We discuss the future of General Motors 2.7L 4 cylinder, the future engine for the brand. With help from the assistant chief engineer, we showcase the techno...
Opinion: Neat technical details, neat truck, but I don’t know if I could get over virtual headlight controls.
Because this isn’t 1984 anymore and turbo technology isn’t some new fangled thing. This particular turbo 4 is extremely robust and has gobs of torque down low. Lower than most V8s which is exactly what you need for towing. Plus when you aren’t carrying a heavy load or deep into the boost, you should see fuel economy that is considerably better than what a larger engine would typically get.
I totally agree that modern turbo 4s can be impressive engines,. But I expect you will need to be in boost a lot more often to move such a large vehicle with big tires. The MPG for this truck is 17 city and 19 highway, which is not great for a midsize. This would indicate to me that the weight and large tires are going to be keeping the engine in boost more often.
Boost is not an on/off switch. The difference between full boost and full power, versus partial boost and far better fuel economy is rather huge. And a vehicle is usually (near) idling along at lower RPMs and only using a fraction of its total torque the vast, vast majority of its time. Takes only roughly 20 HP to main speed on a highway.
And th3 base version (i.e. not massive tires) of the Colorado gets 20/25 MPG, which is better that the 2023 Toyota Tacoma which has a larger naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 and only makes 278 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque max. The Colorado maxes out at 310 HP and a whopping 430 lb ft of torque.
Explain to the folks at home why a 4 cylinder turbo truck is better than a V8.
Because this isn’t 1984 anymore and turbo technology isn’t some new fangled thing. This particular turbo 4 is extremely robust and has gobs of torque down low. Lower than most V8s which is exactly what you need for towing. Plus when you aren’t carrying a heavy load or deep into the boost, you should see fuel economy that is considerably better than what a larger engine would typically get.
I totally agree that modern turbo 4s can be impressive engines,. But I expect you will need to be in boost a lot more often to move such a large vehicle with big tires. The MPG for this truck is 17 city and 19 highway, which is not great for a midsize. This would indicate to me that the weight and large tires are going to be keeping the engine in boost more often.
Boost is not an on/off switch. The difference between full boost and full power, versus partial boost and far better fuel economy is rather huge. And a vehicle is usually (near) idling along at lower RPMs and only using a fraction of its total torque the vast, vast majority of its time. Takes only roughly 20 HP to main speed on a highway.
And yet this trucks MPG numbers do not reflect any of that. Aside from that what would the advantage of the turbo 4 be?
And th3 base version (i.e. not massive tires) of the Colorado gets 20/25 MPG, which is better that the 2023 Toyota Tacoma which has a larger naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 and only makes 278 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque max. The Colorado maxes out at 310 HP and a whopping 430 lb ft of torque.