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2.8L Duramax Turbo Diesel Showcased on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept

At long last, the golden bowtie manufacturer is putting the finishing touches to the long-awaited 2.8-liter Duramax turbo diesel mill. At the present moment, Chevrolet is keeping quiet about the specs, but there’s a lot riding on the motor’s shoulders.
Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept 10 photos
Photo: newspressusa.com
Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 ConceptChevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept
Tightly snugged into the engine bay of this off-road ready Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept, the mid-sized pickup truck is animated by “at least 181 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque at 2,000 rpm.” Although that doesn’t sound like much and diesel power isn’t that good for tackling tough trails, the 2.8-liter Duramax’s torque will certainly aid with the heavy jobs like trailering and hauling.

Backed by a six-speed automatic transmission, a turbo diesel makes sense more than gasoline for customers that tow and haul ever so often. In comparison to petrol-fed motors, the turbo diesel delivers most of its torque lower in the rev range and that’s good for smooth starts, frugality and overtaking at highway speeds. Is there anything more worth highlighting about it? Well, yes there is.

Part of a new, global family of turbo diesel powerplants

The 2.8-liter Duramax makes use of variable geometry turbocharging, as well as a balance shaft for great smoothness at idle and during hard acceleration. “Its broad torque band makes it very powerful at low rpm, while the turbocharged performance provides a confident feeling of immediate and smooth power on demand – attributes customers will appreciate when trailering.” said Tony Johnson, the Colorado’s marketing manager.

With the 2.8L Duramax oil burner confirmed to enter production and be offered in the Colorado lineup next year, what’s there to say about this ZR2 Concept? For starters, it’s four inches wider than a Z71-equipped Colorado and it’s got many go-anywhere kit bolted to it, including HD shocks and suspension, a built-in winch, 18-inch wheels wrapped in 275/65 off-road rubber and a 48-inch Hi-Lift jack. Nonetheless, don’t hold your breath for the ZR2 to enter production anytime soon.

After all, anyone who wants its Colorado kitted with all necessities for the trail will go to firms specialized in such components. As a brief reminder, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado can be had from $20,995 for the base extended-cab with the 2.5-liter 200 horsepower four-pot and rear-wheel drive, while the 3.6-liter V6 adds $1,200 over that $20,995 base sticker price of the WT specification.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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