Chevrolet put a 4-Cylinder into the Silverado 1500 for the same reason that everyone has been moving to smaller displacement turbocharged engines: government fuel economy standards. As the price of fuel ratchets up we need to squeeze more out of every gallon: enter forced induction.
The 2.7L 4-cylinder can be an epically frugal engine despite pushing out 310hp and 348ft/lbs torque. It pretty easily averaged lower-mid 20s in highway cruising at 65 mph thanks to its clever 8 speed automatic transmission that keeps the RPM low, while also keeping you nestled nicely in the power band. Its also quite a bit lighter than a 5.3L V8 equipped Silverado, and weirdly the place you notice this most is in the handling. A lighter truck also means better fuel economy because it doesnt have to work as hard.
Is the 2.7L Turbo Silverado 1500 good for towing?Yes, the 2.7L Turbocharged Silverado 1500 can tow up to 7,000 lbs in Crew Cab, Standard box 4WD configuration. The 2022 High Output 2.7L equipped Silverado 1500 can tow an astonishing 9,000 lbs in Crew Cab, Standard Bed, 4WD configuration. With a smooth and robust power band, we argue that it is very good for towing small trailers, smaller boats, jet skis, and tow dollied vehicles under the maximum payload capacity.
The long term results are not in yet because this is a fairly new engine and we dont know anyone towing for a living with a 4-cylinder Silverado. Typically for bigger/more sustained towing operations customers opt for the 5.3L V8.
How many Miles will a Silverado 1500 L3B 2.7L Engine Last?We tested examples at 10k miles, 25k miles, and 35k miles with no discernible difference in performance. With modern engine tolerances, oils, and maintenance schedules many engines have little trouble making it to 250k miles with routine maintenance and replacement of certain wear items on the engine such as belts, guides, hoses, pulleys and pumps.
What problems does the 2.7L Silverado have?One of the problems with high-compression, turbocharged engines is their need for premium, or higher octane fuel than their naturally aspirated brethren. *Turns out, the 2.7L doesn't have that problem at least according to GM. The second problem with turbocharged engines is that they are only as fuel efficient as you want them to be. If you are using heavy throttle movements your fuel economy can actually be worse than with a naturally aspirated V8 in this configuration.
When you are making those phenomenal turbo noises, youre not being super efficient. However, with some clever hypermiling behind a dump truck, making sure that the tires are properly inflated, and using premium fuel we sustained 28.9 mpg highway on an economy run.
*EDIT* Thank you Anastasios for the correction!
Is the 2.7L Silverado 1500 a good truck?With a great ride quality, a host of connectivity features for both media and communications, respectable towing figures, and better than expected fuel economy when youre not driving hard; we can say that the 2.7L Silverado 1500 is a good truck for what most people use trucks for. The negative of the uninspiring noise is immediately canceled out when you get on the throttle and the turbocharger drowns out the clatter with a flurry of boost and induction noise. If you do a lot of towing or plowing, you might want to steer more toward the 5.3L V8 just because it is such a well-proven platform, but time will tell if these applications can be tackled by the clever 2.7L.
The High Output 2.7L on the 2022 Silverado 1500s is noticeably more powerful with a whopping 420 ft/lbs of torque, but because most of them have been sold before they get here we havent had the chance to do real world fuel economy tests. This High Output 2.7L turbocharged Silverado 1500 took a bunch of engine components off of the 3.0L Duramax engine to make it able to sustain the kinds of boost this thing makes. It is a thoroughly impressive engine that seems to have boost right from the word GO! And go, it does!
The overall verdict on the 2.7L Turbocharged Silverado 1500 is a solid truck that completely renders the 4.3L V6 obsolete in everything but the durability category, and only because we dont have the data on the 2.7L long-term. We used several trucks for our test drive sample in a variety of driving environments. From the construction choked East End of Rochester, to the wide open rolling expanse of RT 104 all the way to Oswego, the 2.7L Silverado 1500 was at home in any type of driving, and the connectivity features made all of the commutes a joy. The fact that I didnt have to fill up every other day was a welcome addition, as truck stuff still needs to get done even when gas is $5 a gallon. If you really hate the way it sounds that much, put an aftermarket exhaust on it or always have your foot in the throttle!