GM Reveals 2015 Chevrolet Colorado

[v6sonoma]

I'm surprised they didn't go with the 4.3L V6 from the full size trucks. Was kinda hoping to get another one since my 99's has been so great these last 15 years.

But if they can slap those turbos on the 3.6L I guess I'd be ok.

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by ToolFan66

I don't see that happening any time soon. The Tacoma has been the king of mid sized trucks for many years, and they keep their value on the used market for a reason..

With that said I wish I had held out buying my tacoma till these hit the streets as I like what I'm seeing, hope they are what they seem to be..

I just hope the Colorado is much better b/c the Tacoma is a relic without any competition for the most part. Would be embarrassing for Chevy if not.

[Mikes SS]

I am still suprised too that they are using the 3.6 for gas mileage, if that were the case why didn't they put it in the silverado? Or why have the engine anyway?

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Mikes SS

I am still suprised too that they are using the 3.6 for gas mileage, if that were the case why didn't they put it in the silverado? Or why have the engine anyway?

Where do you get the idea that there is only a single reason (fuel economy) for using the 3.6 instead of the 4.3? The Silverado & Colorado each have their own requirements. Some are directly related to the customer (power, torque, fuel economy, NVH, etc) others are rooted in the manufacturing side of things (ie, what engines can the platform accommodate/what would it cost to add another engine family to this platform). And what may be top priority for one may be ranked 4th or 5th for the other. In the end, it worked out that the best engine to use as a base for the Silverado was a 5.7L V8 with 2 cylinders lopped off, while the Colorado gets a car engine for its range topper.

[Mikes SS]

Well seeing as how the new 4.3L (LV3) makes 285hp@5300 and 305ftlbs@3900 vs the 3.6L 305hp@6950 and 269ftlbs@4000 it has to be the only reason...trucks need torque, and the HP and torque are more usable down lower RPM's and with E85 the LV3 puts out 297hp and 330ftlbs...I have no doubt that a smaller engine would fit in the truck too since to the best of my knowledge the LV3 is smaller and weighs less, and is cheaper to make than the 3.6L

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Mikes SS

Well seeing as how the new 4.3L (LV3) makes 285hp@5300 and 305ftlbs@3900 vs the 3.6L 305hp@6950 and 269ftlbs@4000 it has to be the only reason...trucks need torque, and the HP and torque are more usable down lower RPM's and with E85 the LV3 puts out 297hp and 330ftlbs...I have no doubt that a smaller engine would fit in the truck too since to the best of my knowledge the LV3 is smaller and weighs less, and is cheaper to make than the 3.6L

Its not just about having an engine sized space under the hood & between the fenders. To add the 3.6 to the Silverado you have to design the truck to accomodate a 2nd engine family. That adds cost, complexity, and weight. On top of that, I bet the 3.6 costs a good deal more to manufacture than the 4.3 does -which makes one more suitable as a range topper & the other as a base engine.

Thats what I was getting at when I mentioned the multitude of factors that need to be balanced when sorting out what applications get what engines. With only a small fraction of the data (and concerns) that GM has, we can only really speculate as to why exactly A happened over B. Not that I'm above such speculation, its just that we can talk until we're blue in the face (or, perhaps more accurately type until we're blue in the fingers?) but we won't be able to reach anything definitive.



btw

Don't let the peak rpms fool you: the two engines actually make pretty much the same low-end torque. Look at the dyno graphs of the two & they're usually within, I'd say about 5 ft-lbs of each other up until about 3200 rpm. From there, the LV3 builds to its peak then drops off while the LFX pretty much holds steady until around 6k -explaining the difference in peak power.

[KMPrenger]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

I....

btw

Don't let the peak rpms fool you: the two engines actually make pretty much the same low-end torque. Look at the dyno graphs of the two & they're usually within, I'd say about 5 ft-lbs of each other up until about 3200 rpm. From there, the LV3 builds to its peak then drops off while the LFX pretty much holds steady until around 6k -explaining the difference in peak power.

I really love the new LV3, but the LFX is also a fantastic engine that makes good FLAT torque. The engine loves to rev, but doesn't need to rev to make decent power like some think.

[Scrappy Doo]

Wouldn't the 4.3 already have been validated etc for truck use? Seems it would be cheaper than the 3.6 that way?

Or is the base 4 of the same family as the 3.6?

(Don't know much about engine specifics)

[Silverlsinva]

I bet it has more to do with that there is a Suv/crossover version I believe overseas so that it gets better MPG's while having decent power to move the weight and even though believe that the 4.3 should have been used instead of the 3.6 it is what it is and they aren't going to change it.

[Mikes SS]

Yeah it could be that, or that there is a chance it would outperform the Silverado 1500, it would be hard to legitimize it. The Colorado is almost as big but weighs 900lbs less, so I'd imagine with the same available engine it would tow as much, cost less and get better MPG's.

[Camaro_Corvette]

Wish this thing was out. I may have to pull the trigger on a blazer replacement soon. :( And I'm not into buying a vehicle and a few months later buying a different one. Once it's done, its done.

[Silverlsinva]

Is this due for a Sept/October order and in dealers by then or we talking Nov/Decemeber

[mlee]

Originally Posted by Silverlsinva

Is this due for a Sept/October order and in dealers by then or we talking Nov/Decemeber

Ordering in Sept which means pricing and options will be out by then. After that most likely another 6 to 8 weeks before we see them on the ground.

[Mikes SS]

Could have swore I already saw the ordering and options guide published!?!