Earlier this month, GM Authority was first to report that General Motors is developing a new, 6.6L V8 gasoline engine for its upcoming Heavy Duty and Medium Duty pickup trucks. Now, we have learned from sources that the new motor will also be introduced on the 2020 Chevrolet Low Cab Forward (LCF) 6500 series truck as well as its Isuzu F Series variant.
The Engine
According to sources familiar with future GM product plans, the automaker is working on a new 6.6L V8 gasoline engine. We’ve been told that the motor will be a bigger and burlier variant of its current, range-topping, fifth-gen Small Block engine – the 6.2L V8 L87 with optimization for heavy duty use.
Unlike the Vortec 6.0L V8 L96 engine it replaces, the new powerplant is expected to make around 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque while featuring the latest technologies, including direct injection, Cylinder Deactivation (in either AFM or DFM guise), and a low-friction valvetrain.
Low Cab Forward
As part of a deal struck by Isuzu and GM in 2015, the former supplies the latter with rebadged versions of its Isuzu F Series cab-over truck. GM, in turn, sells the vehicles as the Chevrolet Low Cab Forward (LCF) 4500XD, 5500XD and 6500XD. From what we understand as of this writing, GM will make the new 6.6L V8 motor and supply it to Isuzu to offer in the Chevy LCF 6500 series as well as the Isuzu F Series, both of which are range-topping variants of each respective model.
Expected GM 6.6L V8 | Isuzu 5.2L I4 | |
---|---|---|
Fuel | Gasoline | Diesel |
Aspiration | Atmospheric | Turbo |
Horsepower: | 400 | 215 |
Torque: | 450 | 520 |
Currently, the Chevy LCF 6500XD and Isuzu F-Series are powered by Isuzu’s inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine displacing 5.2 liters and making 215 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque. By comparison, GM’s new 6.6L V8 gasoline motor is expected to make about twice the horsepower but roughly 70 less pound-feet of torque.
The 2020 Chevy Low Cab Forward models are also expected to bring about a handful of minor updates, improvements, and changes. Stay tuned to GM Authority as we report on these shortly.
Comments
Awful cab design to have to climb in and out of all day on a busy delivery route. A decent conventional with large steps under the door are much better day after day.
Cab overs run circles around conventionals in maneuverability making them much quicker in congested environments.
Curious to how that Isuzu 5.2L would perform in the Silverado and Sierra!
The novelty of a cabover wears off quickly when you have to climb in and out umpteen times a day, whether it is a low cab forward or a regular cabover, I’ve driven both.
It’s made for young guys to climb in and out of. A conventional tractor would be better if they had one more step. For us guys with old man knees.
Hino has had Isuzu beat for decades in the cabover market. I worked on both, I’ve seen it firsthand.
I agree with you