With underbody cameras, increased ride height with Multimatic DSSV dampers, and many other hardware improvements, the new GMC Canyon is one very capable truck. However, one change from its predecessor that customers may not like is the lack of a diesel engine in its portfolio. Much like the new Chevrolet Colorado, the Canyon is offered with only one mill but there is a very logical explanation for that. The General Motors executive shines even more in a new interview.
Nick Katcherian, Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, recently spoke Muscle Cars and Trucks and told the publication that the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder unit found under the hood of both products was too good and didn’t need a diesel option. The torque mill performed better in every department than the previous 2.8-liter Duramax diesel and GM didn’t want to make things more complicated by offering a different engine.
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“It really has to deal with the fact that this powertrain has all the torque you need. You get it quicker, so when you look at the advantages that diesel has offered in the past, and you compare it to this engine, it does a much better job,” Katcherian told the online publication.
The new 2.7-liter inline-four is offered in three power levels for Chevy. The base version has 237 horsepower (177 kilowatts) and 259 pound-feet (351 Nm) of torque and above is the version with 310 hp (231 kW) and 390 lb-ft (529 Nm) of torque. The top variant – the only one available for the new Canyon – has a peak output of 310 hp (231 kW) and 430 lb-ft (583 Nm). This means the actual options on offer for the Colorado are three, though all are based on the same hardware setup with minimal modifications for entry-level machines.
This simplification of the engine range made it easier for General Motors to produce trucks at the Wentzville plant because there were fewer components that differed between the different engine options, trim levels, and packages.
“When you look at the packaging under the hood and all the stuff we keep around it. We can do a lot of the same configurations, so if you look at our line of machines in the factory, the parts that make up the harness and stuff before it’s put on the truck. That allowed us to have a very similar build process for both engines,” explained Katcherian.
