Reader Review: 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 4WD Crew Cab 2.7L
Calgarian truck guy impressed, and a little surprised, by peppy turbocharged four-banger
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A four-cylinder engine in a full-size pickup truck might sound like an oxymoron. Calgary driver Peter Wettlaufer discovered that’s not the case. For 2021, Chevrolet and GMC continue to offer the turbocharged 2.7-litre inline four-cylinder powerplant they first put under the hood of the Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 for the 2019 model year. Wondering how that smaller, more fuel-efficient 2.7L engine in a new Sierra would compare to his 2014 Sierra powered by a 6.2L V8, Wettlaufer spent a week behind the wheel of a new GMC.
“This engine is more than powerful enough for everyday driving conditions,” Wettlaufer says of the 2.7L mill. “And what’s nice about it is the very low fuel consumption. I saw 9.0 to 9.6 L/100km on occasion. You certainly don’t get that with an eight-cylinder truck, and in fact, I’m hard pressed to get that with our 2013 Ford Escape.”
Wettlaufer first bought a pickup truck in 2004. That was a new Chevy Silverado that the family put to use towing a 26-foot holiday trailer. In 2014, a crew cab, standard box Sierra SLT with the 6.2L engine replaced the Silverado. Wettlaufer has 53,000 kilometres on the Sierra and continues to pull their 5,725-pound dry (closer to 6,200 lbs. when loaded) trailer on a yearly basis. His 6.2L V8 makes 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the turbo I-4 produces 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque. Equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, GM says the crew cab, short bed four-wheel drive truck with the 2.7L engine such as the one tested by Wettlaufer is capable of towing 4,037 kilograms, or 8,900 pounds using a weight distributing hitch.
Wettlaufer’s tester was a base model Sierra 1500 with an MSRP of $43,998. Options included the $1,995 Sierra Value Package and a few other upgrades such as the 20-inch black alloy wheels and integrated trailer brake controller. To drive off the lot, the total price with destination charge but before taxes, was just a shade less than $50,000.
“The truck was very attractive looking,” Wettlaufer says of the ’21 Sierra. “I liked the blacked-out grille and bumpers, and everyone I showed it to liked the look of it, too. Sitting on the same size wheels as my ’14, this truck is about two-inches taller. Trucks seem to be getting higher all the time, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.”
As a base model truck, Wettlaufer’s Sierra tester was equipped with cloth seating surfaces. All seating adjustments were manual, and without a telescoping steering wheel Wettlaufer, at six-feet two-inches tall, just couldn’t find an optimal position. Even with his height advantage, Wettlaufer did not find it easy to get into the truck as it wasn’t equipped with running boards.
“I’m spoiled by the features in my own truck,” he explains, and adds, “as base as this Sierra was, though, nothing looked cheap, and it had a very good quality fit and finish with power windows and power mirrors. All the controls were well laid out and I wasn’t searching for anything. The gauges are all analog, with a digital information screen in the middle of the cluster, which is simple and effective.”
Getting underway in the truck, Wettlaufer found acceleration was good and the eight-speed transmission shifted smoothly through the range and never searched or hunted for a gear. Wettlaufer says his biggest thought upon embarking on this test was the 2.7L engine wouldn’t have enough power to tow. To test his theory, he hitched up his trailer and hauled it on a short loop southwest of Calgary to Turner Valley.
