Chevrolet Silverado 2019 four-cylinder feels pretty strong, but it may be difficult to sell

"A four-cylinder ?!" Full-size truck customers will cry after visiting their Chevrolet truck dealership after this fall. In the half-ton reading space, we have never heard of an engine with so few cylinders. But after driving the Chevrolet Silverado 2.7 Turbo 2019, I'm not sure if this is the case, even if I'm not fully sold on this truck.

(Full disclosure: Chevrolet took me by plane to Phoenix, Arizona, m hosted in a posh hotel and fed me much better than the fried motor oil that I normally eat. All this so that I can drive the new 2.7-liter Turboado Silverado and the Colorado Bison. The Bison Review will be published later, as well as the next cookbook recipes for engine oil.)

Some heavy truck enthusiasts were surprised by the announcement by Chevrolet of the introduction of a 2.7-liter turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine in the Silverado. Aged views of four-cylinder engines persist, and although a number of automakers have proposed four-cylinder models that generate 350 horsepower or more, it will still take time to convince truck buyers that is possible to be cool, even if your truck shares its cylinders count with an economical car.

The new 2.7-liter Silverado is not exactly 350 ponies, but it's still far from what gives power to your friend Saturn. After traveling Phoenix and taking rural roads, I was happy with the result, but I was still a little uncertain about the value proposition, especially considering that a V8 option offers better fuel economy. on the highways for not much more.

What it is

American drivers are dumping absurd amounts on pickups these days, demanding more luxury and efficiency for utility vehicles that we seem to like to use as everyday drivers. This is partly why you see Ram's soft hybrid vans, many Ford turbocharger models and now a small four-cylinder Chevrolet.

Chevy itself readily admits that the 2.7-liter "L3B" engine was partly fed by federal regulation, although the brand quickly emphasized the customer's interest: namely, that this engine allowed a fuel economy of Combined fuel higher than any other Silverado engine. up to 21 MPG. That's good, or better mileage in town, than most competitors, and it always gives a lot of power and torque.

That's 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque, to be exact – higher than any naturally aspirated V6 in the truck market. This applies particularly to this couple, which rises to 1,500 rpm.

The power comes from an all-aluminum engine with many modern technologies: an electric water pump instead of a crank pump, a coolant control valve instead of a wax element thermostat, Sliding camshaft that can vary cam profiles and even cut two cylinders for improved fuel economy, a variable oil pump, an integrated exhaust manifold with a well-adjusted turbo bolt and much more.

Standard on the LT and RST versions, and supposedly 80 pounds lighter than the 4.3-liter V6 it replaces, the 2.7-liter is a powerful four-cylinder. The deputy chief engineer of the truck said that the company had adopted this engine configuration on a V6, partly because of the packaging constraints between the engine mounts and the turbo, which had to be placed precisely in the right place for maximum efficiency.

What is good

After driving around the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison for much of the day, Chevy handed me the keys to the Black RST Silverado that you see above, and I drove with another reporter in the Tonto National Forest, between Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Most of our route, during which I drove for about two hours, involved steady-state driving on highways at 60 km / h. In these conditions, the truck was solid. The fabric seats were comfortable, the ride was smooth (just like the road, of course) and this engine produced a lot of power.

Overshooting maneuvers on the highway and accelerations of the stop signs were fast. Chevy says the truck can reach zero at 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and that sounds plausible.

The tachometer is red at 5,500 rpm, but crush the gasoline and the engine will increase even more, propelling the truck forward with a slight turbo moan and a very clear reminder that there is certainly no V8 under the hood.

The low-end couple seemed plentiful, the vehicle holding its gear, and a decent acceleration occurring without the tachometer having to get too far from its rest position.

The interior design is about the same as the GMC Sierra I had earlier this year, with the exception of a few blank buttons that do not really bother me. It is worth mentioning that the design of the Sierra did not impress me.

The dashboard gives the impression of giving birth to the thick center console (sorry for this image, everyone), the double glove boxes with their huge handles are not particularly pretty and the infotainment screen of eight inches is a bit boring.

All this still applies here and I still find that the interior of the Ram is much prettier. But I should say that it's a medium level Silverado and not a luxo-Sierra. In this application, the interior is totally perfect. (At least, the dash is less obvious, since it is not marketed as a higher-end product.) It is also interesting to note that the chunky column change lever is extremely satisfying.

As far as the exterior style is concerned, all my initial reservations have disappeared and I am now firmly a fan. Especially when wearing a monochromatic theme, the front is aggressive and elegant.

This also applies to the back end. The tailgate logo is not just a piece of plastic or a decal; it is stamped as the gods of the truck wanted.

What is weak?

In the Silverado, especially on the highway, starting the pedal did not feel like pushing the car forward with the same immediacy as the last Ram I drove. The culprit seems to be mainly the eight-speed Hydra-Matic transmission that took a long time to pass. To a lesser extent, the turbocharged engine also felt at fault. He seemed to do a good job of strengthening to avoid delays, but never felt really immediate.

Finally, the trans gearbox is downshifted, the engine speed increases and the truck accelerates. Then, strangely, I noticed that the tachometer needle sometimes stopped, then fell a little before continuing to turn. It was a bit strange, especially since the pickup did not seem to stop accelerating during the break. It is also strange that the truck sometimes continues to accelerate even after the driver has removed the foot from the pedal. This is something my co-driver noticed after breaking the gas pedal and letting it go when the truck demoted. I did not compare this behavior to other vehicles, so it may not matter, it's something we noticed during our short drive.

The biggest criticism of this four – cylinder engine since its inception concerns the official EPA fuel economy figures. The truck is rated at 20 MPG in the city, 23 MPG on the highway and 21 MPG combined for the two-wheel drive models. The four-wheel-drive models get 19, 22 and 20 MPG ratings in town, on the road and in combination. Some thought these numbers were not impressive for a much-loved four-cylinder.

Most of the numbers are significantly worse than those of a 2.7-liter Ford F-150 Ecoboost, the model I've already called the "best compromise between fuel economy and pure speed" line F-150. This 2.7-liter V6 develops 15 horsepower and 52 lb-ft more than the Chevrolet's four-cylinder in-line, and still manages up to 20 MPG in the city, 26 MPG on highway and 22 MPG combined in two-wheeled mode drive. A 4×4 model gets 19 cities, 24 highways and 21 handsets.

Even a basic Ram 1500 DT model will match the city's Chevrolet, will beat the 2 MPG road on the highway and will carry 1 MPG in total.

Chevy will tell you that the Ram generates 79 pounds less torque and five fewer horses than the Silverado, and that the 2.7-liter F-150 XLT is a bit more expensive than the Chevrolet Silverado LT. Chevy points out that the cheaper 3.3-liter V6 F-150 (which, if we are good, is a work truck engine, is not the most convincing option), is well below the power and torque of the latter. The Silverado LT also costs about $ 200 less, if you care.

And I think these are just things to point out, and they show that, as a core engine, Chevy's four-cylinder rivals at least pleasantly with the rest of the group aside from fuel economy on the roads.

Still, Ford's more powerful 2.7-liter engine is only an option at $ 995 over its base engine, and the V5 engine has 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Chevrolet costs only $ 1,400 more than the four engine, and actually offers 1 MPG better on the highway, although 2 MPG worse overall. Although I have not driven this V8 truck, I am certainly ready to drop that $ 1,400, knowing that it could actually increase my highway economy.

First verdict

For daily driving … B

Pretty comfortable. Not a waste of fuel.

For the enthusiasts … C

Do not blow the doors, but fast enough.

Powertrain

2.7 liters Turbo online-four

In the end, what we have here is not surprising anyone who has been following the automotive industry for ten years: thanks to technological advances, four cylinders are able to produce enough energy to meet the needs of trucks large dimensions. And this 2.7-liter engine does just that, with Chevrolet's ranking as being able to tow 7,200 pounds and draw 2,280 in bed.

Nevertheless, for me, the truck is a bit difficult to sell. If you make a lot of journeys continuously, the 2.7-liter Silverado could be a good option because it generates a solid city fuel economy for the segment. But if you do not skimp much in the city, I'd be tempted to just drop the $ 1,400 and get a V8 rated for better highway MPGs, better sound, and probably respond a little faster to a pedal.

Obviously, real-world fuel consumption and EPA ratings are not always the same. "Reduced" turbo engines have been Notoriously not inclined to answer test numbers in recent years, as Ecoboost owners could probably tell you. To reach a real conclusion, here, it would take more time in the truck. And if this period reveals somehow better fuel economy than the government figures suggest, then it could be a winner. When it comes to maneuverability, the four-cylinder engine looks solid and can deal with normal sized truck tasks.