Is GM Finally Taking the Midsize Truck Horsepower Battle Seriously?
The midsize pickup truck horsepower battle is heating up, and for 2027, General Motors finally appears ready to jump into the fight in a much bigger way.
GM is bringing its updated 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder to the 2027 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, and this isn’t simply a carryover engine with a new badge. The updated L4B TurboMax will produce 350 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 40 horsepower and 25 lb-ft compared with the current 2.7-liter L3B’s 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft.
That gets our attention.
We’ve said numerous times here at All Terrain Nation that the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon—what I like to call the GM twins—are arguably the best-looking midsize pickup trucks on the market. The styling, especially on trucks like the Colorado ZR2 and Canyon AT4X, has never been the problem.
For us, the question has always been the engine.
The 2027 Colorado Gets Serious Power
The current 310-horsepower TurboMax is certainly no slouch. Its 430 lb-ft of torque is impressive, particularly for a four-cylinder. But in a segment increasingly filled with performance-oriented trucks, it has lacked some of the excitement offered by competitors.
The new engine changes that conversation.
At 350 horsepower and 455 lb-ft, the 2027 Colorado and Canyon will actually produce more horsepower than Toyota’s Tacoma i-FORCE MAX hybrid, which generates 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft. Toyota still holds a slight 10 lb-ft torque advantage.
Ford remains king of the horsepower mountain with the Ranger Raptor’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, producing 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft. But that’s a specialized high-performance model. Ford’s available 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 in the regular Ranger produces 315 horsepower and 400 lb-ft.
That puts GM’s 350-horsepower TurboMax in an interesting position.
You don’t have to buy a Colorado ZR2 or Canyon AT4X to get it. The enhanced TurboMax becomes GM’s mainstream midsize truck engine.
GM Didn’t Just Turn Up the Boost
There’s more going on here than an ECU tune.
GM revised the engine with a new turbocharger, updated fuel-injection system, redesigned pistons and improved thermal management. Engineers also worked on noise, vibration and harshness, potentially addressing one of the characteristics that reminds you there’s a large four-cylinder working underneath the hood.
The Colorado and Canyon will continue using an eight-speed automatic transmission, unlike the full-size 2027 Silverado and Sierra, which pair this updated engine with a 10-speed.
Interestingly, maximum towing doesn’t increase with the additional power. Properly equipped Colorado and Canyon models remain rated to tow as much as 7,700 pounds, while the ZR2 and AT4X are rated at 6,000 pounds.
So the extra power appears to be more about performance and drivability than simply chasing a larger towing number.
Would We Finally Buy a Colorado?
This is where things get personal for ATN.
We’ve considered adding a current-generation Colorado to the channel as a long-term review vehicle. The looks and off-road capability have always appealed to us, but the four-cylinder engine and its horsepower output kept us from getting completely excited about owning one.
Would I still prefer the option of a naturally aspirated or turbocharged V6? Absolutely.
But 350 horsepower changes the discussion.
It also comes at an interesting time for GM. After years of enormous investment and attention directed toward electric vehicles, seeing the company put meaningful engineering resources into improving its gasoline truck engines is encouraging for buyers who aren’t ready to make the jump to an EV.
And GM hasn’t just increased output. The company appears to be trying to make the TurboMax stronger, smoother and more refined.
The 2027 Colorado also receives several smaller updates, including technology and equipment changes, while production is currently scheduled to begin in October 2026 at GM’s Wentzville, Missouri plant.
A complete redesign isn’t necessary—the current truck still looks remarkably fresh.
But give the interior a few refinements, put 350 horsepower and 455 lb-ft under the hood, and suddenly the Colorado becomes considerably harder for us to ignore.
The question now may not be whether GM is taking the midsize horsepower battle seriously.
The question might be whether ATN finally needs a 2027 Chevrolet Colorado in the driveway.
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