Confirmed: GM midsize pickup trucks to get diesel engines

After months of rumors and speculation, GM has confirmed that the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks will be fitted with diesel engines.

The new GMC Canyon with the diesel engine was revealed at a research institute in Michigan recently. These two new midsize pickup trucks will launch in the United States which has a very limited selection for pickup trucks with diesel engines, with the only other cars in this market being the Nissan Tital and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. The trucks are estimated to launch in 2015, a year after production begins for the Colorado and Canyon in the fall of 2014.

New Diesel Engine

The diesel engine for the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon will make them more attractive for consumers that want a fuel efficient midsize pickup truck. The cars will have a four-cylinder Duramax diesel engine with displacement of 2.5 or 2.8 liters, which is a market standard for diesel engines. This will allow GM to compete with the fuel inefficient full1 size pickup truck with their fuel efficient midsize alternative. The diesel engine also fits with the other design components that sets the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon apart from other pickup trucks in the American market, with a design that emphasizes versatility and balance. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson has also stated that these new midsize pickup trucks will directly compete with the Toyota Tacoma in addition to providing an alternative to full size pickup trucks.

Production and Investment

The new GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado will be produced and assembled at GM’s assembly center at Wentzville, Missouri, with production beginning in the fall of 2014. This is after GM invested $380 million in the facility and an additional $133 million to expand the plant’s facilities. The $133 million will be used to construct a 114,000 square foot stamping press, which is expected to be completed and functional by 2015. The investment will also generate more than 1600 jobs, of which over 1250 will be dedicated for the production and assembly of the new GMC Canyon. The remainder of the jobs will go towards producing the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans that are currently being produced at the assembly plant. Before shifting production to the Wentzville plant, the Chevy Colorado was produced at GM’s assembly center in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Specifications

So far, the only announced specifications for the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado is the choice of 2.5 and 2.8 liter Duramax diesel engine. The other specifications for the new midsize pickup trucks have not been released by GM, with no sale price or on-sale date revealed to the public so far. Nevertheless, the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado are expected to be competitive and relatively low-cost alternatives to the mature full sized pickup truck market in the United States.