The Chevrolet Express van is the
equivalent of the never-ending “The Young and the Restless” soap opera for the
automaker’s commercial fleet business. After all, this is a work vehicle
Chevrolet has been selling with very few changes since 1995 and doesn’t plan to
ditch anytime soon. Much like the TV series, the Express is a cash cow for GM
and the automaker has decided to extend its shelf life with a major powertrain
update for the 2021 model year.
At the Work Truck Show, Chevrolet
announced the introduction of a new 6.6-liter V8 gasoline engine on the Express
and Low Cab Forward models. Sourced from the all-new 2020 Silverado 2500 HD and
3500 HD, the new direct-injected V8 engine is rated at 401 horsepower and 628 Nm of torque.
That’s 17 percent more power and 24
percent more peak torque than the Express’ 341 HP 6.0-liter V8 Vortec engine it
replaces. Chevrolet says the additional output and wider torque band will give
drivers “more on-demand power and confidence, especially with heavy payloads.”
Arriving on the 2021 Chevrolet Express
Cutaway, Cargo and Passenger models late this summer, the new 6.6-liter V8
engine is expected to become the most popular powertrain option for the Express
family, with a take rate of around 70 percent – the same as the outgoing
6.0-liter unit.
The standard engine for the Chevy Express
is a 4.3-liter V6 rated at 276 HP at 5,200 rpm and 404 Nm of torque
at 3,900 rpm. A 181 HP 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine is also
available, though GM did not say if it will remain on offer for 2021. GM says
demand for the Express remains high across Passenger, Cargo and Cutaway
configurations, with a 12 percent increase year over year in 2019 across the
entire lineup.
The new 6.6-liter V8 gasoline engine will
be introduced on the Isuzu-made Low Cab Forward truck as well, but in a
de-tuned configuration of 350 HP and 425 lb-ft (576 Nm) of torque. Still,
that’s nearly 18 percent more power and 14 percent more torque than the Low Cab
Forward’s outgoing 6.0-liter V8.
Besides the introduction of the 6.6-liter
V8 on the 2021 Express and 2021 Low Cab Forward, Chevrolet has also announced
updates for the Silverado 4500 HD, 5500 HD and 6500 HD chassis cab trucks that
further increase performance and flexibility for upfitting.
Those include a higher maximum gross
combined weight rating of 37,000 lbs (16,783 kg), a new mechanical locking rear
axle, longer axle-to-end-of-frame options for the two shortest wheelbases, new
extended mirror arms, new left-hand power take-off capability, and an auxiliary
switch bank available with six additional upfit switches located in headliner.
