In a major commitment to diesel-engine production, General Motors announced on Friday that it is developing a new 4.5-liter Duramax V8 diesel engine that will go into production in late 2009. The engine will make its debut in 2010 in Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and the Hummer H2. It is expected to deliver 25 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gas engine.
Rated at 310 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque, the engine is expected to be compliant with regulations in all 50 states. The automaker says it is quieter than current diesels, “with noise and vibration performance approaching gasoline V8 levels.” The premium diesel will sit in the same space as a small-block V8, which will allow it to be used in a number of applications.
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GM said it will spend $100 million to upgrade its plant here to build the new diesel. The latest funding will bring GM's investment in Tonawanda to $1.6 billion over the past 10 years. GM currently offers 17 diesel variants worldwide, ranging from 1.3-liter four-cylinder power plants in Europe to the 6.6-liter V8 in the U.S.
In other global diesel news, The Nikkei is reporting that Isuzu Motors plans to build a new plant in Japan to make diesel engines for Toyota. The Isuzu plant will have an annual capacity of 200,000 units, starting in 2012. Toyota will use the engines for its European cars. The two companies are jointly developing a 1.6-liter clean diesel.
