GM touts new V8 engines in new truck wars

DETROIT — The buzzing of all-electric vehicles has once again been overtaken by the revving of V-8 engines in the Motor City amid deregulation by the Trump administration and lackluster demand for EVs.

General Motors followed Ford Motor this week in touting new and improved gas-powered engines as well as a class-exclusive diesel option to build upon GM’s highly profitable full-size pickup truck business.

The Detroit automaker on Thursday released details of the engine lineup for its upcoming 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks that include two new V-8 engines, a carryover inline-six-cylinder diesel engine and an enhanced four-cylinder turbocharged option.

GM executives said they expect the upgraded engine lineup and the redesigned pickup trucks to continue the automaker’s six consecutive years of sales leadership over its competitors in the segment, including Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis.

“If we don’t stomp the competition with these trucks, then I’d be very sad and questioning myself. That’s the goal,” GM President Mark Reuss said during a media event Wednesday at the automaker’s massive Flint Engine plant near Detroit. “That’s what success looks like: continued truck leadership.”

While Ford, which also updated its engine offerings for the 2027 model year, is the top-selling full-size truck and brand with its F-Series lineup, Chevrolet and GMC combined have outsold Ford since 2020.

The full-size pickup truck market is more than marketing claims and bragging rights — it’s massively profitable for the Detroit automakers, with Ford previously saying its F-Series business generated more revenue than many Fortune 100 companies.

Full-size trucks in the U.S., including light-duty models and larger variants, are what pay the bills for U.S. automakers and allow them to invest in emerging markets and technologies.

“This is history today and we don’t take that lightly,” Reuss said about the launch of its new trucks with GM’s sixth generation of small-block V-8 engines, which the company first produced in 1955.

The segment continues to help offset losses of EVs, which have been a major focal point for the automotive industry this decade. But that focus has changed with the Trump administration’s moves to remove federal support of up to $7,500 in incentives to purchase an EV and reduce or eliminate federal fuel economy rules and penalties.

GM said the decision to build a new generation of V-8 engines occurred far before the Trump administration’s regulatory changes, as it takes years to develop such products. It said development of its Gen 6 small-block engine started in 2018.