Though typically slated by some, and continually criticized because of the emissions kicked out, diesel engines serve a precious goal within the automotive world. It wasn’t way back that the general public had been being inspired to purchase diesel automobiles and vans, as they will sometimes be extra gas environment friendly than gasoline engines, though the narrative appears to have modified since.
Nonetheless, many proceed to like them as a consequence of their wonderful skills for towing and hauling, and particularly big-capacity engines for this goal, with loads of torque on faucet. So, to determine what among the greatest diesel engines ever made are, we have gathered collectively ten massively highly effective and monstrously torquey diesel engines from varied automakers, and ranked them so as, utilizing their spectacular torque figures.
CarBuzz has collected specs and stats on a wide range of highly effective diesel engines, with info being sourced from the respective producer’s web site.
10 Toyota: 3.3L V6 Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 516 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
304 horsepower
Torque output
516 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Toyota Land Cruiser 300
It will be impolite to compile a listing of one of the best diesel engines ever, and to exclude any efforts by Toyota. Sadly, this specific engine is reserved for the 300-Sequence of the Land Cruiser, which is not provided to People, though it’s a powerful lump all the identical.
Energy comes within the type of 304 rampant horses, whereas torque is a decent 516 lb-ft – a determine that sees the Land Cruiser able to towing 7,700 lbs. By the use of comparability, the 250-Sequence Land Cruiser provided within the States is powered by a 2.4-liter gas-hybrid powertrain, which develops 326 horsepower, however much less torque, at 465 lb-ft.
9 Audi: 3.0L V6 Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 516 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
339 horsepower
Torque output
516 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Audi S6 (C8)
Unusually, when Audi appeared to launch a brand new ‘S’ variant of the chief A6, they turned away from the slew of highly effective gasoline engines on supply, and as an alternative opted to suit a high-torque diesel engine. If that does not sound correct, it is as a result of the diesel possibility was solely accessible in Europe, whereas a extra highly effective gasoline V6 was offered in America.
Whereas missing over 100 horsepower compared to the gas-powered C8 S6, the advantage of the diesel is elevated gas financial system. That is good for lengthy commutes and boring freeway drives, though with 339 horsepower on faucet, the diesel sedan nonetheless managed to supply an gratifying driving expertise.
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8 Ford: 7.3L V8 Energy Stroke Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 525 lb-ft
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Key Info
Energy output
275 horsepower
Torque output
525 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Ford F-Sequence Tremendous Responsibility vans
Highly effective diesel engines are nothing new, not for vans not less than, as is evidenced with this 7.3-liter turbo diesel V8 from Ford. Used for the Tremendous Responsibility vary between 1994 and 2003, this early Energy Stroke engine pushed out 450 lb-ft of torque – ample for a workhorse in that period, though a quantity simply dwarfed in 2024. Later fashions had been blessed with updates, bringing that output to a extra significant 525 lb-ft. Alongside Tremendous Responsibility purposes, business vans and the E-Sequence Ford additionally made use of this engine.
7 Mercedes-Benz: 3.0L I6 Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 553 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
362 horsepower
Torque output
553 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Mercedes-Benz G- & GL-Class fashions
Mercedes-Benz is a model that has lengthy been related to really nice diesel engines. The diesel choices from Mercedes have not all the time essentially been highly effective, however they’re world-renowned for being among the greatest and most dependable diesel engines ever constructed, with many examples having clocked in extra of 1,000,000 miles.
Now, to not say that the OM656 engine is not dependable, however it definitely does put energy as its primary precedence, with 308 horsepower and 479 lb-ft on supply in much less highly effective fashions, and as much as 362 hp and 553 lb-ft in others. That is sufficient to make this probably the most highly effective diesel engine ever provided by the automaker, for passenger automobiles not less than, and it may be discovered underneath the hood of many premium SUV fashions.
Dialogue
Diesel engines sometimes produce extra torque and superior gas financial system in comparison with a gasoline engine. They will sometimes tow extra too. They do often have much less horsepower and diesel is costlier to buy. Would you purchase a diesel-powered automotive?
6 BMW: 3.0L I6 Quad-Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 561 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
394 horsepower
Torque output
561 lb-ft
Standard purposes
BMW X5 M50d
Whereas solely packing half the cylinders of one other Audi diesel on this checklist, BMW was eager to hitch the hilariously highly effective diesel SUV celebration, and so provided its M50d engine within the X5, X6 and X7, amongst others. As soon as once more, although, American shores had been denied the privilege of this highly effective diesel engine.
In an effort to make sure the diesel inline-six was worthy of the ‘M’ designation, no fewer than 4 turbochargers had been strapped to the ‘six’, offering a peak of 395 horses, alongside 561 lb-ft of torque. This made it probably the most highly effective, and due to this fact greatest, diesel engine ever produced by the Bavarian model.
5 Volkswagen: 5.0L V10 R50 Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 627 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
345 horsepower
Torque output
627 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Volkswagen Touareg
As soon as once more, the Germans had been eager to indulge their loopy aspect through the 2000s, and whereas Audi had drawn the wild card and produced a diesel-powered V12, Volkswagen as an alternative needed to accept the reserved possibility of crafting a V10. Whereas the Q7 had all the time been thought-about an opulent product, the Touareg for which this 5.0-liter V10 was all the time destined had all the time been a less expensive, much less prestigious product, which made the mixture all that extra thrilling.
The V10 engine was accessible in two outputs; one with 553 lb-ft of torque and 309 horsepower, whereas the fascinating R50 trim boasted an altogether extra significant 627 lb-ft of torque, alongside 345 horsepower. Absolute lunacy, and this time, People had been allowed to hitch in with the enjoyable.
4 Audi: 6.0L V12 TDI CR
Peak Torque: 738 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
493 horsepower
Torque output
738 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Audi Q7
Even though Audi may be closely related to electrical crossovers, and govt sedans proper now, wind the clock again 15 years, and the four-ringed model was tackling some much more fascinating tasks.
Thought-about a ‘final hurrah’ earlier than environmentalism actually took maintain, Audi crammed a ridiculous 6.0-liter V12 engine underneath the hood of its flagship SUV, the luxurious Q7. Torque was large, at 738 lb-ft, however it was highly effective too, with 493 horses on the driver’s disposal. To this present day, it’s the solely diesel-powered V12 engine to have reached manufacturing in a passenger automotive. Sadly, the V12 engine was provided in Europe solely.
3 GM: 6.6L V8 Duramax Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 975 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
470 horsepower
Torque output
975 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Chevrolet & GMC Heavy Responsibility pickup vans
When you spot a GM truck adorned with the Duramax badge on the hood, simply know that it is a mightily succesful pickup, with the most effective diesel truck engines in the marketplace proper now. The 975 lb-ft on supply ensures that the extra succesful Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra HD vans can tow and haul spectacular quantities, with peak torque arriving at simply 1,600 rpm. That is proper the place you want the grunt when totally loaded up, and so it is no shock that these diesel-powered vans are among the best-selling fashions of their section proper now.
2 Excessive-Output Cummins 6.7L I6 Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 1,075 lb-ft
When you exit and ask, ‘what’s the greatest diesel engine for a pickup truck?’, the possibilities are the reply you get again shall be a Cummins of some kind. Cummins diesel engines are famend for being hard-workers and mightily highly effective, and this Excessive Output 6.7-liter inline-six is fortunately no exception to these guidelines. Narrowly out-performing the usual output variant of Ford’s newest Energy Stroke engine, 1,075 lb-ft of torque is equipped to the biggest and most able to Ram’s pickup truck vary. The 2024 Ram 3500 HD can tow a powerful 37,090 lbs when correctly geared up, and with this Cummins mill underneath the hood.
1 Ford: Excessive-Output 6.7L V8 Energy Stroke Turbo Diesel
Peak Torque: 1,200 lb-ft
Key Info
Energy output
500 horsepower
Torque output
1,200 lb-ft
Standard purposes
Ford F-Sequence Tremendous Responsibility vans
A torquey diesel engine is nice for towing and hauling heavy masses, which is a widely known logic, and has been for a while. Whereas many pickup vans churn out within the area of 400 to 500 lb-ft of torque, the Tremendous Responsibility line from Ford prefers to supply round double these figures, which is why they’re so common as powerful workhorses. Nonetheless, somebody at Ford determined that 1,050 lb-ft of torque from the Energy Stroke V8 simply wasn’t sufficient, and so a Excessive Output variant was launched, boosting that determine to a ‘chassis-twisting’ 1,200 lb-ft. That is an insane determine from a manufacturing automobile, and sufficient to see the 2025 Ford Tremendous Responsibility vans towing as much as 40,000 lbs whereas nonetheless staying inside allowed capacities. That is why this is likely one of the greatest diesel truck engines ever produced.
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​​​Sources: Ford, Ram, GM, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW