2020 Chevy Silverado diesel gets official EPA highway rating of 33 mpg

Chevy just released official EPA-estimated fuel economy figures for the new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six diesel going into the Silverado. It’s rated to get a stunning 33 mpg on the highway, which crushes the Ford F-150 diesel’s rating of 30 mpg on the highway. It also earns the slightest of victories in city fuel economy at 23 mpg, whereas the Ford is rated at 22 mpg. To say that we are shocked that a full-size pickup is able to achieve 33 mpg on the highway is an understatement. We were impressed when Ford hit us with the big 3-0 last year, but this sets the goalposts way out in front.

There are some caveats, of course. If you want a SIlverado with four-wheel drive, the numbers go down to 23/29 (city/highway) mpg. That’s still significantly better than the F-150 with four-wheel drive at 20/25 mpg, but you do lose the magical 30 mpg highway bragging rights. There’s a new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel on the way, but EPA numbers aren’t out for that truck yet. The previous Ram EcoDiesel was rated at 20/27 mpg, but we expect those numbers to tick up for the new truck.

So, how did GM wipe the floor with Ford and Ram in this mpg fight? Chevy told us on the truck’s first drive that it optimized the truck for superior fuel economy, not superior towing. That’s obvious, as the Silverado is down significantly on towing capacity versus both the Ford and Ram. The 2020 Silverado diesel can haul a maximum of 9,300 pounds, whereas the Ford tops out at a much higher 11,400 pounds. Both of those are still well under Ram’s new max capacity of 12,560 pounds. Strangely enough, the Silverado makes more horsepower than both the Ford and Ram at 277 horsepower. It ends up between the two in torque, rated at 460 pound-feet of twist.

Funnily enough, these ratings make the full-size Silverado more efficient than the smaller Colorado and GMC Canyon diesel offerings. The highest fuel economy achieved by those trucks is 20/30 mpg. The new diesel engine will also be available on the GMC Sierra, but GM hasn’t released figures specific to that truck yet. You’ll need to pony up $3,890 to option the diesel engine onto the LT or RST trims, or $2,495 if you’re looking at an LTZ or High Country. Chevy says that this engine officially completes the powertrain lineup for the new Silverado, so all your options are now laid out on the table. Choose wisely.