General Motors is preparing to bring two new V-8 engines to its 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, as Detroit’s major manufacturers renew their focus on petrol-powered trucks amid weaker demand for electric vehicles.
The new line-up will also include a carryover inline-six diesel engine and an upgraded four-cylinder turbocharged option. GM said the changes were designed to strengthen its position in the highly profitable full-size pickup market.
The company expects the redesigned trucks and updated engines to extend its run of six consecutive years of sales leadership against Ford and Stellantis, although Ford’s F-Series remains the best-selling full-size truck range and brand.
“If we don’t stomp the competition with these trucks, then I’d be very sad and questioning myself. That’s the goal,” GM president Mark Reuss said at a media event at the company’s Flint Engine plant near Detroit.
“That’s what success looks like: continued truck leadership,” he added.
GM’s new V-8 engines
The engines form part of GM’s sixth generation of Small Block V-8s, a line first produced by the company in 1955. The automaker said development of the latest generation began in 2018, before the Trump administration moved to remove federal support for electric vehicle purchases and reduce or eliminate fuel economy rules and penalties.
Full-size pickups remain central to the finances of America’s carmakers, helping to fund investment in emerging markets and technologies. Their ability to tow and haul heavy loads has also helped preserve demand for larger petrol engines, even as V-8 options have disappeared from many other vehicle categories.
All-electric pickups have struggled to attract buyers, with analysts pointing to the effect of towing and hauling on driving range. Hybrid sales have risen sharply this year, but pickup trucks have been an exception; Toyota said hybrids accounted for 18.7% of its Tundra full-size pickup sales this year.
GM said most of its full-size pickup sales this year were V-8 models, accounting for 55% of Chevrolet Silverado sales and about 61% of GMC Sierra 1500 sales. The 3.0-litre TurboMax diesel represented 35% of Silverado 1500 sales and 20% of Sierra 1500 sales.
“No one has the efficiency on a diesel that we have,” Reuss said. “So if you look at the performance efficiency, but also in raw performance and range, hybrids don’t do it.”
Renewed truck competition
The 2027 model year is expected to intensify competition between GM, Ford and Stellantis. Ford is increasing the availability of V-8 engines, while Ram is promoting the return of its Hemi V-8, including new performance models.
Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Mobility Global’s AutoIntelligence, said full-size pickups were “crucial” to all three companies and that frequent product updates helped drive the recurring contest between them.
GM’s Chevrolet and GMC brands have outsold Ford’s F-Series combined since 2020, although the F-Series continues to claim the top individual position in US vehicle sales. The Silverado has generally ranked second, with Ram close behind.
Ram’s decision to remove its Hemi V-8 from its pickups in favour of a more efficient inline-six was followed by a significant sales setback, prompting the brand to announce plans last year to bring the engine back. Supplies remain tight.
“Ram showed that you can lose buyers by not having [V-8 engines] available,” Brinley said. “Part of it is because of that expectation that there is something that the V-8 is better at.”
GM’s launch comes as the company faces continuing issues with some engines in its current generation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into failures involving GM’s 6.2-litre V-8, following a recall that the company said had addressed the problem.
Norman Peralta, GM’s executive chief engineer for global engines and battery systems, said the company was co-operating with the investigation and was “very confident” the new engines would not experience similar problems.
Through the first half of this year, GMC Sierra sales were level with the same period a year earlier, while Silverado sales fell 4.6%. Ram sales rose 19%, while Ford’s F-Series declined 13% amid supplier-related production problems.
