Chevy revealed the 2019 Silverado in Wyoming last summer. One of the outstanding questions from that drive concerned the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. The listed outputs, 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque, would be capable enough to attract truck buyers to a full-sized four-pot-powered truck. What Chevy did not yet have were the EPA estimates.
To understate matters, the eventual EPA numbers were disappointing. The four-cylinder earned a 20 city 23 highway rating from the EPA. That was a one-mpg improvement over the 5.3-liter V8. Four-wheel drive versions of the four-cylinder did one mpg worse (19 city, 22 highway), which is the same as the V8. GM’s response was to ignore the numbers on the implication the Silverado would perform better in real-world driving. The 2.7-liter Silverado actually performed worse.
Car and Driver run their own highway fuel economy test that approximates 75 mph highway driving over 200 miles of travel. Their 2.7-liter Dual Cab RST tester earned just 18 mpg in that test. For perspective, the 5.3-liter Crew Cab RST earned 21 mpg in that test. The 2.7-liter earned the same rating in that test as Ford’s high-performance Raptor and GMC’s 6.2-liter V8 Sierra Denali.
Turbocharged four-cylinders work great in smaller cars. But, they still have to work to push a full-sized truck at speed. Diesel engines aren’t great for the environment either. If you’re buying a Silverado, you might as well stick with the 5.3-liter V8.
