Chevrolet offers the 2026 Colorado in a broad and varied trim lineup to give shoppers choices ranging from a rear-drive Pasadena workhorse to an off-road adventure vehicle ready for your next Houston-area excursion. Explore the Chevrolet Colorado engine and its various powertrain configurations to help you decide which model suits your lifestyle best.
2.7L Turbo I-4 Engine
Every Colorado has Chevrolet’s 2.7-liter TurboMax inline four-cylinder engine. A version of this engine made its debut in 2019 as an economical option for the Silverado 1500 truck. Chevrolet tweaked this engine in 2022 for higher output and called it the TurboMax. This engine makes 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.
Chevrolet still uses this engine as the base in its Silverado lineup. Installing the TurboMax in the smaller, lighter Chevrolet Colorado gives the pickup significant advantages, like a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds. That’s enough power to tow your boat to Lake Houston for a day of aquatic fun in the sun or haul your camper to Galveston Bay for weekend camping.
Performance Engineering
Chevrolet engineers developed the high-output engine to deliver maximum responsiveness with diesel-like low-end torque. The result is an engine with near-instant turbo boost with incredible torque in an efficient four-cylinder package.
The arrangement of the TurboMax cylinders provides symmetrical, natural turbo placement, as the large cylinders feed a near-equal-length integrated exhaust manifold coupled with the dual volute turbo. This design separates the exhaust pulses through the turbine to provide high-performance responsiveness.
A large charge air cooler links the turbocharger and engine, taking warm, compressed air and cooling it before it enters the engine. This process increases fuel efficiency and power for optimal towing even in the hot Texas summer.
Durable Construction
It isn’t often you find an inline four-cylinder engine with the durability required to power a pickup, but the TurboMax engine was built to endure the rigors of towing, hauling, and off-roading. The TurboMax engine has a fully forged steel bottom end with a stiff forged-steel crankshaft supported by forged-steel main bearing caps.
Turbocharged engines operate under higher loads than naturally aspirated engines. Chevrolet engineers used durable diesel tech to account for this issue. Tri-metal rod bearings, pistons with a fully machined crown, a cast-iron ring carrier, and a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coated steel top ring make the TurboMax more durable and allow it to haul heavy loads using turbocharged power.
Adding to the TurboMax engine’s solid foundation are the hydraulic tensioners that reduce high loads on the chain drive systems. A lower crankcase extension also plays its part in supporting the main bearing caps to handle the heavy loads of turbocharged production.
Turbocharger Lubrication and Cooling
A turbocharged engine operates at higher temperatures than naturally aspirated engines. To handle the heat, engineers used spiny lock nodular cast-iron liners that give the rings a durable wear surface critical for extending an engine’s life. The locking interface optimizes heat transfer out of the cylinder to the water jacket.
The use of sodium-filled exhaust valve stems with high thermal conductivity valve seats and guides keeps the exhaust valves running cool under these high-temperature situations.
That symmetrical natural turbo placement we mentioned earlier allows for improved oil feed from the filter to the engine and the perfect routing for engine coolant. This bit of engineering provides thermosyphon cooling to help cool the turbocharger after engine shutdown. During extreme conditions, an electric water pump provides after-run cooling as well.
Transmission Options and Drive Systems
The Chevrolet Colorado has an eight-speed automatic transmission bolted to the TurboMax engine. Depending on the model, you have the option of rear or four-wheel drive. The WT and LT trims use an open-air rear differential system. Trail Boss and Z71 models have a limited-slip setup. The off-road 2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 has power-locking front and rear differentials and hydraulic front and rear bump stops that make it the most capable off-road Colorado.
You get up to five available drive modes to dial in your truck’s performance to match challenging conditions on and off the road. Simply turn the dial to Off-Road, and the system fine-tunes your traction on loose or slick surfaces such as grass, mud, gravel, or deep snow.
The Terrain mode is perfect for climbing steep hills and crawling over obstacles. Terrain mode can also automatically apply the brakes for better control while climbing. A ZR2-exclusive Baja mode optimizes power delivery and enhances stability and traction control on sandy terrain, ideal for when you take your Colorado into the dunes on Trinity Bay.
An available Tow-Haul mode tunes your engine and drivetrain to support towing and hauling heavy loads. The default Normal mode optimizes performance on your Pasadena commute.
Houston-Specific Considerations
Houston’s heat and humidity can be difficult to bear sometimes, but not for your Colorado’s TurboMax engine. Its design and construction were meant to handle the high heat of summer without compromising performance. You won’t miss a beat relying on your Colorado to tow your jet skis to the bay or your equipment trailer to the jobsite.
If you’ve lived in Houston long enough, you’ve seen areas of the region prone to flooding after tropical storms make landfall from the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, the Colorado has up to 12.2 inches of ground clearance to help you navigate flooded roads. Off-road tires up to 35 inches help your Colorado keep traction on those muddy trails, too.
Shop the Chevrolet Colorado at Monument Chevrolet
If you’re searching for a capable midsize pickup with full-size power and performance, the Chevrolet Colorado delivers thanks to its TurboMax engine. At our Chevy dealership near Houston, we have an expansive inventory of Colorado pickups at competitive prices. You can always visit our Pasadena showroom and speak with a truck specialist. They’ll answer your questions and let you take your favorite model for a spin.
Image courtesy of Chevrolet
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