General Motors and FEV Group have jointly developed a diesel engine for heavy-duty applications that complies with emissions regulations, but is also said to offer fuel economy, driving refinement and performance. The new Duramax 3-liter diesel for light-duty pickups and trucks also offers a favorable torque curve, which is particularly important for heavy loads.
The all-new powertrain is a clean-sheet layout and is designed for the full-size GM truck platform. The engine features a peak output of 204kW and produces 624Nm of torque. The all-aluminum six-cylinder engine will be installed in the next generation of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup vehicles.
The development targets for the engine were extremely ambitious and targeted class-leading performance and fuel economy, as well as worldwide emissions compliance. The target application in a full-size pickup truck meant additional requirements for rapid load response from low engine speeds to support vehicle attributes such as towing capability.
Engineers were able to meet this challenge through extensive use of benchmarking and advanced simulation, experimental validation and calibration techniques. The program was completed in record timing.
The compact, all-aluminum diesel inline-6 engine design is said to be unique in this vehicle segment, which is dominated by V-engine designs. The in-line engine design helped to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, as it enables a close-coupled and thereby highly effective exhaust aftertreatment system and minimized engine friction.
