The 2.7-liter turbo is potent and efficient — but not widely available at the moment.
GM Authority reports that GM is currently paring down the four-pot’s availability to just two trims, instead of the five on which you could normally spec the engine for the 2021 model year. While the automaker has not officially stated a reason for doing that, it’s likely the chip shortage is the culprit. For its part, General Motors has to prioritize certain configurations, using its limited supply where it gets the most effective results. Earlier this year, we covered the decision to drop AFM and DFM modules from Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. This news more or less is a continuation of that saga, as semiconductors are still in massive demand and relatively short supply.
Normally, the ‘L3B’ engine would be available on WT, Custom, LT, LT “2FL” and RST trims. Right now, as GM Authority learned, you can only spec the 2.7-liter engine on the Custom and LT 2FL trims. The LT 2FL is a Double Cab 4WD and Crew Cab Short Bed 4WD option that shuffles some of the options between LT and RST, while not offering some of features that are available on the standard LT, like the Z71 towing package or Max Trailering Package.
It’s not clear exactly how long it will go on, but we’ll likely continue to see stories of this nature until supply chain issues ease. GM is working on an updated Silverado 1500 — a “mid-cycle enhancement” — but we likely will not see that on dealer lots until later next year.
