For the 2020 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 range was expanded with a new turbodiesel variant. Available for LT, RST, LTZ, and High Country trims, the diesel-powered Silverado packs a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six producing 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission. It's also available with either 2WD or 4WD.
Before this change, the entry-level Silverado 1500 LT Double Cab 2WD would set you back $45,500. And the GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Double Cab 2WD Duramax was $45,970. But now, General Motors is slashing the MSRP by $1,500 as the automaker makes a bigger push for the more fuel-efficient engine, based on publicly available numbers on the company's employee discount website.
The price cut applies to all remaining 2020 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 trucks equipped with the turbodiesel engine, and onto the 2021 model-year Silverado and Sierra 1500 Duramax. With the reduction, the entry-level Silverado 1500 LT Double Cab 2WD's price is slashed down to $44,000, while the range-topping High Country Crew Cab Standard Bed 4WD is reduced from $61,190 down to $59,690. The Sierra 1500 Duramax will now start at $44,470, while a loaded Sierra 1500 Denali Duramax will command $61,685.
All prices include the destination charge. This also now means the turbodiesel is $2,390 more expensive than the 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder gasoline engine, and only $995 more expensive than trucks equipped with the 5.3-liter V8. The 6.2L V8, which used to be priced the same as the LM2 Duramax, does not enjoy the same price drop, making it the most expensive engine of the GM half-ton truck lineup. It's also the most powerful, with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.
As you would expect, the turbodiesel variant is the most efficient Silverado in the lineup, returning an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 23/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined with 2WD. That makes it more efficient than the most frugal Ford F-150 turbodiesel, which is rated at 21/29/24 mpg. The 4WD Silverado, on the other hand, returns 23/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined according to the EPA.