2022 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss Gets Standard Turbo Four Instead of V8 [Updated]

No replacement for displacement? GM disagrees.

byJames Gilboy|
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The Chevrolet Silverado has a mighty 2.7-liter turbo-four that makes General Motors proud and maybe even a little embarrassed. It produces a whole 420 pound-feet of torque—more than Chevy's 5.3-liter V8—but that small cylinder count is something GM's not forthright about, probably because of how sensitive truck buyers can be about size. They're only about to get more uncomfortable with the 2022 Chevy Silverado, too, which gets the four-banger as its standard engine on more of its lineup than last year's, including the off-road-focused Trail Boss trim.

As first observed by GM Authority, the 2022 Trail Boss' base engine is now the 2.7, which powers several other trims and cab-body combinations, as outlined on the 2022 Silverado's product page. Unlike the 2021 Silverado, whose extended-cab model was available with the Custom Trail Boss trim, the 2022 Trail Boss is now exclusive to the crew cab and has had its engine options significantly revised.

2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT, Chevrolet

The 2.7 will stand in for the Trail Boss's previous base engine, Chevy's 4.3-liter V6, whose 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque are bested by the 2.7's 310 and 420 respectively. A Chevy spokesperson confirmed to us that while GM hasn't yet updated its online configurator to reflect 2022's full roster of changes, the 2.7 will indeed power both the lower Custom Trail Boss and upper LT Trail Boss trims.

GM may have promoted the 2.7 to Trail Boss duty to help wind down production of the 4.3-liter V6, which as of 2022 won't be available on the Silverado and tow-tacular GMC Sierra. (It'll call only the Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans its home for model year 2022.) It may have also been done to help differentiate the Trail Boss from the new-for-'22 Silverado ZR2, which has much more off-road equipment than the Trail Boss' two-speed transfer case, two-inch lift, Z71 off-road package, and an available 6.2-liter V8.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss, Chevrolet

Said V8 is standard on the ZR2, which stands a chance of also getting the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel. In either case, it'll benefit from the ZR2's electronically locking differentials, 33-inch tires, and Multimatic DSSV suspension, all of which will surely come at a price that'll guarantee it's never cross-shopped with the four-banger Trail Boss. Both will surely be a hoot, though it's a shame we know neither will be available on the returning single-cab, short-bed Silverado.

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com

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