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Chevy says not to look at the 2019 Silverado's fuel economy rating

The 2019 Chevy Silverado is hitting dealerships soon, and one of the most notable changes for the new full-size pickup is the addition of a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four. The engine replaces the naturally-aspirated 4.3-liter V6 in volume consumer models like the Silverado LT and promises more power, less weight and — most importantly — better fuel economy. The thing is, the gains in efficiency haven't been as dramatic as some might have hoped, especially when stacked up against competitors from Ford and Ram. As Automotive News reports, GM's response is a little murky. First, let's talk numbers. We're pulling all figures from FuelEconomy.gov, the official U.S. government source for fuel ratings. Fuel economy numbers on trucks vary greatly based on a number of factors. Bed and cab configuration play a part, but so does a four-wheel-drive system. You also have to factor in tires, transmissions, rear-axle gearing, hybrid systems and cylinder deactivation. Things like that can make the difference between best- and worst-in-class. The EPA's website doesn't give enough information a lot of the time, so there's really no easy way to compare apples-to-apples. First, take a look at the ratings for the 2019 Silverado. A 2.7-liter model with two-wheel drive is rated 20 city, 23 highway and 21 combined. That's both better and worse than a two-wheel drive 2018 Silverado with the 4.3-liter V6 (18 city, 24 highway and 20 combined). The updated 2019 Silverado with a 4.3-liter V6 has yet to be rated. With less weight and a smaller engine, many hoped Chevy would make bigger gains. It's unusual to see any decrease in a fuel economy metric these days. GM says that it's not done tuning the new 2.7-liter engine, so fuel economy could theoretically increase. Expanding further, a V8-powered 2019 Silverado (17 city, 24 highway and 19 combined) actually gets better highway fuel economy than a turbocharged four-cylinder powered truck in certain configurations, even if the latter has a better overall average. But that's only with two-wheel drive, the 8-speed transmission and cylinder deactivation. A Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8 and a 6-speed automatic is rated at 15 city, 22 highway and 17 combined. The biggest issue with the Silverado 2.7-liter doesn't come from within GM itself but from Ford and Ram. GM cites the Ford F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6 and the Ram 1500 with the 3.6-liter V6 as the closest competitors to its new 2.7-liter inline-four.

Chevy SS to get 1LE-like handling pack

Chevrolet engineers have more plans for the SS, but official approval stands between their wishes and our driving commands. After getting the no-cost option for a six-speed manual last year, Motor Trend reports that some company boffins want to throw the Camaro's track-focused 1LE package at it. On the Camaro that means the Performance Ride and Handling suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, and 20-inch wheels all around concerning the road-focused bits. MT says that a 1LE on the SS would shed the staggered tires for one size all around, and get new dampers and a new suspension tune. It wouldn't turn the SS into a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, but the SS could do even more with its 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet, hopefully without sacrificing too much of its plush road comfort in the process. It's said that a production example could be done in less than six months, but it sounds like the approval process will take longer. Featured Gallery 2014 Chevrolet SS: Review View 31 Photos News Source: Motor TrendImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Chevrolet Luxury Performance Sedan chevy camaro 1le 1le

Most of the US won't get 2016 Chevy Volt

Every major plug-in vehicle launch in the US has been a patchwork operation, with automakers focusing their initial efforts on targeted locations like California where they expect to sell the most units. Today, we learned that even five years into the plug-in car project, the game remains the same. According to GM, the second-gen Chevy Volt is going to be rolled out in the same manner. In fact, GM is limiting availability of the 2016 model year Volt so much that most of the US will not have access to the car at all. For 39 states, the second-gen Volt will first be available as a 2017 model year vehicle at some point in the spring of 2016. When GM announced the buying process for the new Volt, it made it clear that dealers in California would be the first to place their orders. Hybrid Cars now reports that the first deliveries will be also limited to California and 10 other states that follow the California Air Resourced Board (CARB) rules: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland , Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. GM spokesman Kevin Kelly told AutoblogGreen that this is all according to plan. "Chevrolet has a shortened model year for the 2016 Chevy Volt that will have a limited distribution network," he said. "The 2016 Volt will be sold in our strongest EREV markets. The 2017 Chevrolet Volt will begin production early this spring and will be available throughout the country." It appears that non-CARB state Volt customers will be able to order their Volts starting October 1, according to documents posted on Hybrid Cars, where we also learn that 2016 Volt production for California started in August, will begin in late October for the other 10 CARB states, and in early 2016 for the rest of the US. Unsurprisingly, dealers outside of the 11 CARB states have been complaining that they can't order the much-anticipated new Volt for their customers just yet. Related Video: