We won’t know the complete details about Chevy’s all-new 2019 Silverado 1500 until January 13th, 2018, but that hasn’t stopped us from speculating about Chevy’s bread-and-butter truck in the past, and today is no exception.
Having wondered if one of the 2019 Silverado engine options will be a plug-in hybrid, we are here to discuss whether one of these options will be a turbo-charged gasoline motor (we’ll leave diesels for a later time).
What We Know
At the current moment, the only thing we know about the 2019 Silverado engine choices is that the new truck will offer “more engine/transmissions combinations”. Chevrolet President Alan Batey said so when he surprisingly announced the truck at the Chevy Truck Centennial celebration in Texas on December 16th:
“As no two truck customers are alike, the next-gen Silverado will offer an expanded range of models, more engine/transmission combinations and more technology and convenience features to help customers find their ideal truck”, reads Chevy’s official press release.
The Competition
To say that competition in the full-size pickup truck market is fierce is somewhat of an understatement. The vehicles make up an overwhelming majority of profits for American automakers, which try to win a sale in any way they can – from attractive lease and purchase incentives to state-specific models and from headline-making gimmicks to useful features. But arguably the most important component of any truck is the powertrain.
The current K2 platformed Silverado 1500 is offered with three naturally-aspirated engines, which are part of the same EcoTec3 engine family. The engines consist of the 4.3L V-6 LV3 and two V-8s – the 5.3L L83 and 6.2L L86. The L83 later became available with a mild hybrid system, or “eAssist”, that improves fuel economy but has no impact on power. When Chevy debuted its current-generation Silverado 1500 for the 2014 model year, it made a point in offering three large engine choices designed for trucks, resisting the trend to use car engines in pickup trucks or to decrease the size of the engine while using forced induction (like turbocharging) in order to optimize fuel economy.
That strategy is in stark contrast to that employed by the Ford Motor Company, whose turbo-charged EcoBoost engine family is enjoying significant popularity in the F-150, along with in other models. In fact, Ford’s marketing department has subjectively positioned the EcoBoost engine family in such a way so that consumers may perceive that if competitors don’t use turbocharged engines, they appear outdated from a technological standpoint.
In reality, however, Ford’s EcoBoost engines provide a marginal benefit from a fuel economy standpoint, and that negligible benefit exists on paper: the EcoBoost motors have lagged behind their advertised fuel economy in many real-world situations.
Truck: | 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 2018 Ford F-150 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine: | 4.3L V-6 LV3 | 5.3L V-8 L83 | 5.3L V-8 L83 | 5.3L V-8 eAssist L8B | 6.2L V-8 L86 | 3.3L V-6 | 2.7L EcoBoost V-6 | 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 | 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 HO1 | 5.0L V-8 |
Aspiration: | A | A | A | A with eAssist | A | A | T | T | T | A |
Horsepower @ RPM: | 285 @ 5300 | 355 @ 5600 | 355 @ 5600 | 355 @ 5600 | 420 @ 5600 | 290 @ 6500 | 325 @ 5000 | 375 @ 5000 | 450 @ 5000 | 395 @ 5750 |
Torque @ RPM: | 305 @ 3900 | 383 @ 4100 | 383 @ 4100 | 383 @ 4100 | 460 @ 4100 | 265 @ 4000 | 400 @ 2750 | 470 @ 2500 | 510 @ 3500 | 400 @ 4500 |
Fuel Economy (city / hwy): | 18 / 24 | 16 / 23 | 16 / 22 | 18 / 24 | 15 / 21 | 19 / 25 | 20 / 26 | 18 / 25 | 15 / 181 | 17 / 23 |
Transmsison | 6-speed auto | 6-speed auto | 8-speed auto | 6-speed auto | 8-speed auto | 6-speed auto | 10-speed auto | 10-speed auto | 10-speed auto | 10-speed auto |
- Figures provided by General Motors and Ford Motor Company
- For the sake of simplicity, we used fuel economy numbers for 4×2 models (with one exception – see item 2 below)
- A – Atmospheric or Naturally Aspirated
- T – Turbocharged
- 1 – HO – High Output engine
- 2 – Available exclusively in the F-150 Raptor, which is available only as a 4×4 model
Does It Even Matter?
The way we see it, Chevy would do well to continue offering its EcoTec3 family of modern naturally-aspirated engines in the 2019 Silverado 1500, while adding a single turbo-charged six-cylinder motor to the 2019 Silverado engine lineup for those who want a smaller-displacement, boosted engine in their truck. It would seem that the engine Chevy should target the most with a new turbo-charged engine offering is Ford’s 2.7L EcoBoost V-6, which serves as a mid-range motor in the F-150 engine lineup.
Doing so would equip the Silverado to combat Ford’s ongoing efforts to make rival trucks with naturally-aspirated engines look outdated, expand Silverado engine choices and deliver a more economical Chevy truck, at least on paper… though with today’s low gas prices, we have to wonder if anyone will actually care.
About 2019Â Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet has gone on record in saying that the 2019 Silverado 1500 is the result of over 7,000 customer interviews – the most intensive research in its history. What’s more, the new truck has been confirmed to use “higher grade alloy steel” in the bed floor as well as various mixed materials that will result in a reduction in weight and improved performance. The truck will also offer an expanded amount of (eight) models (including the new 2019 Silverado Trailboss variant) with more engine/transmission combinations and more technology and convenience features.
We’ll know full details about the new Silverado at Chevy’s upcoming media event scheduled for January 13th, 2018 ahead of the 2018 North American International Auto Show. In the meantime, be sure to follow our Chevy Silverado news coverage.
[nggallery id=937]More Information &Â Resources
- Running GM sales results
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- Running Chevrolet Silverado sales results
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- GM incentives and offers
- Future GM vehicles
- GM Forum
Comments
The efficiency gap attributable to motor closes further, taking into account the neigh 500lb weight advantage Ford carries with the newer platform.
Total vehicle weight is only one of many factors when it comes to MPG…Going from a sticky summer only tire to a low rolling resistance tire can affect MPGs by well over 10%…
Well there should at least be a turbo diesel. Also you have a typo in your chart. 2015 Ford -> 2018 Ford
There will be a new turbo diesel engine ,a new TT six cylinder engine and more.
The 13th will be telling.
The average Truck buyer is typically not concerned about gas mileage. You don’t purchase a truck for gas mileage. You buy it for utility and purpose. Do you think someone who is pulling a 5th wheel or horse trailer is concerned about the fuel economy they are getting. I don’t believe so in most cases.
The fact is, 99% of truck owners don’t even tow a small boat or even haul landscape supplies, let alone pull a horse trailer. If that were the case low end trucks would be more popular, not trucks that ate nearing $100k
The “truck buyers don’t care about fuel mileage” argument has never made any sense to me. Of course truck buyers care about fuel mileage. Of course trucks aren’t going to get great fuel mileage compared to a car, so it might not be our number one concern, but in can definitely be a deciding factor when buying a truck. For example, if truck A averages 18 mpg and truck B averages 20 mpg, I’m going to seriously consider truck B, even if I’m typically loyal to the brand that builds truck A, because in the end of the day, truck B is going to save me a decent amount of money at the pump. This is even more true with businesses who run a large fleet of trucks. Small mpg increases add up to big savings in the long run.
So it is in GM’s best interest to squeeze as many MPGs out of these new trucks as they can, as it will make their trucks even more appealing to both the average consumer and the fleet operator. And given that the current trucks already get very good fuel mileage, there’s no reason why the new trucks shouldn’t lead the segment in fuel mileage.
Where to start…. First off lease a truck, don’t buy a truck, Chevy will be the best decision for you.
Ford – They are called Ecoboost … or actually Eco boom… If you ask any Ford technician they will pick the 5.0 because it is a better motor than the 2.7 and the 3.5. They also use “military grade” aluminum. If you know anything about metal, that is one of the lowest grade metals out there, but hey its light. Also the insurance for it is way more expensive than other trucks made of a real metal aka steel. It also takes twice the money and twice the time to fix aluminum. Don’t believe me? Look it up before all the Ford fan boys say its the best truck in the world because Matt Stafford drives one.
Ram – They are total pieces of crap. You buy one because you cannot afford a Ford or a GM truck. They are stuck in the 90’s and good luck with their electrical problems. But the good news of all of this is FCA is a great company and they are doing very well making money. They also have this so called Eco Diesel truck that gets great gas mileage. Too bad you couldn’t buy one because of emissions. They are almost VW when it comes to diesels.
My take away from all of this is you should buy a truck because you want that truck. If gas mileage is important buy a car with good gas mileage. not one that claims to have 25 mpg highway. GM makes the Bolt and Volt and Ford has the Cmax and Fusion Energy. I think Chrysler has the Pacifica Hybrid but that is just as bad as a Ram truck… Oh wait. Chrysler has the Fiat 500 which I can put in the back of my Silverado and not puncture the bottom of the bed like a Ford or rust away like a Ram…
Thank you
“My take away from all of this is you should buy a truck because you want that truck. If gas mileage is important buy a car with good gas mileage.”
Lets cut the crap. You should buy a truck because you NEED that truck. If you’re not a farmer, fisherman, or in the skilled trades, you have no reason to ‘want’ a pickup, or have any reason to drive one. Fuel economy won’t matter to those slackers in their pickup because they don’t use the truck for work; they only use it to haul their lazy butt around.
For those that need a truck to do their job and support their livelihood, you better believe that fuel economy is paramount, and no, a car will not do the same job. The higher the MPG, the more compelling a truck is, as annual fuel consumption rates per vehicle are easily the biggest cost for the vehicle for it’s operational lifespan. Not even annual commercial insurance will take as much out the total yearly earnings as much as fuel will.
The only reason truck MPG it isn’t important for you is that you don’t work for a living, nor do you use a truck as it was intended for.
Weekend trips to Home Depot and Starbucks don’t count.
If GM followed this logic, they’d certainly sell far less trucks…Far more important things to worry about other than how a pickup truck owner chooses to use their truck…
True. It’s also the preferred vehicle of short men. I tower over most guys who drive lifted diesel trucks, don’t know how they even get in the cab.
Sound like you are the MAN (boy) with the self-esteem issues
Your assessment of Ram is totally off and based on a lot of bad info. They have slowly but surely been creeping up and almost catching Chevy’s place in sales. I have a 4th gen Ram with zero issues and even if I do Mopar offers a lifetime warranty which nobody else can match. Ford builds a good truck too. You just don’t get better by shoveling dirt on the competition, you have got to make your product better.
The reality is that the companies are concerned about half ton MPG as the CAFE on them is going to some insane numbers soon.
The 3/4 ton and one ton have Lower numbers to meet.
The truck makers have gone to the mid size and have tried to entice people to the 3/4 tin trucks because of this.
It matters little to the customer till they get slapped with a hefty penalty for a gas guzzler tax.
Tony you have to consider all aspects not just a few. This is not a simple equation.
MPG has started to become an issue with buyers every time the gas prices jump $1.50 or more. Sales sag so any boost to mileage is a hedge to retain those sales when it spikes.
This is why the makers are spending billions of dollars on crazy things to make trucks lighter and efficient. They are not doing it just for fun.
Then we get to the Emissions issues. That will require smaller more efficient engines and DOHC heads to meet the future numbers from the EPA. Even if the present admin rolls back the numbers it will just buy time till another puts them back.
Once the truck loses 400 lbs, adds the 10 speed, is more aerodynamic and they add the dynamic skip fire we have been hearing about I bet they pick up at least 2mpg across the board, which is nothing to sneeze at.
5.3 needs a power boost. 375hp 395-400tq and it will be fine. I’m hoping for at least 440hp from the 6.2
I bet we see a 4.3 turbo or 4.3 supercharged too.
Actually, the 5.3 V-8 needs to beat the HP of the hemi and the ford 5.0. The 6.2 needs to beat the 3.5 High output of the ecoboost. GM needs to try and be number one for a change rather than just being in 2nd place in most categories.
That’s not the point of the 5.3. It’s a reliable engine that gets good gas mileage and has enough power. 400hp would be great, but it’s just not realistic unless they drop the 5.3 for a 5.7.
The 6.2 fills that gap and is still the best engine you can get in a half ton, it isn’t 2nd place to anything in a comparable product. Ram doesn’t even try to compete with it and Ford gets close worth the Ecoboost but falls short just about everywhere. The HO ecoboost outperforms it but is a different animal being available in only the Raptor.
The 5.3 is a great motor but GM should at least give it the same HP as Ford’s 5.0. The 6.2 is only offered in the higher trim models, which a lot of people can’t afford. Actually, Ram doesn’t need to compete with it because there 5.7 already has almost as much HP as the 6.2 and you can get the 5.7 in just about all of Ram’s trim levels. That’s why Ram trucks is getting close to knock out GM for 2nd place. I would like GM to actually be 1st place for a change.
The 6.2 needs to be offered in lower trim levels for sure. The Ram 5.7 is nowhere even close to the 6.2 though. Look at the performance numbers, acceleration loaded and unloaded. The 5.3 offers 95% of what the Ram offers and gets substantially better gas mileage. Some tests show the 5.3 ahead of the Hemi, but most put it .1 to .2 behind it. The Hemi is 1-1.3 seconds behind the 6.2 though.
I have no doubts a 375hp 5.3 would match the Hemi and 5.0 performance while still getter better mileage.
Most of my GM co-workers driving Silverado/GMC getting mileage less than my 2017 Ram Crew Cab and most of those bonus cabs. I’ve raced more than a few of them from stoplights and my 5.7 with 395hp, 3.92 rear end and 8 speed ZF transmission leaves them behind. Would have preferred to buy a GM truck but got this one with far more features I like for less money. So far totally trouble free. Just because I work for GM doesn’t mean I’m going to blindly buy “The Man’s” product!
So far every rental 4 door 4X4 Ram with the 5.7 and 8 speed and std 3.21 gears has been slower than the Silverado 4X4 4 door with the 5.3 V8 and 6 speed and either 3.08 or 3.42 rear axle. The GM products have also gotten 1-2 better highway MPG. Their never has been a 3.92 Ram on the rental lots but I would suspect with that ratio it would for sure edge out a 3.08 SIlverado 5.3 in a race.
Integrating a Delphi 48-volt mild hybrid module would boost fuel efficiency by 10-15 percent, reduce CO2 emissions by 25 percent.
https://www.delphi.com/innovations/48-volt-mild-hybrid
The eAssist improves MPGs by 13% and the whole development of it is years old so perhaps with some newer technology they can increase the MPGs gains even more…It’s $500 MSRP, only offered on V8, would be great to have it a standalone option on the base engine as often they’re the home depot weekend warriors who care about MPG more than max towing…
Yes Turbo’s Diesel for sure and TTV6 and a TTV8 ZR2
I personally would like to see a 3.0-3.6 inline 6 single Turbo gasoline engine on regular gas could be a beast/reliable/good torque. One can dream though I will take a v6 as well.
current engines should be revised with Dual Injection like the LT5.
6.2 430/480
5.3 375/400
4.3 300/315
3.x diesel aimed at efficiency/torque
small turbo gas v6 as another mid range high volume engine to battle ford with the eco boost. maybe like 430 lb ft
also have to remember the ram is apparently getting a TT version of their V6 along with a revised 5.7.
GM needs to advance and update their current offerings while adding more options to have at least something that both other trucks offer. the more they offer the less people will cross shop. the 10 speed needs to be widely available too. it will definitely help in fuel efficiency/refinement. offer 8 speed on fleet/work trucks.
Detuned Duramax with 10spd in the half ton would kick Ford in the ass. Also get that 6.2 in the 3/4 ton!
Try hand calculating that gas mileage. When pickup trucks did their testing, twice it showed the actual gas mileage was a lot less than computer indicated. 6mpg less IIRC. I guarantee you won’t be close to a same year 5.3 truck in mileage.
If you’re racing a 3.92 geared truck vs 3.08 gears I can see that. The Hemi does have the edge against the small GM v8, but obviously the packages need to line up.
A crew cab 4wd 6.2 truck, with 3.23 gears will run a 14.1 in the quarter and do it bouncing off it’s 98mph speed limiter. The 3.92 geared crew Ram would be low 15s at around 92mph. Not even close.
New:: TT 4.2 liter Diesel V6 engine, New:: TT 3.0 liter inline 6 cylinder engine, New/Upgrade Hybrid system with a Four cylinder engine, New:: TT DOHC 4.2 liter V8 engine and TT DOHC V8 engine 5.5 liter. There will be more new engines options coming.
My hope is that we will be able to get the 6.2 motor with a reg cab short bed truck.
I think GM should have a 3.0L & 3.6L turbocharged V6s to challenge Ford’s EcoBoost V6s. The V8s should only be for 2500 & 3500 series trucks. Also I bet the 10 speed auto will be standard across the lineup.
Tom, why would you want to only have the V-8’s available in just the 2500 and 3500 series only?? That doesn’t make any sense at all.
I think that a 4.x Diesel is the best engine that GM needs to offer. It would have a high tow rating and provide good gas mileage. The Ford and Ram Diesels are to small and don’t provide a high enough tow rating.