It will be a downsized, 2.5-liter version of GM’s L3B engine.
GM is reportedly adding a new four-cylinder engine to its Cylinder Set Strategy (CSS) line of engines. The CSS line consists of four different four-cylinder engines, ranging from the 1.3-liter turbo-four (L3T) in the Chevy Trailblazer, up to the 2.7-liter turbo-four (L3B) in the Cadillac CT4. According to GM Authority, a new turbocharged 2.5-liter engine is reportedly being added to the lineup, though there’s no word on what it could power.
The new 2.5-liter turbo-four is said to be a downsized version of the L3B engine. That means it will be an all-aluminum, dual-overhead cam (DOHC), direct-injected inline-four with a single turbo. If it’s anything like its L3B counterparts, it should also be torquier than its displacement would suggest.
There are two versions of GM’s L3B 2.7-liter engine, one for trucks (Chevy Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500) and one for Cadillac. The truck engine makes 310 horsepower and a whopping 430 pound-feet of torque, which makes it shockingly potent for a sub-3.0-liter four-cylinder engine. In the Cadillac CT4-V, it makes 325 horsepower and 380 pound-feet. There aren’t any estimated power figures for the new 2.5-liter engine just yet but around 300 horses and somewhere between 350-400 pound-feet doesn’t sound farfetched.
There’s no word on whether this new, currently-unnamed 2.5-liter engine will replace the L3B 2.7-liter engine or if it will just be added to the lineup. Furthermore, if it does replace the L3B, we don’t know if it will replace the truck version, the Cadillac version, or both. It could also replace the L2R engine, which is a cheaper L3B variant that powers the Chevy Colorado and makes 237 horsepower and 260 pound-feet.
GM Authority didn’t mention when this engine will debut, only that its sources close to the matter say that it’s in the final stages of development. Very little is officially known about this new engine but we could find out more by the end of the year.
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