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GM delays 3.0-liter Duramax diesel in Silverado and Sierra pickups

Stricter testing protocols around the world are making it harder for automakers to predict launch timelines. GM is the latest to get caught in emissions nettles, the Detroit carmaker forced to delay the launch of its new Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six diesel for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. That's what company reps told dealers in a memo seen by Automotive News this week. Dealers and buyers had been promised the Flint, Mich.-built oil-burner in early 2019, but AN wrote that the EPA certification hiccup has turned into a "slight delay." A GM spokesman told Motor1, "[We] did not attribute [the delay] to a single entity, as the truth is this is a collaborative effort between GM and several government entities. We will make the 2020MY Duramax available for dealers orders soon, and expect to deliver the first trucks to customers soon after emissions testing is complete." We know the new 3.0-liter Duramax diesel has 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, outdoing Ford's 3.0-liter PowerStroke diesel by 27 hp and 20 lb-ft. But without final EPA paperwork, GM can't release the numbers that will show how the two engines stack up when considering fuel economy and tow ratings. The certification process has been sticky for a few other makers of late, especially since the Volkswagen Group situation in 2015. BMW had to delay the launch of four diesel models in 2016 over EPA testing. The new Ram 1500 dribbled out in a trickle last year for reasons thought to deal with EPA testing, coming as it did a year after the EPA investigated Ram's EcoDiesel engines in 2017 and 2018. More recently, WLTP testing in Europe caught out just about every automaker over there. Since we're almost halfway through 2019, the delay until the 2020 model year is only a few months. Still, GM told dealers to cancel any orders for the engine for this model year. Dealers will need to resubmit the orders once opening begins, but GM hasn't said when production will begin other than "soon." The company said that it will offer 2020-model-year replacement vehicles to customers and dealers. If prices hold into the next model year, the 2020 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 with the inline-six diesel will come at a $3,890 premium over the 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder, and a $2,495 premium over the 5.3-liter V8.

Chevy Silverado HD gets the Custom Sport treatment

Everyone remember the Silverado 1500 Custom Sport Chevrolet showed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Good. Now, the company has applied the same styling treatment to its heavy-duty pickups, introducing the 2500 and 3500 Custom Sports. The two trucks appeared today at the 2015 Denver Auto Show. A monochromatic look is the order of the day, with the heavy-duty Silverados getting body colored bumpers both fore and aft as well as a body color grille. Chrome accents sit in said grille, while the shiny finish can also be found on the door handles and mirrors. Buyers of the 2500 Custom Sport will get five-spoke, 20-inch, polished wheels, while the brawnier 3500 gets 18-inch polished hoops as standard (dualies are downgraded to 17-inchers). Custom Sport models are only available in Summit White or Black. The trim package can be added to both LT and LTZ models, with a price premium ranging from $700 to $1,695, depending on the truck. Scroll down for the official press release from Chevrolet. Related Video: CHEVROLET INTRODUCES 2015 SILVERADO CUSTOM SPORT HDs Monochromatic appearance for 2500 and 3500 HD pickups DENVER – Chevrolet adds a sophisticated monochromatic look to the Silverado 2500 HD and 3500 HD with new Custom Sport editions, which debuted today at the Denver Auto Show. Silverado Custom Sport HDs feature body-colored front and rear bumpers, a body-colored grille with chrome-accent bars, chrome door handles and body-side moldings, and chrome-accented trailering mirrors. Silverado 2500 Custom Sports feature 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, while 3500 Custom Sports feature 18-inch polished aluminum wheels on single-rear-wheel models, and 17-inch polished aluminum wheels on duallys. Silverado Custom Sport HDs are available in LT or LTZ models in either Summit White or Black. Suggested retail package prices will vary from $700 to $1,695, depending on the model. Dealers can place orders now. Silverados targeted at unique customer needs The Silverado Custom Sport HDs join a family of Silverado 1500s targeted at the needs and tastes of specific groups of truck customers: The Silverado Black Out takes advantage of the black grille and bumpers of the Silverado 1500 WT to let customers to create a dramatic look at an affordable price. Available for regular and double cab WT models, the Black Out special edition includes 20" black painted aluminum wheels, P275/55R20 all-season blackwall tires, deep tinted glass and black bowties.

GM plans to sell the Chevy Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade in China

General Motors Co plans to sell full-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) models in China for the first time, and will import a range of models to beef up its product lineup into the world's biggest car market, its China chief told Reuters. The plan would mark a change of tack for GM, which currently produces all of the vehicles it sells in China within the country, which is set to be the only major economy to grow this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. GM, China's second-biggest foreign automaker, is aiming to offer four models as it looks to improve its brand image and support a sales recovery: Chevrolet's Tahoe and Suburban, Cadillac's Escalade and the GMC Yukon Denali. The Detroit-based company is showcasing those models at the China International Import Expo, or CIIE, an annual import show in Shanghai which started on Wednesday and runs into next week. "Our intention is to get customer reaction and find a way to sell these cars in China," said GM's China chief Julian Blissett. The automaker sees opportunities for such vehicles, partly because Chinese families are expanding, he added. "We are looking into a variety of market sales plans for these vehicles, including online sales, leasing and others," he said, declining to give a detailed timeframe for the plan. GM's Buick and Cadillac mid-size SUVs helped the group's Chinese sales grow 12% in the third quarter this year, the first quarterly growth in the past two years. But it does not have full-size SUV models, which usually have a third row of seats and has room for six or seven people. BATTLEGROUND China, where over 25 million vehicles were sold last year, is a crucial battleground for global automakers including Volkswagen AG, the biggest foreign player by sales volumes, GM and Toyota, as well as local leaders Geely and Great Wall. The country has seen auto sales pick up in recent months following a COVID-19-induced slump, and authorities say they have largely brought the epidemic under control following its emergence in the central city of Wuhan at the end of last year. The expansion plan would also mark GM's first official sales in China of GMC vehicles, a premium brand in the group. Previously GMC vehicles were only sold in the country via unofficial grey importers. The imports will, however, not change GM's basic production strategy in China. It will still mostly sell vehicles made in China - for now, at least. "Depending on however we go we might make other decisions," Blissett said.