GM Says 2016 Colorado, Canyon Diesels to Arrive on Time
By Kelsey Mays, Cars.com
GM officials say its diesel midsize pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, will arrive on schedule, despite reports that enhanced emissions testing would delay their appearance on showroom floors this fall.
Just days after the EPA announced plans to test more diesel vehicles in the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions crisis, Automotive News reported (subscription required) that the agency plans to put new diesel versions of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks through additional testing.
Both pickups will offer a new Duramax 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel. Citing GM officials, Automotive News says the trucks, which are slated to hit dealerships in the fourth quarter, "could be delayed slightly by the additional testing."
GM officials told Cars.com that the trucks are launching on schedule.
"The Automotive News report was based on EPA and CARB [California Air Resources Board] letters that were sent to all manufacturers on Friday [Sept. 25]," GM spokesman Pat Morrissey told Cars.com. Morrissey would not confirm or deny whether GM's pickups are facing more tests, but he stressed that the "key issue here is we are on track to launch the Colorado diesel this fall as scheduled."
The EPA also wouldn't say whether it plans to test the Colorado or Canyon. A spokesperson said the agency "will not comment on pending certification decisions beyond noting that we intend to apply the broader testing regime announced on Friday to all certification testing going forward."
A spokesman at CARB did not respond to a request for comment.
Cars.com obtained a copy of the EPA's Sept. 25 letter to automakers. It stipulates that in addition to normal emissions and gas-mileage tests, the agency may test "any vehicle at a designated location, using driving cycles and conditions that may reasonably be expected to be encountered in normal operation and use, for the purposes of investigating a potential defeat device."
"Manufacturers should expect that this additional testing may add time to the confirmatory test process," the letter continues.
A so-called "defeat device" is at the heart of the VW diesel crisis. Regulators allege that the automaker installed software to limit emissions from its four-cylinder diesel engines in certain situations.
Morrissey told Cars.com on Sept. 22 that GM "does not use 'defeat devices' in our vehicles."
Cars.com photos by Mark Williams
Comments
This diesel will be branded clean bandit, tbh
I wonder if they will go back and check the 3D from Ram? GM's track record of hiding/misleading information is not that great. Time will tell...
Yes, you got that right, GM is the king of hiding things....
on another note though, having a diesel in this truck will be huge for the twins, would be even better if they put a duramax in the 1500's
I have a very similar engine in my wrangler unlimited, I average around 21mpg combined it seem to change much doesn't change whether i'm pottering around town or sitting on 120kph on the highway, I guess that's down to gearing and aerodynamics more than the engine. I Have around half a dozens mates who brought brand new wranglers around the same time (cashed up from a tour in Afghanistan) my the housemate and I brought ours at the same time he got the petrol auto (3.8) , I got the manual diesel, we dragged from the lights once and he won by around a car length although the wrangler manual box isn't very user friendly for drag racing lol. although he sees around 15-16 mpg and is always whinging about it
sorry for the spelling and grammer, its pretty late over here.
My point is, I don't believe this engine will perform much better than the 3.6 in most regards and (some it may perform inferior) but I predict the mileage will be around 5-6mpg better, I don't believe it will out perform the petrol motor in the same way the Cummins outperforms the 6.4 hemi
I hate the EPA!
???
when will the epa start testing REAL WORLD MPG.
not these fudged figures some of the vehicles have.
I think this will be a big hit and fairly exclusive considering how the 3.6 version is the fastest selling truck in the US now. I am sure you would have to order it to get it, I can't see these lasting on the lots. I wonder what would happen to the market if the 1500 got a mid size V6 turbo diesel.
From driving the Thailand version of the Colorado I got 32 imperial mpg, will be interesting to see what the North American version does
@Cory- not sure about the OZ version, but the Euro version actually has a little more snot than what is going into the Colorado here. The torque should still let t easily out pull the gasser under most conditions, while not drinking fuel as badly.
Skeeter, I know what you mean, we just got back from a 1,600 mile trip in our 3.6 Grand Cherokee Overland, averaged 24mpg but the epa rating is 23mpg, My lifted 2011 Chevy Colorado with 33 inch tires just got 23mpg round trip on trip to Colorado elk hunting and epa rating is 23mpg... now my last Toyota was rated 21mpg and never got more then 19mpg....
The scrutiny that will be brought "THE GREAT VW DIESEL LIE" could be interesting. I kinda doubt they were the only ones cheating in some way or another... It will be interesting to what turns up with who. Since midsize trucks in the USA have never really represented any real improvement over full size half tons without big blocks, or offered any real savings and aren't about work/towing (as the Toyota Tacoma Surveys proved), for someone with the money to burn that wants the toy this truck is (which is what the overwhelming majority of little trucks are) shelling out even more for a diesel that will get real mileage but leave you annoyed with your 0-60 off a light (which is the kind of "work" most of these little trucks do massaging egos), compared to a V6 gas version of this or its competition. Good luck.
@Clint,
I don't know, I was going to buy one of these before I got a full size. The capabilities are fairly high for someone who wants to tow their small boat or a trailer with sleds or motorcycles. Also the utility of the bed. You get a pretty nice, smaller package that you can park in most garages, is easier to park in most parking ramps as well as in the city. They will sell as fast as they can be made, just like today. For someone who wants all of that utility AND better mileage and potentially a little higher towing capacity (not sure about that one), this little diesel fits the bill. And it is far from a "toy". BTW, the reason I didn't buy it is because the full size crew cab allowed for much more room for the car seat (s).
How can the EPA be so powerful. Its like they have more power then the US Federal gov't
You can thank the Republican Mr. Nixon for the federal agrncy known as the EPA.
Who was a liar...
@Ray Ray - I agree that the smaller trucks are quite capable. I've looked closely at the Colorado/Canyon and also at the Tacoma. As much as I like them they just do not offer enough back seat room.
I think the VW saga will impact the perception some have on diesel power. I'd bet the impact will be largest on the Greenset car purchaser more than the purchaser of a commercial vehicle or pickup.
Lou_BC,
The Colorado/Canyon seem to be setup in the US not much different in capability than many of the pickups sold.
I do know their are half ton pickups that can carry more or tow more. But, what are the numbers sold?
I'd say the Colorado/Canyon fit right in the middle of the most common half ton pickups.
@Big Al from Oz - anecdotal evidence indicates that most GM 1500's are in the 13-1500 lb range. When I drive through my local GM lot, out of 100 1/2 tons maybe 4-8 have tow mirrors. Tht means only 4-8 in the 1800-2000lb cargo range. Roughly 4-8% are high capacity.
Colorado/Canyon crew 4x4's that I have seen are all around 1,500lbs.
Basically that means the C/C siblings are on par with 92-96% of full sized GM 1500's. That is actually impressive when it comes to cargo.
When I looked at the aluminum Ford F150, all of the "standard" crewcab 4x4's were in around 1,800 lbs. The HD cargo is 2300lbs but tend to be similar to GM. Maybe out 4-10 out of 100. Max tow is more like 10-15 per 100 just based on tow mirrors. Ford unlike GM will spec tow mirrors on "non" max tow pickups so that isn't as clear an indicator.
Ram - I don't even bother. They are poor across the board. That is too bad. An ecodiesel with 1,800 lb cargo ratings and some durability would be an excellent truck for me.
@Cory
The Petrol version of the Colorado is a rare bird indeed in Australia. I have not heard of ANY Petrol engine outperforming the diesel
@Mr Knowitall
100% right.A lot of the Pickup manufacturers have dropped their Petrol options
I'll be there for a test drive. We are due to get another truck in 2019. If one of these can tow 7K pounds and year-three reliability looks good, I'll be buying one to replace our Silverado (and this from a guy who historically has preferred Toyota or Ford rigs).
@Mr Knowitall
Many Pickup manufacturers only offer Petrol engines on their " entry level " vehicles or not at all
http://www.caradvice.com.au/385499/mazda-bt-50-petrol-model-ruled-out
Living Farmville, Not Playing It - if price is a huge metric, one will get a better deal on a full sized truck. I've seen zero incentives on the C/C siblings but often 8-12k on full sized trucks. I ran into this same scenario in 2010 when I purchased my F150. Discounts put it 3k less than a Tacoma SR5/TRD crew 4x4.
@Cory, you used the word 'aerodynamic' in a paragraph where you were making reference to a Jeep Wrangler.
Mr Air? Meet Mr Brick.
France is talking about outlawing diesel cars/truck due to all the smog created by them....
France is talking about outlawing diesel cars/truck due to all the smog created by them....
@Dave,
No they are not. Some Mayor in Paris wants all older Gas and Diesel vehicles off the road, as they pollute too much
How can the EPA be so powerful. Its like they have more power then the US Federal gov't
Posted by: Derek Elias | Oct 1, 2015 12:54:04 PM
/QUOTE
Without EPA we would have air pollution as bad as in China,,
stop whining!
@papa jim- what cory is eluding to, is that with a shape suitable for easy masonry and gearing optimized for crawling, rather than cruising, there is only so much that a more efficient engine can do. By comparison, the aero on the Colorado is much better and the 6speed auto and (presumably) 3.42 axle make for good cruising rpm with either engine.
The bottom line with the VW disaster is this... VW has done as much damage to the image of diesel cars as GM did in the late 70s/early 80s. And America was just beginning to forget that disaster.
Clint - nail meets hammer.
Bigger problem has just started with diesel fuel delivery. Since the price has dropped they dont use tankers that are bio only. bacteria eats injector seals in trucks that get fuel from any station that had a tanker that had a load of bio once. Its spreading across the country like wild fire from what i just heard and guys are buying gallons of anti bio gel that needs to sit in the tank of the supply for a day before it works. from what i have heard from a guy who runs the heavy equipment division of a huge concrete comp. 275 pieces of HD equipment is his responsibility. mostly bucket loaders kawasaki and cat. Just if you read this and plan on buying a diesel, go to napa auto parts and ask for the biocide! it will save you a headache and you will love your little diesel even more if it doesnt fail you!
http://powerservice.com/psp_product/bio-kleen-diesel-fuel-biocide/
I'm so giddy with excitement.
Who doesn't want a truck with a gutless engine and sub par towing performance.
I have been wanting a diesel in a small/midsize truck since the mid 90s. Currently, I have a 2005 Colorado with the 2.8 gas motor. It is a good truck for what I use it for until we traded our pop up camper for an 18 foot travel trailer. The gas 2.8 could tow the pop up but I am not even going to try to tow the travel trailer with it. We currently tow it with my wife's GMC Yukon. When towing we get 10 mpg which sucks. Long trips with the travel trailer are very costly at the fuel pump. With the new diesel Colorado, I will get better fuel mileage than my current gas Colorado when using it as a daily driver and still be able to tow the travel trailer when needed. Based on estimates of 32-34 highway mpg when empty, I should be able to get 20 mpg when towing the travel trailer. We have family that live several states away that we go camping with twice a year (as well as many shorter camping trips) and the round trip distance is about 1500 miles. With the Yukon (or any gas engine capable of pulling the travel trailer) that means about 150 gallons of fuel each trip. The diesel will only use 75 gallons of fuel each trip at twice the fuel mileage. 75 gallons of diesel will always be cheaper than 150 gallons of unleaded even if diesel costs a little bit more per gallon. So it's a win-win as far as I am concerned.
I wonder if PUTC is in California testing these trucks with the rest of media.
From what I've read so far...all testers were getting over 30mpg in somewhat mixed driving on 40-70 mile runs.
Autoweek got 36mpg on 40 mile run (gentle throttle application, as they called it).
TruckTrend got 31.6mpg in mixed driving in the same truck empty and 20 mpg with 4000lb trailer.
RoadandTrack wrote:
"Around town, you'll see figures more like 20-25 mpg. If you have a light foot, you might see more than that in town, and you might even top 35 mpg on the highway."
I don't think VWs troubles will make a dent in an enthusiasm this truck is generating. Chevy is predicting about 10% of Colorados will be sold with Baby Duramax. I think they might be in for a surprise...I think it'll be higher.
@ Brian S
What make is your TT?
I bet it's square box like a barn,right?
May I suggest,and this is for everyone considering rv
next time buy something more aerodynamic like Casita or Airstream
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