GM Fullsize Pickups Get Turbo-4, Diesel I-6 Engines

General Motors Co. is adding a turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder diesel mill to the powertrain lineup of the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup trucks.

GM says the 2.7-liter engine will be the first 4-cylinder application offered in a full-size pickup in modern times. The engine uses GM’s cylinder deactivation technology to operate on two cylinders during low power requirements, a feature GM touts as an industry first for a full-size truck.

Fuel economy, payload, towing and other performance specifications for the 4-cylinder pickups will be released closer to launch this autumn. But company officials expect the trucks will have best-in-class fuel efficiency, while meeting the segment’s durability and reliability demands.

Six engines and three transmissions will be available in the 2019 Silverado and Sierra pickups. In addition to the four-banger and all-new six-cylinder Duramax diesel (which will be introduced next year), buyers can choose from a 4.3-liter V-6 and three V-8 engines. All of the engines feature cylinder deactivation with as many as 17 modes of operation based on performance needs.