The GM turbo LTG engine made its debut in the 2013-model-year Cadillac ATS and Chevrolet Malibu. Offered as part of the the automaker’s large-displacement four-cylinder Ecotec engine family, the LTG features dual overhead camshafts, Spark Ignited Direct Injection fueling, a cast-aluminum block and head, a steel crank, and a forged powdered metal connecting rods. Now, however, this four-banger is on its way out the door, and is only offered in the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Malibu.
The GM turbo 2.0L I4 LTG engine
The GM turbo 2.0L I4 LTG engine is offered as standard equipment in the Camaro, while in the Malibu, it’s an optional up-level powerplant. The LTG was also recently discontinued in the Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Terrain.
With the LTG’s departure, General Motors is now phasing in the newer turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY. First announced for the 2019 Cadillac XT4 in 2018, the LSY can now be found in a variety of products, including every Cadillac sedan and crossover model.
For reference, the GM turbo LSY engine is offered as the base-level powerplant for the Cadillac CT4, the Cadillac CT5, the Chinese-market Cadillac CT6, the Cadillac XT4, the Cadillac XT5, and the Cadillac XT6.
The LSY is also offered in the GMC Acadia and the Chevy Blazer as a bridge between the base-level 2.5L I4 LCV, and the higher-end 3.6L V6 LGX.
GM turbo 2.0L I4 LSY
Interestingly, the newer turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY actually makes less power than the older GM turbo 2.0L I4 LTG which it’s replacing. The reason behind this is that the LSY was developed to be more refined and to run cleaner with fewer emissions per the latest, more-stringent emissions standards set in the U.S. and China.
For the sake of the comparison, the LTG produced 272 horsepower and 260 (2013 and 2014 model years) to 295 (2015 model year onward) pound-feet of torque in the Cadillac ATS, whereas the LSY produces 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in the 2020 Cadillac CT5. The LTG currently develops 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet in the Malibu, 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet in the Camaro.
Cadillac CT5 with GM turbo 2.0L I4 LSY engine
The LTG is produced at the GM Tonawanda facility in New York. However, it was previously produced in Spring Hill, Tennessee, but now, this facility produces the LSY instead.
Which engine do you prefer – the more-powerful LTG, or the more refined and cleaner LSY? Let us know by voting in the poll, and subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet Camaro news, Chevrolet Malibu news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Camaro and Malibu better get the hint! Putting phased out engines into their vehicles. The end is near.
@Howard. Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but from what I read and what I know in the past, this is not an engine they just started putting in the Camaro and Malibu. They have been using it in those two cars for several years now and will most likely take it out of them and start using the newer one instead.
Camaro is done (or at least on hiatus) after 2023, and Malibu’s future is in doubt, so I don’t see GM spending the extra resources for implementing an engine change in either model…especially Camaro. I can’t see money being spent on adding the 2.7T to Camaro, either. LTG will likely be in both until the bitter end, or dropped as an option in the Malibu for its last 1-2 years of production.
That said, I sure hope they find a way to wring some more power out of the LSY. The rest of the GM showroom needs it!
Says the Mustang owner.
I bet there is a lot more power available in the LSY than what is coming out of the factory
Watch some reviews on the new LSY, more specifically in the CT4. It sounds rough when pushed. Not smooth.
It baffles me why Cadillac’s base engines weaker than before… I guess this explains it.
The LSY sounds worse than LTG.
They both should have went away for the 2.7T !
100%
I have a ’20 Buick Envsion with the LTG engine and love the power. It produces 295 ft lb of torque. Very quick acceleration. In fact 0-60 times of 6.5 seconds best in GM compact class SUV’s. Vehicle weighs 4100 lb.plus so that time very impressive. Buick will replace the LTG in the all new 2021 Envision with the LSY and it will be a dog. In GM eyes nowadays it is all about fuel economy and emissions. Just think the new Trailblazer is a puny 3-cylinder engine. That is why the Camaro is doomed, brings down corporate fuel economy.
I have never driven a 2.0t that felt as fast as the specs reported. Regal turbo, verano turbo… The 3.6 was a huge improvement.
The 2.0 just needs to disappear.
My 2019 Camaro with the 2.0L Turbo LTG pulls from 0-60mph in 5.4s in real world conditions ad factory all season tires. Exactly as GM claimed. Every single time i hit the gas with the automatic, its 5.4s. GM doesnt lie… when it comes to the Camaro at least.
I don’t mind 4 cylinder engines, but I want a 6 or 8 cylinder option. If they want to limit their emissions, fine but don’t make me choose between power and emissions because I will alway choose power.
The worst car ever. I wouldn’t recommended this car under any circumstance. I had one from 2019 and It was all the time in service due to engine light on since 3 months Old
Okay I get it, you own a Mustang.
The worst car ever , I wouldn’t recommended under any circumstances. I had one from 2019 It was in service all the time due to engine light on for no reason. I have to change it for a Toyota and of course It’s so much better . Chevy doesn’t have a good costumer service and my requesting never got an answer from them. Malibu is all the time having issues
No one realizes that they pretty much split the old 2.0 between the new 2.0 and 2.7. Other countries don’t care about power as much as the u.s. So the 2.7 is more of an American engine. I’ll just be glad when GM finally drops the 4.3 now that the 2.7 is here. Tbh, the high output 2.7 could replace the 5.3, but buyers would be skeptical. But they could in turn make more 6.2s.
You don’t understand how reliable the 4.3 V6 engine is and how many millions of fleet trucks use it. We ran a small fleet of 30 Chev taxicabs with that engine a few years ago. We ordered 8 new cars a year, with one as a backup, in case of a write off. They were the special order taxi package which only got built every 3 months. At that time, the police version with the 4.3 V6 and the police version with the 350, 5.7 liter V8, both got the same transmission with a 2.5 to one ratio torque converter. This allowed faster acceleration from a standing start. We ran only on propane which is 104 octane. We put from 750,000 km ( 457,000 miles) to 850,000 km ( 520,000 miles ) on them in 5 years. We never had an issue wth them, because they were the truck version of the 4.3 V6, which had better valve springs, cam, oil pumps, power steering coolers etc, than the same engine used in normal passenger Chev Caprice cars. Every older mechanic can fix these in their sleep. Remember the turbo 4.3 V6 in the GMC Typhoon? Beat the pants off most V8 cars. That’s why this engine will be around for a few more years. It’s also an industrial engine as well as a marine engine, rebranded by many other famous names, such Mercury Marine, Volvo Penta and others. Farmers use it as a power plant to pump water, running on LPG propane. Remember the 4.3 is just a 350 V8 with 2 cylinders chopped off.
I had a 4.3 Vortec in my 1994 Sonoma Highrider same as the ZR2 with 195 hp 225 tq and gotta say…loved the truck. Single cab and wore BF Goodrich. For hp/tq rating, it was a beast. Best in its class for 4 yrs. Just needed to keep the spider fuel lines clean in the intake housing. Other than that, outstanding truck. Got caught in a snow storm, almost a white out from Jefferson City Mo to St. Louis Mo when all said and done, close to 11″ on I-70. Put her in 4HI and maintained 35-40 mph. Typical 2.5 hr drive turned into 5 hrs…. made though. Typical stories for the truck. Got caught in hailstorm in Springfield Mo at Bass Pro and not a ding. Supposedly, the body was hail proof per GM… I guess so… My job required I drive in 8 states. Best freaking truck. I now have a v8 09 Colorado. Not as tuff though…but not doing the same job either… RIP 4.3
Yeah we know, you’re a Ford guy.
GM has lost its way. Bet everything in electric vehicles nobody wants…
Russia, Europe, Thailand, Australia… what is the next market GM will exit just because it isn’t competent enough?
Improve the Camaro, the Bu? Not! Just kill them. The Trax? What about a new nameplat instead? A Bronco-rival? Who cares if the blue-oval car reached 230,000 reservations, yup?
I’ve been a GM loyalist but the future seems blurry.
Great news, Ford will be featured in next years gay and lesbian mardi gras. Ford is releasing an updated version of the Mustang and it will be calling the Poontang. It will be shown in the parade with a drag demonstration. Make sure you bend over for this one.
The future ain’t what it used to be.
The LSY engine is another compromise forced upon us because of China mainly and there ultra strict emission rules for 2020 onward. So naturally GM takes the cheap way out and does the one for all program and is killing off the more powerful and arguably quieter LTG engine. The LSY does seem to be a little more efficient but when you have a loss of power and torque like this it’s not surprising.
My guess is that the Malibu will soldier on for another 2 model years with the last one geared to fleets and 1.5T only. The Camaro may keep the LTG until the last year 2023 with stock piled 2.0T engines but they will probably be slim on the ground by that year or deleted with a drastically reduced lineup. Sad times!
No one wants less power and torque for more money performance still sells in my circles technology is supposed to improve future product lines not choke them
I owned a 13 Malibu with the LTG. I also had a 19 XT4 with the LSY. Hands down the LTG was the better engine. This was my first GM 4 cylinder and I was shocked at how smooth and quite the engine was. You could not even hear it until it it was over 4000 rpms. The LSY was ruff and loud. At 2500 rpms it sounds ruff. Plus the power differences. The LSY is not fit for a Caddy.
I had 2014 ATS with 272hp 295 ft tq, right of the box I was beating every 2.0 turbo on the market. Test & tune, I was in the 13’s. Had an HP tune and a down pipe added, and a CAI. Heck I even took v6s and some v8s and the look on their faces were priceless. A friend of mine had a HP tune on the ATS-v v6 twin turbo model has hitting in the 11 sec range. Dam fast for 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Never had any issues. The main issues for the LTG, oil back in the airbox causing issues with the smog sensors and the dash lights. Added a catch can and never saw another light.
yup my 19 Camaro has the 2.0L LTG, 275hp 295ftlbs torque. Beautiful engine. 0-60mph in 5.4s out of the box stock. I love the LTG, this new LSY looks like trash. Less hp and less torque….. My Camaro was getting 22city 31 highway MPG. This new LSY does about the same. So in reality you didnt save much on gas, you just lost a bunch of hp and torque. This new LSY engine makes me mad, because I love GM, and I hate seeing bullshit like this.
The problem with the 2.0 is premium gas. Love the power not the extra fuel cost.
If you use only full 100 percent synthetic engine oil, you can get by on just mid grade gas, instead of premium. The synthetic oil let’s it operate cooler, so the 89 octane stuff will suffice and make equal power to premium gas without the synthetic oil. Or save money on fuel and just try to use only E15 or E85 gas.
I used to drive a 2009 Toyota Camry with a 2.5L naturally aspirated 4cyl. That car costed about $20 a week for gas, using 87 octane. Now I drive a 2019 Camaro with the 2.0L Turbo, which uses 93/94 premium fuel. I spend $20 a week on gas for my Camaro even though premium gas costs more. And I still drive the same distance to work everyday. You should look at weekly/monthly cost not just the cost of fuel per litre.
Great news, Ford will be featured in next years gay and lesbian mardi gras. Ford is releasing an updated version of the Mustang and it will be calling it the Poontang. It will be shown in the parade with a drag demonstration. Make sure you bend over for this one.
I’m a GM guy that doesn’t hate Ford. I would buy a GM or Ford before I ever buy a Japanese car.
Since 2015 the LTG produced 295 lb-ft torque in the ATS. It only made 260 lb-ft for the first two years of production.
Maybe GM will up the LSY’s output similarly after a couple years.
Perhaps the LSY doesn’t have piston rings failures like the LTG did, at least that’s all I’ve read about the LTG.. caddys ATS going thru 2 or 3 engines. Idk if GM fixed this issue on the 2016-up camaro. Any thoughts?
My 2014 ATS is currently getting the second set of pistons installed right now… have been without the vehicle now for a month and a half. Piston failure in LTG motor. 84k miles