The new 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are offered with three variations of a 2.7-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The one here is the mid-level L3B “Turbo Plus” in the Trail Boss and has 310 horsepower and 390 pound feet of torque on regular unleaded fuel.
The engine comes mated to an 8L80 8-speed automatic and in our test truck is rated at 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.
The all-aluminum engine features direct fuel injection, a 10:1 compression ratio and its turbocharger offers up to 20 psi boost in this trim. It has variable cam timing, can shut down two of its cylinders when extra power is not needed. It also features an electric water pump and electronically controlled cooling circuit.
Following the airflow, the intake charge starts at the large air filter box at the front driver side and then travels through a pretty large and complex air plenum before it gets around to the passenger side of the engine and into the dual volute turbocharger.
From there the boosted charge is ducted down to an air-to-air inter-cooler mounted low and behind the front fascia before it’s then routed back up to the composite plastic intake manifold. From there it travels into the combustion chambers.
You can see on the head all four spark plug coil packs, though servicing them will require you to pull a few things off and out of the way. Spent combustion air exits through an integrated exhaust manifold and into the turbocharger where an electronically controlled wastegate controls flow to the exhaust system.
While it looks a convoluted mess, servicing and maintenance on the 2.7-liter L3B engine is relatively straight forward. The sound cover is easily removed to give a better view and access to spark plugs if that is what you are after.
The windshield washer fluid reservoir is located at the passenger side of the engine bay as is the sizeable 12V battery and boxes for various fuses and relays. The ECU is located just to the right of the battery down low, though it is typically not user servicable.
The engine oil filler cap is at the top front of the engine and the dipstick can be found at the driver side, notable by its bright yellow handle. The oil filter is accessed from down below. Brake fluid and engine coolant are both found at the driver side firewall area.
Because our Colorado features conventional halogen headlamps they are serviceable directly behind the main units. There is a serpentine belt for accessories on the engine, but it drives only the alternator and the AC compressor as the power steering and water pump are both electric.
Electric too is the radiator cooling fan we can see looking forward behind the radiator. Keep your hands free even if the engine is turned off.
