Six-cylinder engines are fast becoming the new darling of the full-size truck segment, so it’s no surprise that General Motors’ latest generation of trucks takes a worthwhile look at such a power train.
The
automaker announced fuel economy ratings for its Chevrolet Silverado
and GMC Sierra trucks Wednesday. The base 4.3-liter V-6 engine will get
18/24 mpg in city/highway driving for rear-wheel-drive models.
All-wheel-drive models will get 17/22 mpg city/highway.
While
those figures are commendable for a full-size truck that can tow up to
7,200 pounds, they’re not markedly different from GM’s competitors. Only
the city figure for the all-wheel-drive model is class-leading, and
that’s only by a single mile per gallon.
GM’s
V-6 models are aimed at rivals like Ford’s F-150 with the optional
EcoBoost turbocharged V-6, and Ram’s 1500 V6. It’s Ford that is largely
credited with initiating the fight for fuel efficiency in full-size
trucks, when it launched the EcoBoost model in 2010.
In
addition to smaller engines becoming more common, automakers are also
expanding their lineup of high-dollar trucks, which can easily pass the
$50,000 mark. We recently spent some time getting to know a V-6 Sierra
1500 2WD Crew Cab SLE that was priced at a relatively reasonable
$42,030.
The V-6 engine in question is a 4.3-liter EcoTec engine
that makes 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque. GM also built
into it direct fuel injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously
variable valve timing. If those terms sounds like obtuse engineer-speak,
just know that each is a favored way to save fuel on numerous vehicles
throughout the industry.
The cylinder deactivation was a
particularly neat trick. Under light loads, the engine essentially shuts
down two cylinders and operates as a V-4 motor. The transition to and
from four cylinders was nearly seamless, save for a small "V-4"
indicator light that would pop up on the dashboard.
No one will
mistake the Sierra V-6’s power for that of an eight-cylinder, but it was
more than adequate to get (and keep) the full-size truck moving. This
motor is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, which is down
two gears to Ram’s eight-speed unit in the 1500. That said, the gearbox
in the Sierra proved a worthy pairing for the truck’s V-6 motor.
Our
first drive with the V-6 Sierra was brief: We logged only about 70
miles. Roughly 40 of those miles were on the freeway, and we averaged 19
mpg during that time. Overall, our drive yielded an average of 16.8
mpg.
The rest of the Sierra experience was a comfortable one, and
this certainly feels like a durable, well-made truck. Road and wind
noise were nicely isolated, and there are an abundance of USB, 12v
chargers and practical storage compartments throughout the cabin.
The
center console is nicely designed, with large buttons for the stereo
and climate control that are easy to navigate. While the exterior looks
like GMC gave it only a minor refresh from the previous generation, the
company said all of the body panels are new, and it’s definitely a
handsome, broad-shouldered truck.
The Cobalt Blue 2WD V-6 we
drove started at $36,980 but piled on numerous options that pushed the
final price to $42,030. These included an 8-inch touch-screen navigation
system, trailering package, park assist, power sliding rear window,
remote start, power driver's seat and 20-inch alloy wheels.
Courtesy of Los Angeles Times.
