Big announcement from GM !!!!!!

[Builder]

Looks like GM will be first to enter the 1/2 ton diesel market!

GM announces new 4.5L V8 Duramax diesel for half-ton trucks and HUMMER H2 - Autoblog

 

[Kendall69]

Why it take GM so long to learn I will never know. When I bought my Hummer H! with the 6.5 in 2000, I had a conversation with a GM rep at a gathering and asked why not put the Duramax in the Hummer as the 6.5 was such a dog.
He said because the military uses the 6.5. What about the consumer who is paying full boat for the consumer version. Fuel on the 6.5 was about 6 mpg.

The second Hummer I got was the H2, fuels was about 8-10 mpg, a good diesel would have helped both.

Diesels started to get consumer popular way back when prices started to rise, years ago, and its taken them this long!!!

I finally got the Dodge sprinter with the Mercedes diesel, and the worst milage I have ever gotten was 17+ mpg, going 81 mph against the wind. I can't keep my foot out of it long enough to get a best reading, but some say 24+

Europe has gone almost 100% diesel, and here in the US, they just dropped the Jeep Diesel, plus Ca makes it so hard to get approved to bring in diesel for the manufacturer.

The sweetest diesel I ever owned was a 2000 VW bug, yes I said bug. That thing would pass everything on the road, and get 35+ mpg, sold it for what I paid for it after driving it for two years.

 

[Builder]

Why it take GM so long to learn I will never know.

Well, if they're FIRST to the market with a 1/2 ton diesel pickup, ahead of Toyota, Ford, DC, Nissan, etc., that kinda makes them the first company to offer one, doesn't it?

I guess what you're trying to say is why did it take ALL truck companies "so long to learn"?

I think they were afraid that if they offered a 1/2 ton diesel, it might takes sales away from their 3/4 ton diesels they already offer. Also, it takes a lot of money & testing to develop a light diesel in this new application.

Plus (and this is just my opinion) I think they wanted to wait until after the new DPF regs hit to see how the DPF's worked in the bigger 3/4-1 ton trucks since the 1/2 ton buyers are, for the most part, more "casual" truck users.

 

[swampvol]

I had been hearing that dodge was going to be the first to offer a 1/2 ton diesel.

Its interesting no matter who gets there first.

 

[Jaybr]

Don't you mean re-offer a 1/2 ton diesel?

I've got a 95 1/2 ton with a 6.5.

 

[Builder]

Don't you mean re-offer a 1/2 ton diesel?

I've got a 95 1/2 ton with a 6.5.

haha!!! Good one!!!!

Yeah, GM really was first way back when. I guess I shoulda said first to "RE-offer......"

 

[bialecki]

Actual GMC had a diesel in their 1/2 ton pick-up back in 1980. What a piece of ****! No other word describes it, it was a half hearted attempt by GM back then where they retrofitted a 350 cubic inch engine and made it a diesel. Nothing but headaches! So it is their second attempt at being first to offer a diesel in the 1/2 ton range.

 

[LoneCowboy]

cool
they should sell tons
It's the only way to fly.

 

[workinallthetime]

greaaaaaat did ya read isuzu had no part in the r&d thats kinds scarry and i am pro gm all the way.
hopefully bosh will have no part of the fuel system or the electical system in the truck.

other than that it should be a solid unit and if it has a small size you are going to see this in everything w/ a v8 like the report says. GM has been for years slowly getting rid of front wheel drive so that why you see all the v8's coming back in cars as an option, not a diesel in a car from gm wont be far away.

kendall, a i heard it from several sources at gm that "hummer" bought all the tooling for the 6.5 and thats why they only had a 6.5. I also heard rummors that the new hummers have a d-max in them but i have not chaeck to see if thats true. Also fuel MPG on that h1 had alot to do with weight and tire size dont ya think? d-max would have given you at least 10,lol

 

[hudr]

Bialecki: I think 77 was the first year. Dad special ordered a 78 Chevy w/ the Olds based diesel. It got 27 mpg from the factory. I really can't say we had much in the way of trouble out of it. We ran it 275,000 w/ only one pump overhaul. And we USED that truck too. This was when we were still farming full time. It stayed overloaded most of its life. We pulled the hay rake w/ it when our JD 2020 was down. Hauled ton after ton of soybean seed to the field. Years later, I built a motor out of spare parts that were stacked up in the corner of the shop to have something to drive to college. It didn't do anything fast, but by the time it started to sag in the middle we had over 425,000 on the chassis. i think GMs biggest mistake was having no techs trained on diesel. Even under warranty we would do any work that needed done.