What Diesel Engines Does Chevy Make & Which Vehicles Do They Power?

As a division of General Motors, Chevy's long history with diesel engines began with the Oldsmobile 5.7-liter LF9 Diesel V8, which unfortunately gained notoriety for being unreliable and severely underpowered. The LF9 fueled Chevy's half-ton C-Series pickup between 1978 and 1981, after which it was replaced with the equally-disliked Detroit Diesel V8 engine for the 1982 model year. The Detroit V8 remained in production until 2001, when it was succeeded by the Duramax V8 engine.

Unlike its out-of-favor predecessors, the Duramax 3.0 diesel engine has proved extremely popular with drivers since. Rumor has it that a new 8.3-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8 could be in the works, but GM thinks that's unlikely. 

As well as the V8, GM also made a Duramax inline-four engine between 2015 and 2022, which found use in the Chevrolet Colorado and Chevrolet Express. Chevrolet currently makes the Duramax turbodiesel engine in 6.6-liter V8 and 3.0-liter inline-six versions. Here's a look at these Chevy diesel engines and the vehicles they power.

The 6.6-liter Duramax LB7 was the first Duramax diesel engine from Chevrolet. It was introduced in 2001 in the Chevrolet Silverado and paired with a six-speed Allison 1000 automatic transmission. This vehicle ramped up 300 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque. Chevy released the Duramax LLY generation mid-2004 with emissions controlling technology in order to comply with diesel engine emission regulations. That engine came with a Garret variable-geometry turbocharger and an EGR system, allowing it to make 310 horsepower and 605 pound-feet in later models.

Ever since, there have been many variants of Chevrolet's 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8, with the current iteration being the Duramax L5P engine. This engine was first introduced in the 2017 heavy-duty Silverado. In the 2025 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, and Silverado HD ZR2, the 6.6-liter L5P turbodiesel V8 engine makes a whopping 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque. When the truck is appropriately equipped, that output enables a maximum towing capacity of 36,000 pounds in the Silverado 3500 HD. (The 2500 HD is good for up to 22,500 pounds, while the HD ZR2 tows up to 18,500.)

Chevrolet launched the smaller 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six in 2019 as a standalone option on the 2019 Chevy Silverado LT, RST, LTZ, and High Country trims. Codenamed the LM2, the inline-six generated 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, with a 9,400-pound tow capacity. Although that horsepower seems modest compared to the larger 6.6-liter Duramax's, it topped some of its rivals. The 2019 Ford F-150 Power Stroke V6, for example, produced 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet, while the torquey Ram 2019 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel V6 produced 260 horsepower and 280 pound-feet. 

The 3.0-liter Duramax LM2 also first became available on the Chevrolet Suburban Tahoe starting with the 2021 model year, before undergoing a revision in 2023. This resulted in a slightly more powerful inline-six than the first-generation LM2. The new 3.0-liter Duramax LZ0 engine now makes 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque in the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2. However, considering the ZR2 is intended as an off-road-focused truck rather than a workhorse, towing capacity is down to 8,700 pounds versus 9,400 for the older LM2. The 3.0-liter Duramax LZ0 is also due to feature in the upcoming 2025 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, where it will make the same amount of power as it currently makes in the 2024 ZR2.