The all-new 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the turbocharged four-cylinder is shipping to dealerships as we speak. The first-drive event is happening this week in Arizona, but the driving impressions are embargoed until Nov 19th, 2018. What is there to do but take a very in-depth look at the truck and the new engine.
2019 Chevy Silverado 1500
Chevrolet is positioning the all-new 2.7L turbocharged I-4 engine as more of an entry-level power-plant for the mid-grade of the Silverado truck lineup. We are talking volume sellers such as the LT and RST models.
The new turbo gas engine is rated at 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpm. It’s a high-tech piece of engineering as it has variable valve lift, cylinder deactivation, dual-volute turbocharger system, and a new electrically-control thermal system (electrically driven “water pump”). Chevrolet says this engine has undergone the same strenuous truck engine development and testing procedures as the other engines in the lineup 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and the 6.2L V8.
Chevrolet says the 2.7L turbo in the new truck is capable of pushing the truck 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds (which is one second quicker than the outgoing truck with the 4.3L V6). This is also helped by the lighter curb weight of the new truck. Chevy says the new turbo truck weighs about 380 lbs less than a comparable previous generation truck.
Pricing
This engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the starting price for a new Silverado 1500 LT quad-cab 2WD is $38,395 (including destination). If you get the RST model with its monochromatic look and 20-inch rims, the price goes up by $1,900. If you want to step up to a crew cab RST with a longer (regular bed) and 4×4, then the starting price goes up to $46,295.
The quad-cab 4×4 LT truck you see pictured here (with the All-Star Edition and Safety Package I) has an MSRP of $44,900.
Towing & Payload
The 2.7-liter has a maximum tow rating of 7,200 lbs for a two-wheel-drive truck. That’s including the 3.42 rear axle ratio for this engine/transmission combination. The 4×4 quad cab LT you see here has a towing rating of 6,700 lbs. This engine combination does not provide a great amount of towing capability. If you want or need to tow more, then the 5.3L V8 is the better choice, but the V8 costs an additional $1,400.
When asked, Chevrolet engineering says that the towing capacity it limited by the overall cooling capacity of the radiators as it relates to the J2807 towing testing.
Maximum payload in a 2WD truck is 2,280 lbs, and the 4×4 LT in this review has 2,011 lbs of payload capacity. This is a significant amount of payload for any 4×4 half-ton truck.
Fuel Efficiency
The turbocharged engine is EPA rated at 23 MPG on the highway for the 2WD and 22 MPG on the highway for the 4×4 version. These are not class-leading numbers. Ford’s and Ram’s base engine have higher ratings. We will have to reserve final judgement until we test this truck/engine in Colorado on our own highway MPG loop.
Chevrolet offers a 24 gallon fuel tank across the board for all current Silverado 1500 cab configurations. This is the smallest available fuel tank size in the segment.
Styling
The turbo Silverado does not have any badging or other exterior identifiers to let you know that there is a turbocharged engine under the hood. The LT trim includes a chrome grille, mirror caps, and some other chrome trim pieces. The RST is a more sporty looking painted grille look that also offers 20-inch rims instead of 17-inch ones on the LT.
