Of all the vehicles we’d expect to receive one of General Motors’ most anticipated engines, the 2021 Chevrolet Express van isn’t on the list. The Express in its current form was first built a full 25 years ago, and its most involved update since came for the 2003 model year.
Back when the Express first arrived, the stoutest gas engine it got was a 290-hp 454-cubic-inch big-block lump. Times have changed a bit. The new 6.6-liter V-8 is derived from the latest GM small-block family and produces a very modern 401 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.
The new 6.6L replaces the Express’s available 6.0-liter unit, which was down 17 percent and 24 percent in horsepower and torque. (That places the old engine’s figures at 341 ponies and 373 lb-ft of torque.) Chevrolet continues to offer the entry-level 4.3-liter V-6 gas engine, as well as a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder shared with the Colorado diesel pickup. Even so, expect most buyers to opt for the 6.6-liter engine—Chevy notes that a full 70 percent of Express buyers chose the 6.0 it replaces. We expect that engine mix to hold with the new V-8, which is available across the Express lineup, even the Low Cab Forward trucks (similar to the Isuzu NPR series), although it is detuned in that application to “just” 350 horsepower and 425 pound-feet.
This is a neat engine, one we sampled last year, when it debuted in the Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD trucks. It’s a workhorse aimed at commercial fleets and folks who need to work with their trucks or average folks who just like the response and feel of a big V-8. It’s a serious upgrade for the Express, since unlike the HD trucks the gas V-8 is the biggest and stoutest option that exists; the Silverado heavy duty rigs’ big Duramax turbodiesel isn’t offered in the Express.
