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Trucks have really been gaining popularity by leaps and bounds lately: it seems that even when people are coming to visit us here at Jim Butler about adding a sedan to their ranks, their gaze can’t help but wander over to the awesome offerings for next year! Hauling, rigging, digging, or just plain playing in the various elements and locations that trucks thrive in are best accomplished with a brand-new model, and the 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 will be offered with an all-new, technologically advanced 2.7-L Turbo. Standard on LT and RST trims, the new engine delivers an SAE-certified 310 horsepower, and 348 lb-ft of torque, a 22 percent increase than the 4.3-L V-6 it replaces.

The next-year’s model with the 2.7L turbo delivers 0-60 mph performance in less than seven seconds, and had dropped 380 lbs total of weight. Chief engineer Tom Sutter claimed that “The new 2.7L Turbo is a technological marvel, with our most advanced valvetrain”, and that it was always trustily on deck to deliver surprising performance as well as world-class efficiency. The source of strength for the 2.7-L Turbo is an innovative double overhead cam valvetrain, which enables Chevy’s first actual use of Active Fuel Management on a 4-cylinder engine.

There are high- and low-lift valve profiles, continuously variable valve timing, and many other revolutionary technologies on deck to support the engine’s performance and efficiency. What amazed us at an up-close glance was the Dual-volute turbocharger housing, for improved throttle response, and low-speed torque. This is also our beloved brand’s first application of Active Thermal Management, which uses targeted engine heating and cooling during the most extreme of temps to improve engine performance. There is also an integrated exhaust manifold that is part of the cylinder head assembly and recovers exhaust heat for faster engine and transmission warmup, with quicker turbo response.

The new 2.7-L Turbo engine is representative of a clean-sheet design for Chevrolet, designed with a long piston stroke of 4.01 inches, which is the distance the piston needs to travel up and down within the cylinder. This long stroke enables improved combustion, ultimately yielding a higher compression ratio. Typically, a long stroke can increase the load of the pistons against the cylinder walls, ultimately generating more friction. The crankshaft and connecting rods are constructed of forged steel, and the pistons are composed of a tough aluminum alloy, and the additive of a cast iron ring groove insert.

The all-new 2.7-L Turbo will be built at the GM Spring Hill facility in Tennessee, and the 2019 Silverado will go on sale during the fall. It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 8-speed automatic transmission featuring enhancements that improve quality of shifting, as well as a new centrifugal pendulum absorber torque converter in place to reduce the numerous vibrations that occur. During a test drive, you’ll definitely get excited about the Stop/Start feature that enhances fuel economy in city driving. It’s an amazing driver-selectable system that shuts off the engine during stoplight sitting, and saves fuel during other stop-and-go situations!