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The 2.7L TurboMax: Chevrolet's Standard Truck Four-Cylinder

The 2.7L TurboMax is a turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, and it is the standard engine in the Silverado 1500. It makes more torque than the Silverado's available 5.3-liter V8, and less horsepower. If you are shopping a Silverado 1500 in Central Indiana, that trade is the decision in front of you.

What follows is where the TurboMax is offered, what it carries, and what it returns at the pump. Figures on this page are for the 2026 model year.

A blue Chevrolet Silverado 1500 climbing a rocky trail with snow-capped mountains behind it

What the TurboMax Is

The TurboMax is a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, engine code L3B, paired with an 8-speed automatic and offered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

Close-up of the 2.7L TurboMax engine's throttle body and intake plumbing
Specification 2.7L TurboMax
Engine code L3B
Displacement and layout 2.7 liters, turbocharged four-cylinder
Horsepower 310 hp in the Silverado 1500
Torque 430 lb-ft in the Silverado 1500
Transmission 8-speed automatic
Drivetrain Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
Fuel Regular unleaded
Fuel-saving equipment Active Fuel Management, Automatic Stop/Start
Truck it powers Silverado 1500

Why Torque Matters More Than Cylinder Count

Torque is what gets a loaded trailer moving, and it is where the TurboMax does better than its cylinder count suggests. Here is how the Silverado 1500's four engines line up.

Silverado 1500 engine Horsepower Torque Transmission
2.7L TurboMax, the standard engine 310 hp 430 lb-ft 8-speed automatic
5.3L EcoTec3 V8 355 hp 383 lb-ft 10-speed automatic
6.2L EcoTec3 V8 420 hp 460 lb-ft 10-speed automatic
Duramax 3.0L turbo-diesel 305 hp 495 lb-ft 10-speed automatic
A Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss throwing mud as it powers through a rutted track

Stepping up from the TurboMax to the 5.3-liter V8 buys horsepower and gives up torque. The Duramax leads the group on torque, and it makes slightly less horsepower than the four-cylinder does. Only the 6.2-liter V8 beats the TurboMax on both numbers at once.

The TurboMax runs on regular fuel. The heaviest published trailering ratings call for the diesel or the 6.2.

Which Trucks Run a 2.7-Liter Turbo Four

Two Chevrolet trucks run a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The TurboMax name belongs to the Silverado 1500's version.

Vehicle How it is offered Rated output
Silverado 1500, the TurboMax Standard on six of the nine trims 310 hp, 430 lb-ft
Colorado The only engine in the range, in two tunes 237 hp standard, 310 hp High-Output

Silverado 1500, trim by trim

On six of the nine trims, the four-cylinder is the engine you get unless you pay to change it. The other three start with something larger.

Silverado 1500 trim What comes standard Other engines offered
WT 2.7L TurboMax 5.3L V8 on Double Cab and Crew Cab
Custom 2.7L TurboMax Nothing larger is listed for this trim
Custom Trail Boss 2.7L TurboMax 5.3L V8, Duramax 3.0L
LT 2.7L TurboMax 5.3L V8, Duramax 3.0L
RST 2.7L TurboMax 5.3L V8, 6.2L V8 on Crew Cab 4x4, Duramax 3.0L
LT Trail Boss 2.7L TurboMax 5.3L V8, 6.2L V8, Duramax 3.0L
LTZ 5.3L V8 6.2L V8 on 4x4, Duramax 3.0L
High Country 5.3L V8 6.2L V8 on 4x4, Duramax 3.0L
ZR2 Duramax 3.0L 6.2L V8
A dark green Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab with red front tow hooks

Both Trail Boss trims take the four-cylinder as standard, with the larger engines optional. Custom Trail Boss and LT Trail Boss leave the factory with a 2-inch lift, off-road-tuned suspension and red tow hooks, so the lifted truck does not require a V8.

The seat is the one interior item tied to the engine. A 40/20/40 split bench is standard across the line, giving a Crew Cab or Double Cab six seats and a Regular Cab three, and the available front bucket seats and center console are paired with the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s.

Colorado

In the Colorado a 2.7-liter turbocharged four is the whole engine line, in a standard 237-horsepower tune and a 310-horsepower High-Output version, both with an 8-speed automatic. That means every capability number on that truck is a four-cylinder number.

Colorado trim Maximum trailering Curb weight
WT 7,700 lb 4,716 lb
LT 7,700 lb 4,716 lb
Trail Boss 7,700 lb 4,971 lb
Z71 7,700 lb 4,971 lb
ZR2 6,000 lb 5,298 lb
A blue Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab with red front tow hooks

Every Colorado is the same body: a Crew Cab with a short box, five seats and 41.9 cubic feet of cargo volume, from WT to ZR2. The ZR2 runs the same engine as the rest of the line and carries the lowest trailering rating in it, which is the trade for its off-road hardware and extra ride height.

Which of these trucks and configurations we have on our lot changes, so our new Chevrolet trucks and SUVs listing is the place to check what is here now.

Payload and Curb Weight

The TurboMax is the lightest engine in the Silverado 1500 line, and that shows up on the payload sticker.

Engine Base curb weight range
2.7L TurboMax 4,700 to 5,070 lb
5.3L V8 4,860 to 5,190 lb
Duramax 3.0L 5,050 to 5,710 lb
6.2L V8 5,180 to 5,550 lb

These are base curb weights across whole builds rather than matched trucks, so the gap between the rows is not engine weight alone. The highest payload rating in the whole Silverado 1500 range, 2,260 pounds, comes on a Regular Cab Long Bed 2WD with this engine.

Crew Cab ratings with the TurboMax:

Crew Cab configuration Payload
2WD short bed 2,030 lb
4WD short bed 2,020 lb
4WD short bed, lifted 1,950 lb
2WD standard bed 1,950 lb
4WD standard bed 1,960 lb
4WD standard bed, lifted 1,900 lb

Payload swings across the full range of cabs, beds and equipment, so the rating that counts is the one on that truck's door jamb, and it has to cover passengers, accessories, cargo and trailer tongue weight together. Tell us what you carry and what you tow, and we will read that truck's own figure with you.

When a V8 or the Diesel Is the Better Answer

Two things move a buyer off the four-cylinder.

The first is heavy trailering. The Silverado 1500's highest trailering rating is 13,300 pounds, and reaching it takes a Double Cab Standard Bed 2WD with the Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel and the Max Trailering Package. If your trailer sits anywhere near that figure, shop the diesel or the 6.2. Ratings move with cab, bed, drivetrain and axle, so the number that governs is the one for the exact truck you are buying. The diesel is also the highway-economy engine, at 28 mpg in rear-wheel drive and 26 in four-wheel drive, ahead of any gasoline Silverado 1500.

The second is equipment rather than capability. The 10-speed automatic comes with the three larger engines, and the front bucket seats with a center console are paired with the V8s, so wanting either one settles the engine for you.

An orange Chevrolet Colorado seen head-on on a wooded dirt track

Fuel Economy by Configuration

The EPA numbers change with cab, bed, tires and drivetrain.

Configuration EPA city / highway / combined (mpg)
Silverado 1500, rear-wheel drive 17 to 18 / 21 / 19 to 20
Silverado 1500, four-wheel drive 16 to 17 / 17 to 21 / 17 to 19
Colorado, rear-wheel drive 19 / 24 / 21
Colorado, four-wheel drive 17 / 22 / 19
Colorado with off-road tires, four-wheel drive 17 / 20 / 18
Colorado ZR2 17 / 17 / 17
Colorado ZR2 Bison 16 / 16 / 16

Off-road tire packages and lifted suspensions sit at the low end of those numbers. On a full tank, the ratings work out to roughly 449 miles of total range for a rear-drive Colorado and about 407 miles with four-wheel drive.

Current offers on Chevrolet trucks are listed on our new vehicle specials page.

Fuel Economy by Configuration

In a Silverado, the TurboMax carries a longer powertrain warranty than Chevrolet's standard term.

Coverage Term, whichever comes first
Powertrain, Silverado TurboMax engine 5 years or 100,000 miles
Powertrain, standard Chevrolet term 5 years or 60,000 miles
Bumper to bumper 3 years or 36,000 miles
Seatbelts and airbags 6 years or 72,000 miles
Sheet-metal surface corrosion 3 years or 36,000 miles
Rust-through corrosion 6 years or 100,000 miles
Roadside Assistance Matches that vehicle's own powertrain term

The Silverado's Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel carries the same longer term. That extended coverage is Silverado-specific, so the Colorado's 2.7-liter turbo four falls under the standard powertrain term instead.

A turbocharged engine that tows and hauls needs its oil changed on schedule, and our GM-trained technicians are set up for this one. You can schedule Chevrolet service online whenever yours is due.

Driving the two back to back is the most useful thing you can do with an afternoon. Tell us what you tow and ask to drive a TurboMax truck against a V8; our hours and directions page has the map to our Scatterfield Road showroom.

A blue Chevrolet Colorado parked on desert sand with mountains behind it

Frequently Asked Questions

For most truck work, yes. The TurboMax makes more torque than the Silverado 1500's available 5.3-liter V8, and torque is what moves a loaded trailer or a full bed. If you regularly tow near the Silverado's upper ratings, look at the available 6.2-liter V8 or the Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel instead. Drive them back to back at our Anderson showroom.

The Silverado 1500 and the Colorado. In the Silverado the engine is called the TurboMax and it is standard on most of the range; the Colorado is offered with nothing else. Both are in our new truck inventory.

No. Both the Silverado 1500's TurboMax and the Colorado's 2.7-liter turbo four are rated on regular unleaded.

The V8 makes more horsepower and the four-cylinder makes more torque. The V8 also weighs more, which is part of why TurboMax trucks carry the higher payload ratings, and it uses a 10-speed automatic where the four-cylinder uses an 8-speed. Both run on regular fuel, so the decision comes down to whether you want the extra top-end power or the extra low-end pull.