New Silverado and Sierra V8s Rated at 402 and 481 HP — Topping Ford and Ram
GM's sixth-generation Small Block revives the 350 and 400 cubic-inch displacements, and the company says the 481-hp 6.6L is the strongest naturally aspirated V8 in the half-ton class.
GM has put official numbers on the two V8 engines headed for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500: the new 5.7-liter makes 402 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.6-liter delivers 481 hp and 501 lb-ft. According to GM, that makes the bigger engine the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the half-ton segment.
The engines, coded L76 and L78, bring GM's sixth-generation Small Block architecture to light-duty trucks and revive two displacements with real history behind them: 350 and 400 cubic inches. GM got there by stretching the stroke of the outgoing 5.3- and 6.2-liter units by 6 mm, then added a higher compression ratio, larger throttle bodies, and new intake manifolds to feed the extra displacement.
Both engines combine direct and port fuel injection, and the lubrication system now uses a continuously variable oil pump with an engine-mounted oil cooler. A 10-speed automatic is standard across the truck lineup.
Both rival V8s are now outgunned
The gains over the current engines are substantial. The 5.7-liter adds 47 hp and 45 lb-ft over today's 5.3-liter (355 hp, 383 lb-ft), while the 6.6-liter picks up 61 hp and 41 lb-ft compared with the outgoing 6.2-liter (420 hp, 460 lb-ft).
The timing is pointed. Ford's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the F-150 makes 400 hp and 410 lb-ft, and Ram's 5.7-liter Hemi — back for 2026 after a one-year absence — produces 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. GM's smaller new V8 now edges out both, and the 481-hp 6.6-liter has no naturally aspirated rival in the class at all.
One detail worth noting: the maximum tow rating belongs to the 5.7-liter, not the big engine. Properly equipped, a Silverado 1500 with the 5.7L is rated to pull 13,700 pounds — up 400 pounds from today's truck and, GM claims, best in class — while the 6.6-liter tops out at 9,700 pounds, suggesting it is aimed at performance and off-road trims rather than trailer duty.
Four-engine lineup, built at three plants
The V8s join an updated 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder, now rated at 350 hp and 455 lb-ft (up 40 hp and 25 lb-ft) thanks to a new turbocharger and revised fuel injection, plus the returning 3.0-liter Duramax diesel with 305 hp and 495 lb-ft. A new 34-gallon fuel tank is optional with both V8s, and paired with the diesel it gives the trucks a GM-estimated highway range of more than 900 miles.
Engine production starts at Flint Engine Operations in Michigan, with capacity to follow at Tonawanda in New York and St. Catharines in Ontario. GM has committed $888 million to Tonawanda and C$691 million to St. Catharines for sixth-generation V8 output, part of a broader $9 billion U.S. manufacturing plan.
Chevrolet revealed the 2027 Silverado in June without disclosing engine outputs. The trucks are due at dealerships later this year, and pricing hasn't been announced. A larger 6.7-liter version of the same architecture, the LS6, goes into the 2027 Corvette Stingray.
