/

That's like being the king of turdville. The Diesel car market is very small, even your own numbers show that and that was my point. Its a niche market at best and 100k in sales is not going to make a car company that sells millions of cars.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Not sure of the appeal of diesel for non-commercial applications.

 

[SithSolo1]

Diesel update:

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/2016-chevrolet-colorado-with-sweet-diesel-power-priced-1720636034

The Colorado starts at the aforementioned price, while the ostensibly more luxurious Canyon starts at $33,200. Both of those prices are for 4x2 crew cab models. In any case, the diesel is $3,730 more than a comparable gasoline V6 model.

GM went with the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel inline four for the Colorado and Canyon, which produces 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Equipped with a six-speed automatic, the only gearbox choice, they have a maximum trailering rating of 7,700 pounds for the 2WD trucks and 7,600 pounds for the 4WD trucks.

Since you’ll be buying the diesel to tow shit, they come standard with a trailering package featuring a hitch receiver and seven-pin connector, an automatic locking rear differential and a 3.42 rear axle ratio.

No fuel economy numbers yet or hints at the ZR2.

 

[xBiffx]

7,600 lbs?!

What is the point of the diesel?

 

[WackyDan]

7,600 lbs?!

What is the point of the diesel?

Expected to get 30 MPG when not towing. Think about that.