Engine technology has come a long way over the years, with modern powerplants exceeding in all areas compared to engines of the past, whether its efficiency, packaging, NVH, or performance. That includes GM’s turbocharged 1.3L I3 L3T gasoline engine, which was recently recognized as one of the Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2021.
Equipped by the 2021 and newer Chevy Trailblazer crossover, as well as the 2020 and newer Buick Encore GX crossover, Ward’s Auto describes the three-cylinder L3T as “the little engine that could,” making its way onto the organization’s 10 Best Engines list “through a combination of technology, tidy sizing and torquey response.”
Output is rated at 155 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 174 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm, which means the L3T boasts a specific output of 116 horsepower per liter. As such, the L3T has greater specific output than the 6.2L V8 LT2 equipped in the mid-engine Chevy Corvette C8 – 37 horsepower per liter greater, to be exact.
Of course, as Ward’s Auto points out, the LT2 is still a great engine, making the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list last year. Nevertheless, 116 horsepower per liter is worthy of recognition all the same.
Standout features include all-aluminum construction, double overhead cams, and a single-scroll turbocharger connected to a head-integrated exhaust manifold. The L3T also comes with direct injection, as well as intake and exhaust cam phasing, plus a 12-volt engine stop/start system to boost fuel economy.
Speaking of which, the L3T is rated at 29 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined when mounted under the hood of the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer and hooked up to front-wheel drive. Add in the optional all-wheel drive, and those figures drop slightly to 26 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. To note, the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer has slightly improved fuel economy figures compared to equivalent 2021 model year vehicles.
“Most people behind the wheel would never know there’s only three cylinders doing the work,” says Ward’s Auto editor Tom Murphy. “The engine seals the deal. It’s fun to discover a great engine in a high-volume, affordable, mainstream vehicle that seats at least four passengers comfortably, with cargo room to spare.”
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Comments
Great news again for the Encore GX and Trailblazer. Just the other day they both received top safety pick + for both cars. Now this little engine getting a great award. I recall the mighty 3800 Buick V6 on that list for many years.
So this should make a few on GMA take a moment to pause before they start to bash this engine. The part I like the most?
“the L3T has greater specific output than the 6.2L V8 LT2 equipped in the mid-engine Chevy Corvette C8 – 37 horsepower per liter greater, to be exact.”
Let’s see what comments this article gets.
Put some boost on the LT2 and see what happens to that apples and oranges comparison.
How does it stack up against the LT5?
Good question.
Easily calculated. 755/6.2=121hp/L. So a tad higher.
1.4T is a POS. I would give it 5 years to srampnel itself like the 1.4 before giving it any reward
I’ve been running around in my 2018 Chevy Cruze hatch and haven’t had a single issue with my engine. The 1.2 on the other hand was a POS when i had my 2015 Chevy spark. Makes me wonder if this “new” 1.2 they have in the newer models is just the same old crappy engine from back then, or if Chevy took the time to fix the issues. Either way, I don’t understand why they’re putting a smaller, and weaker, engine in a crossover.
What’s it matter what other people say? You have your own opinion they have there’s.
The article says the 1.3t paired with the 9spd has low NHV, which was not what I experienced in my test drive. Also, mentioned good MPG ratings, which is funny because there are 4 cylinders motors that have similar fuel economy. The best feature, perhaps the only redeeming one in my opinion, the electronic wastegate wasn’t even mentioned. Hard to call it a great motor so early in it’s life… If there are still a bunch on the road at 200k I guess they’ll be right. For some reason I doubt this aluminum Shanghai engineered 3 pot will stand the test of time as well as iron block 4 cylinders.
They need to put some emojis in this blog. You get a big fat thumbs up for that.
It’s no secret that turbos guzzle fuel. 33 is what I get with my old port injected 2.2 ecotech, and less than the 2012 malibues with the 2.5L and VVL. What’s great about this engine is I can image at it’s size, it probably cost less than many engines. Be an interesting study to compare howany miles it would take for the fuel savings of a larger NA engine to make sense.
Depends on how the turbo is tuned.
If you have a high boost turbo with lag, kicking in around 3,5k RPM, so long you stay below that, there’s no reason a turbo engine would consume much more than a regular engine.
I’ve got a Buick Encore GX with FWD and CVT transmission. I was very apprehensive about this combination until driving. On the highway I can get 35 mpg and I’m getting over 32 mpg overall. Mine feels like the 0-60 time is more around 8 seconds. With ample torque it seems to have good power at speeds where you need it. It is quite and smooth especially over 30 mph. At low speeds It does seem to have the sound and sensation that are common with 3 cyclinder engines. Thus far I am very satisfied with the engine and looking forward to reliable years of operation. We will see how it holds up in the long run.
I’ll say the same thing about any other engine under 2.0L…
***Nobody cares***
Lol, in all seriousness. 155hp is, and will always be, pedestrian. No matter how small of a car you put it in. Especially in today’s age of huge crumple zones and heavy reinforcement, therefore heavy cars.
Unfortunately now the pedestrian comes along with much less power potential for those who might ever want to modify their vehicles. 1.3l will never be impressive, even if you do crank the boost to 30 psi.
You used to at least be able to slap a turbo on a 2.0l and have some fun. No more, no more.
Also, get that damn 4 banger out of my pickup. At least Ford had the good sense to make Thiers a V6. 4 cyls sound horrendous.
Sad to see the fall of everything I liked about GM.
You are forgetting the Asians which sell more cars with smaller engines than 2.0 L in the U.S. than all the cars that domestics sell with bigger engines. Buyers want to drive and save money, so they buy what is cheaper to run. By 2035 there will be no more new gas burners on sale since everyone will sell electrics, which burn no fuel and are cheaper to run, yet have more torque and faster acceleration than any gas engine. That is why Tesla is so successful. So go drown yourself in gasoline if you don’t want to drive an electric in your future.
I have a Ford Mustang Mach-E reservation and my next electric for 2025 is either the Cadillac Lyriq or the Lincoln Mark E.
You are sadly forgetting that the more pure-electric cars are on the road, the greater the demand is going to be for electrical power to be generated by the utility companies, and if they can’t handle it, we’re all going to be sitting in brownouts or blackouts. The politicians don’t think about these things when they make silly rules banning or phasing out ICEs.
I really like my pedestrian car. Unfortunately there are too many bad mouthing individuals that don’t even have the car giving know it all comments, but I’ve had no issues for over 15 months now.
We’ll see how a tiny, high compression aluminum engine does after 50k miles. Perky indeed until you blow the head gasket.
Drive it sensibly and you probably won’t blow the gasket.
Too bad this doesn’t really translate to reality. Performance is mild, even with this higher output 1.3 engine with 0-60 times on the wrong side of 9 seconds. The sound of these 3 pots isn’t pleasing and only 30 highway on a vehicle this size, with 3 cylinders and the new 9 speed. How is it that others are getting 33-34 highway in larger sized CUV’s with larger 4 cylinder engines? Sorry but I’m not that impressed and don’t understand why Wards should be.
I’m actually getting 42MPG between 65 and 80MPH on my Ford Fusion Hybrid (with only the engine running, no electric aide). It does use a 2.0 atkinson engine, and sometimes revs as low as 1.3k RPM at 70MPH, and reaches 50MPG, but that’s more of an electrical anomaly. The engine isn’t supposed to rev that low at those speeds.
My wife gets 32-35 with a 3.5L medium size crossover with a CVT. I get 42 on my Camry commuter with a 2.5L and 8 spd going 80 mph. The mileage for this tiny thing w 3 cylinder and CVT is very pedestrian.
Am thinking about if other GM engines use the same technology. The 1.4 four cylinder could make easily more than 160 hp, a 2.0 more than 300 hp, V6 and V8 could get huge amounts oh hp and torque and it would be cool.
Man,
My chevy eco 1.4l 4 cylinder turbo, which had roughly the same performance, was a slug on the economy sedan car!
I can’t imagine putting this engine in anything else but an economy hatchback. All the other cars will need 1.5 to 2x more power.
I used to get a hard time for driving a big block car. All I heard was “bet it will pass everything but a gas station “. Will the same be said of the electric cars. “ I bet it will pass everything but a charging station “. lol
What about the 2.0 liter in the cobalt? 260hp. Does that come out to 130hp per liter?
I’d love to see this in a US Monza/Cavalier as a base powerplant or a hot-hatch Spark.
When the Trailblazer and Encore GX first debuted early in 2020, I was a little concerned, too, about a small turbo three. But I have the 1.3L in my Encore GX and am very satisfied with it. It makes a slight growling noise accelerating a low speeds, but the Buick Quiet Tuning helps cover up most of the noise. If this is the gas-engine of the future, I can easily live with it….particularly in a small light crossover like the GX.
I’ll also add that IMO, the 1.3T is the engine that the regular Encore (non-GX version) should have gotten several years ago if possible. That 1.4T in the original Encore was a joke. We may also see the 1.3T on the new GEM-platform Encore, currently being sold in China, that could (?) be debuting here, although GM has not announced a firm date for its release in the American-market.
I’ve broken way too many Chinese sunglasses, plumbing fittings and too many other things to name to think they can manufacture a decent 3(!) cylinder engine. No thanks.
2 years later…..survey says?
GM bought, rebadged Chinese Cherry junk automobiles. That 3 cylinder has to be as fun as pushing a Hot Wheel car on the table top pretending you’re driving something powerful and nice. GM shows 900 hp v8 nascars, but you can only buy the cheapest thing we can make 8x’s profit on! Everything I want to buy or is cool, I can’t afford. Everything I can afford, I’d rather buy a 20 year old car.
I remember the 348,the 409 and the big block era. All through the 70 and 80’s I replaced my “new” smog engines with my own creation. I never had a slow Chevrolet. But now in my golden years I find it hard to get my kicks with a 3 cylinder car. I still have a few extra big blocks. Thought about trying to put one in the wife’s Cruz but she threatened me with bodily harm. Lol