New GM Pickup EcoTech3 V6 Rated at 24 and 22 MPG

Engineers spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel eliminating turbulence. There are new mirrors, triple-sealed inlaid doors, as well as roof, cab, bed and tailgate tweaks, to name only a few, that all help air flow smoothly and quietly.

The new EcoTech3 V6 engine used in 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks is EPA rated at 22 mpg highway for 4×4 versions and 24 mpg for 2wd. This means the 4.3-liter V6 is competitive with – or better than V6 engines – used in the Ram, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra pickup trucks. GM’s 2wd V6 Sierra models match Ram HFE’s 18 mpg city, which has the advantage of an 8-speed automatic transmission compared to GM’s 6-speed; while 4×4 models are rated at 17 mpg city, the best of any full-size pickup. The engine runs on 87-octane regular grade gasoline.

The combination of three technologies in the so-called EcoTec3 – direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation – also allows for a class-leading payload rating of 2,108 pounds and the highest optional towing rating of 7,200 pounds. The engine uses a compact overhead valve design – yes pushrods – and weight-saving components such as aluminum block and cylinder heads to reduce the mass for additional energy savings.

In this highly profitable business – as much as $10,000 or more per pickup – GM has been lagging in the sales race with a lineup last revised in 2007 as it was hurtling toward bankruptcy. That’s about to change.

The GMC and Silverado interiors have the most visually striking changes.

AutoInformed test drives of the new GMC Sierra reveals a surprising smooth, powerful and efficient V6 with 345 horsepower, 383 lb. ft. of torque that should chip away at or eliminate the long held prejudice that most truck buyers have for V8 engines. This deeply ingrained view, going back to the small-block V8 of the 1950s, is now subject to challenge, particularly for the roughly 50% of truck buyers who never tow anything.

Last redone in 2007, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickups are now fully revised.

Moreover, these new generation GM trucks are so refined that they can be used every day for family use. They are not inexpensive, however. A 2014 Sierra 1500 SLE crew cab I am driving starts at $36,000; optioned out with power accessories, a premium audio and navigation system and the trailering equipment, among other luxury touches once unheard of in trucks, it lists for more than $42,000. It is capable of returning 22 mpg or more on the highway in a field that has competitive pickup trucks rated between 13 and 21 mpg.

As much  torque from a V6 engine and 30% better fuel economy than  older  design V8 engines used to provide.

“All of the technology that makes this our most efficient half-ton pickup ever comes standard for every customer,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of GMC Marketing.

The new V6 joins Sierra’s 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8, with EPA estimated highway fuel economy of up to 23 mpg, the best of any V8 pickup, and better than the 22 highway mpg for the Ford EcoBoost turbo V6.

The 2014 Silverado and Sierra pickups with the 5.3-liter V8 engine – the most popular engine –also has better fuel economy and higher load capacity at a maximum of 11,500 pounds than the 2013 model Ford EcoBoost V6, which also uses regular fuel. (Read AutoInformed on 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Pickups Top F-Series and Ram in Fuel Economy with EPA 23 MPG Highway for V8 and Horses for Courses – GM’s Small Block V8 Versus Ford and Ram)

Ford uses an expensive approach with two turbochargers and intercooling, among other tweaks, and thus far been able to command premium prices for EcoBoost, another view that is now subject to challenge. Ram is using a 5.7-liter double overhead camshaft, multi-valve V8 linked in its best version to an 8-speed automatic, and is rated at 20 mpg.

A new GM 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8, available this fall, will be the most powerful engine offered on any light-duty pickup, with an estimated 420 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft. of torque, and a maximum available towing rating of 12,000 pounds. A diesel engine will join the lineup well after the new GM completes the launch of its new pickup trucks now underway that will continue into the winter.

The new trucks will prompt a real debate between GM’s naturally aspirated engines and Ford’s forced fed, turbocharger approach, which has been criticized for its overly optimistic fuel economy ratings that evaporate when you work the turbo hard. There are also potential durability and maintenance concerns. Judging by sales, though, Ford had a distinct marketing advantage here, at least for the moment, but GM is now responding with the best pickup trucks it has ever made.