How Small Can We Go? Four-Cylinder Half-Ton Pickups Have Arrived

It wasn't that long ago that four-cylinder engines were rigidly relegated to the likes of subcompact and hybrid cars. The very idea of a four-banger making it into a full-size pickup truck would have been (and was) ridiculed just 20 years ago. Then came Ford's EcoBoost V-6 engines in the F-150; they gained momentum and resistance wilted. Now, a twin-turbo V-6 is Ford's top-of-the-line performance engine and the new Ford F-150 Raptor is selling just fine without a V-8.

But GM's move to a four-cylinder engine for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has quite a few people scratching their head.

V-6 engines traditionally have been the base engine for half-ton pickups, but that's all changed now. Close to 70 percent of the No. 1-selling Ford F-150s leave the lot with a V-6. In fact, if you include the new turbo-diesel Power Stroke V-6 and two versions of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost, the only remaining engine not a V-6 in the lineup is the stout 5.0-liter Coyote V-8. That's six different engine choices and only one is a low-volume V-8. Pretty interesting for a company that at one time offered three different levels of V-8 power for its F-150. (Do you recall when that was?)

Now comes GM with its all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 boasting an impressive high-tech four-cylinder as an option. Granted, GM is predicting only a small number of shoppers will choose that engine — 10 percent is the estimate — but depending on the trade-offs those buyers will have to make, it could become more popular as word spreads. For now, the engine is restricted to just two mid-level trims.

From the mechanical side of the equation, using dual exhaust flow tubes (or volutes) to feed the oversized turbocharger, with all sorts of versatile cooling options, is quite ambitious. No doubt it will sound different than most half-ton pickups. Ford addressed that issue with the EcoBoost V-6 engines by using an active sound modifier that made the V-6 sound like a V-8. We'll let you decided whether that's clever or deceptive. We don't know what GM will do, but with almost 350 pound-feet of torque, our pre-production first-drive impression was an eye-opener.

However, we're pretty sure GM engineers have exhausted themselves hunting for the right tones and sounds. Lord knows pickup buyers are particular about truck design and exhaust notes, even if they're saving a good chunk of money on a new truck with an efficient engine that offers strong fuel economy. Understanding exactly which trade-offs are non-negotiable and which ones are is more art than science, no matter how many focus groups you use.

We'll know more about the new GM half tons after we spend more time with the different powertrains in August, when we'll be able to haul and tow with each of the new engines (except the diesel). In the meantime, we're guessing GM's 10 percent number might be optimistic, unless it can build some credibility with a 400-horsepower high-performance model. But we won't hold our breath waiting for a four-cylinder Silverado SS.

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