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2016 Chevy Colorado Duramax makes 369 lb-ft for $3,730 premium

Since announcing the new Chevrolet Colorado in late 2013, there has been absolutely no secret that the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel would wind up under the hood of the midsize pickup truck for the 2016 model year. It has been a long wait for those wanting the oil-burner, but thankfully, the anticipation is nearly at an end. Chevy is finally officially unleashing details about the four-cylinder, which churns out 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The diesel is available in both LT and Z71 Crew Cab trims, and there's the choice of two- or four-wheel drive. All come with a six-speed automatic gearbox with a standard automatic-locking rear differential. An electronically controlled two-speed transfer case comes on four-wheel drive models, as well. The Z82 trailering package also arrives on all of the Duramax pickups and includes an exclusive integrated trailer brake controller. The first shipment of diesels arrives at dealers this fall with a price of $3,730 on top of a comparably equipped version with the 3.6-liter V6. Customers opting for the Duramax are getting more capability from the Colorado. With a 7,700-pound tow rating on two-wheel drive examples (7,600 pounds with four-wheel drive), drivers can haul 600-700 pounds more behind the truck than its petrol V6 counterpart. Fuel economy numbers haven't been announced yet, but are expected to top the gasoline versions. The engine is also B20 bio-diesel compatible. Beyond being just a good hauler, Chevy is throwing cutting-edge tech into these models. For example, this is the company's first application of a Centrifugal Pendulum Vibration Absorber on the transmission's torque converter. The device is a dampener that cancels out torsional vibration from the engine for a more comfortable ride for occupants. There's also a driver selectable exhaust brake system that uses engine compression to help slow down the truck and reduce brake wear. You can read more about the nuts and bolts of the diesel in Chevy's press release below. Chevrolet Introduces Colorado Duramax Diesel All-new turbo-diesel expands lineup with unparalleled capability, efficiency DETROIT – The fastest-selling truck in the market now offers an available turbo-diesel engine. The 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Duramax diesel takes midsize truck capability and efficiency to unprecedented levels.

GM's Buckle to Drive teen safety feature comes to more models for 2021

In 2014, GM announced a feature called "Belt Assurance," which would prevent a vehicle from being shifted out of park until the driver and front passenger had buckled their seatbelts. Initially launched on certain fleet vehicles in 2014, the feature rolled out as a free option on the 2015 GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Colorado, Cruze and Silverado. At the time, GM said it would push Belt Assurance to more models if customers took to it. That appears to have happened; come 2019, GM repackaged Belt Assurance as Buckle to Drive, part of the automaker's Teen Driver System that bundled tech such as geofencing and speed limit warnings to help parents keep track of their children's driving habits. In that implementation, the system only works when Teen Driver Mode is activated, locking out the shifter and muting the radio for 20 seconds or until the seatbelts are buckled, whichever comes first. The system shows a visual warning in the gauge cluster, too.  For this model year, the Teen Driver System came standard on 10 Chevy models, but Buckle to Drive was only allotted to the Colorado, Malibu and Traverse. Later this year, the 2021 Camaro will join the Chevys outfitted with the Teen Driver System and will get Buckle to Drive in addition. GM Authority reports that for the 2021 model year, Buckle to Drive will also be picked up by the Cadillac CT4 and CT5. Previously, the Cadillac ATS, CTS, Escalade and XTS came with the Teen Driver System, but three out of those four vehicles are no more, and the 2021 Escalade makes no mention of the Teen Driver System nor Buckle to Drive among its safety features. Elsewhere around the GM empire, the Buick Envision and Encore GX include the Teen Driver System, as do six GMC vehicles, but it's not clear when any will be upgraded with Buckle to Drive. The tech could help save numerous teenagers' lives. On its page of teen crash facts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes that roughly 300,000 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 ended up in emergency rooms to treat crash injuries in 2017. Furthermore, "only 58.8% of high school students always wore seat belts when riding as passengers," and, "Among young drivers aged 15-20 who died in car crashes in 2017, almost half were unrestrained at the time of the crash (when restraint use was known)." Related Video:    

GM is the latest automaker accused of diesel emissions cheating

Volkswagen and Ram need to make room on the diesel-emissions bench for General Motors. America's largest automaker was accused in a lawsuit on Thursday of rigging hundreds of thousands of diesel trucks with at least three so-called defeat devices to ensure that the trucks would meet federal and state emission standards, even if they generated more pollution in real-world driving. According to the complaint, on-road emissions testing conducted for the plaintiffs found that Duramax-equipped trucks produced NOx pollutants, comprised of nitrogen and oxygen atoms, two to five times higher than legally permitted, and "many times" higher than their gasoline counterparts. The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Detroit on behalf of people who own or lease more than 705,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks fitted with "Duramax" engines from 2011 to 2016 model years. The lawsuit seeks remedies including possible refunds or restitution for lost vehicle value, plus punitive damages. It adds to legal problems for Detroit-based GM, which has already paid about $2.5 billion in penalties and settlements over faulty ignition switches linked to 124 deaths. GM joins at least five automakers whose diesel emissions have been scrutinized by regulators or consumers. They include VW, which has admitted to cheating; Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Peugeot and Renault. GM spokesman Dan Flores called the claims "baseless," and said the trucks comply with US Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards and California's own tough standards. Shares of GM were down 69 cents, or 2.1 percent, at $32.50 in afternoon trading, after earlier falling to $31.93. The GM lawsuit was filed by several law firms, including Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, which helped reach multibillion-dollar settlements with VW on behalf of drivers and dealers. The case is Fenner et al v General Motors LLC et al, US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 17-11661. The named plaintiffs are Andrei Fenner of Mountain View, California and Joshua Herman of Sulphur, Louisiana. They said they would not have bought their respective 2011 Sierra and 2016 Silverado trucks, or would have paid less for them, had they known about the alleged rigging. Joseph Spak, an RBC Capital Markets analyst, in a research report said "negative publicity" from the lawsuit could drive buyers to trucks from Ford or even Fiat Chrysler's Ram.