SMALLER ENGINE HAD POWER ENOUGH, EVEN WHEN TOWING
A four-cylinder engine in a fullsize pickup truck might sound like an oxymoron. But Calgary driver Peter Wettlaufer discovered that's not the case. For 2021, Chevrolet and GMC continue to offer the turbocharged 2.7-litre in-line four-cylinder engine they first put under the hood of the Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 for the 2019 model year. Wondering how that smaller, more fuel-efficient 2.7-L engine in a new Sierra would compare to his 2014 Sierra powered by a 6.2-L V8, Wettlaufer spent a week behind the wheel of a new GMC.
“This engine is more than powerful enough for everyday driving conditions,” Wettlaufer says of the 2.7-L mill. “And what's nice about it is the very low fuel consumption. I saw 9.0 to 9.6 L/100 km on occasion. You certainly don't get that with an eight-cylinder truck, and in fact, I'm hard pressed to get that with our 2013 Ford Escape.”
Wettlaufer first bought a pickup truck in 2004. That was a new Chevy Silverado that the family put to use towing a 26-foot holiday trailer. In 2014, a crew-cab, standard-box Sierra SLT with the 6.2-L engine replaced the Silverado. Wettlaufer has 53,000 km on the Sierra and continues to pull their 5,725-pound dry (closer to 6,200 lbs when loaded) trailer on a yearly basis.
His 6.2-L V8 makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the turbo I-4 produces 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque. GM says that when equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the crew-cab, short-bed four-wheel-drive truck with the 2.7-L engine, such as the one tested by Wettlaufer, is capable of towing 4,037 kilograms, or 8,900 lbs using a weight-distributing hitch.
Wettlaufer's tester was a base model Sierra 1500 with an MSRP of $43,998. Options included the $1,995 Sierra Value Package and a few other upgrades, such as the 20-inch black alloy wheels and an integrated trailer-brake controller. To drive off the lot, the total price with destination charge but before taxes was just under $50,000.
“The truck was very attractive looking,” Wettlaufer says of the '21 Sierra. “I liked the blackedout grille and bumpers, and everyone I showed it to liked the look of it, too.”
As a base model truck, Wettlaufer's Sierra tester was equipped with cloth seating surfaces.
All seating adjustments were manual, and without a telescoping steering wheel, Wettlaufer, who is six-foot-two, just couldn't find an optimal position. Even with his height advantage, he did not find it easy to get into the truck because it wasn't equipped with running boards.
“I'm spoiled by the features in my own truck,” he says. “As base as this Sierra was, though, nothing looked cheap, and it had a very good quality fit and finish, with power windows and power mirrors. All the controls were well laid out and I wasn't searching for anything. The gauges are all analog, with a digital information screen in the middle of the cluster, which is simple and effective.”
Wettlaufer found acceleration was good and the eight-speed transmission shifted smoothly through the range and never hunted for a gear. Wettlaufer says his biggest thought upon embarking on this test was that the 2.7-L engine wouldn't have enough power to tow. To test his theory, he hitched up his trailer and hauled it on a short loop southwest of Calgary to Turner Valley.
“It actually performed very well on that stretch of road,” he says. “On paper, that 2.7-L makes the same power as the 5.3-L V8 I had in my first 2004 Silverado. It would definitely be slower pulling up a long grade, but it did perform better than I'd anticipated.”
For most of his test, Wettlaufer kept the truck in two-wheel drive and never had the vehicle in gravel or anything rougher. The Sierra rode smoothly and was well suspended in all driving conditions, with no body roll. Handling was given a thumbs up, too, and Wettlaufer said it was an easy truck to drive around the city. There was plenty of room in the cabin, even when he carried back-seat passengers. They were comfortable, and had no complaints about legroom.
“There's a flat floor in the back, and it would be easy to carry extra cargo there with the seat folded in the upright position,” he says.
“I liked the power tailgate, which is lockable, but without a tonneau cover or a cap, that feature isn't much good. There's a step cut in the back bumper, and it wasn't difficult for me to climb up into the bed.”
Handing back the key, Wettlaufer says, “It's a great vehicle for someone who needs a pickup with great fuel economy. It's a very good truck, and I'm impressed it could a tow a trailer my size.”