AUTOS: GM Unveils 2014 Pickups

The next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size trucks are introduced before their Detroit Auto Show debuts.

AutoWeek | http://www.autoweek.com/ | Posted December 13, 2012 Detroit, MI

The 2014 Chevy Silverado shows some styling updates but has been completely revamped underneath with new underpinnings, powerplants and technology features. (Photo: Chevrolet)

The redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks were unveiled Thursday morning ahead of their debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

At first glance they look like General Motors pickups, carrying over many of the basic styling themes of the current-generation trucks that were launched six years ago.

The upcoming GMC Sierra was also unveiled in Detroit. (Photo: GMC)

But under the skin, the trucks have been thoroughly reworked with a lighter but stiffer frame and cab, modern interior with video screens and wireless connectivity, and a trio of new engines – one V6 and two V8s – from the fifth generation of GM's small-block engine family that uses cylinder deactivation for better fuel economy.

The engines use the EcoTec3 brand and incorporate the same technologies as the first engine from the new-generation small block family, the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 for the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Corvette. GM has said the LT1 will make at least 450 horsepower.

Those technologies are:

• Direct fuel injection, which puts the fuel directly into each cylinder.

• Continuously variable valve timing, which adjusts the opening and closing of the valves based on engine load.

• Cylinder deactivation, which shuts down some of the engine's cylinders under light loads. In the trucks, the system turns the V6 and V8 engines into V4s. GM says it has expanded the range within which the system, called "active fuel management," is engaged.

The updated pickups will come in a variety of configurations and bed sizes. (Photo: Chevrolet)

All three of the truck engines – a 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 – use aluminum blocks and cylinder heads, which help reduce weight compared with iron blocks and heads. The new GM trucks all use six-speed automatic transmissions. Many of the current trucks were equipped with four-speed automatics.

GM has yet to release horsepower and torque ratings for the new engines but promises that the 4.3-liter V6 will be capable enough for towing duty. The V6 will be available in the trucks' large, crew cab configuration.

GM's current pickups use a 4.3-liter V6 as the base engine, rated at 195 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It would not be surprising if the new V6 is rated close to the current 4.8-liter V8, which puts out 302 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque.

One thing not on the new GM truck engines: forced induction via a turbocharger or supercharger. That makes the base engine in the GM trucks a distinct alternative to the Ford F-150 and its turbocharged EcoBoost V6. The Ram 1500 also offers a V6, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, for higher fuel economy.

Page 1 of 2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AutoWeek

Autoweek.com

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

AUTOS: Acura NSX Details Revealed
The rebirth of the mid-engine sports car – now an all-wheel-drive…
VINTAGE: Dean Jeffries, Legendary Car Customizer, Dies At 80
The acclaimed designer from the midcentury heyday of ‘kustom…
AUTOS: Pickups, New Models Gain Sales
Ford, Nissan, GM and Chrysler see double-digit rise for April in…