There was a time, not too long ago, when you wouldn’t see GM trucks offered with fewer than eight cylinders under the hood.
The expectation was that these trucks needed to be offered with the massive engines for the power desired and the work that needed to get done. While these trucks were built to be used to get more things accomplished, the trade-off was always the fact that gasoline would be sucked down like a group having a porch party on a Friday night would enjoy their own drinks.

GM Is Making the Change

The 2019 model year is going to be one of the most interesting in pickup truck history. With all three major truck makers showing us new models at the Detroit Auto Show back in January, we know there will be more tech and efficiency expected out of the trucks we see. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 will both be built with smaller engines than in the past which will only have four-cylinders under the hood. The new power plant is a 2.7-liter turbocharged model that will be built to offer the low-end torque needed to get things done.
This new engine is a response to the tighter emissions and fuel mileage regulations that are being put in place and a result of exceptional engine technology. The new 2.7-liter engine will be capable of offering 310 horsepower and 348lb.-ft. of torque which is offered between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm to be the right low-end level needed. If you were to dial back the clock only five years, you would have needed to choose a V8 engine in order to come close to these numbers, which goes to show the advancements made in the engine technology we have today.

More Benefits of this GM Engine

Naturally, when you have a smaller engine, you have a lighter weight for the vehicle. The 2.7-liter engine is lighter than the standard V6 model by a full 380 pounds. This is the case even though both engines make use of aluminum blocks and cylinder heads. Some of the considerations that went into the build of this engine include the lower friction, heat loss, and mass, all of which translates into an improvement in the efficiency and handling of the vehicle that this engine is powering when it heads down the road.
In addition to giving you a lighter weight, a more efficient engine, and the power you need, this engine is the first four-cylinder that will make use of cylinder deactivation. When you’re driving around town with the 2.7-liter engine under the hood, it may drop to two cylinders during the ride because of lighter loads and easier driving. There’s also the gas savings of the start/stop technology that can help you save fuel during the ride. Both the Silverado and Sierra will be offered with this excellent engine, which is meant to revolutionize the way we think of the trucks we drive and make it possible to avoid the old trade-off that was necessary.