The economic cataclysm of late has cost thousands of Canadians their peace of mind, financial security and jobs. Bad news-- but all this market mayhem is causing enormous disappointments in the car and truck enthusiast community, too.
After dropping the G8 ST sport truck from the production roster and temporarily moving the Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) team to less exciting projects, GM's now playing with the heartstrings of pickup lovers.
The small Duramax diesel V8 originally planned for the GM light truck lineup is going to gather dust for a while-- until market conditions once again warrant its existence.
Good idea, bad timing?
Seems so.
Diesel engines are powerful, fuel efficient and they work hard. In fact, online posts in various pickup owners clubs and forums have questioned the lack of a small diesel engine in a light-duty truck for years.
The technology to make it happen is better than ever now, too- not to mention easier to sell to die-hard truck fans than a two-mode hybrid system.
Still, the resulting 1500-series diesel pickup would likely have amounted to a niche engine in a dying species of vehicle, statistically speaking.
Looking to save fuel in your rig? Seriously, check out the two-mode Hybrid system. It's smooth, powerful and it works. If you need to pull stumps out of the earth's crust, there's still the Duramax 6.6.
Reaction for the press release:
GM Statement Regarding the Duramax 4.5L V-8 Diesel
After dropping the G8 ST sport truck from the production roster and temporarily moving the Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) team to less exciting projects, GM's now playing with the heartstrings of pickup lovers.
The small Duramax diesel V8 originally planned for the GM light truck lineup is going to gather dust for a while-- until market conditions once again warrant its existence.
Good idea, bad timing?
Seems so.
Diesel engines are powerful, fuel efficient and they work hard. In fact, online posts in various pickup owners clubs and forums have questioned the lack of a small diesel engine in a light-duty truck for years.
The technology to make it happen is better than ever now, too- not to mention easier to sell to die-hard truck fans than a two-mode hybrid system.
Still, the resulting 1500-series diesel pickup would likely have amounted to a niche engine in a dying species of vehicle, statistically speaking.
Looking to save fuel in your rig? Seriously, check out the two-mode Hybrid system. It's smooth, powerful and it works. If you need to pull stumps out of the earth's crust, there's still the Duramax 6.6.
Reaction for the press release:
GM Statement Regarding the Duramax 4.5L V-8 Diesel