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Late last night, a GM-Trucks.com member noticed that the 2015 Silverado fuel economy numbers had been updated at fueleconomy.gov. Only available with the 420-horsepower 6.2L V8 engine, GM's new 8-speed will net Silverado and Sierra owners 1-additional MPG in both city and highway driving. We will report on the "official" numbers if and when the company releases them publicly. Compared side by side to the 2014 6-speed View attachment: 2015MPG.jpg(Thanks to gone_fishing for this graphic)

As many truck and SUV owners know, the performance of the transmission is a big part in how confident you feel behind the wheel. While only a single part in a complex powertrain, the transmission is the glue that links an engine to the road. When the transmission hesitates, the entire vehicle’s performance suffers. A great vehicle needs an equally great transmission. After only a few minutes behind the wheel it became obvious that shifts are quicker and smoother than the past generation 6-speed. Having two more gears allows the engine to stay in the sweet spot of the RPM range more often. Tip into the throttle and with no drama the 8L90 quickly snaps to the right gear. However, the most noticeable change is how well shifts are managed by the faster next generation transmission controller. Dependable and crisp transmission performance is a benefit in any situation. A slight bump in fuel economy is the icing on the cake, allowing for a +1mpg bump in fuel economy. Under full throttle we found gear changes effortless, quick, and solid. Under light throttle we could barely notice the vehicle had shifted at all. Where the past generation 6-speed sometimes gets confused or doesn't shift as cleanly as we’d like, the new 8-speed was always seemed on point. Unfortunately, we're slightly surprised to see that manual shifting with the 8-speed hasn't changed. Commands to select a specific gear using the shifter stalk are still only a suggestion, with the transmission controller having a final say. In our short test, shift requests sometimes took seconds if the truck didn't agree with the gear we requested. We drove an 8L90 equipped 2015 Sierra Denali and Yukon Denali on urban streets during rush hour. We did not get an opportunity to measure fuel economy. While only available with the 420-horsepower 6.2L EcoTec V8 during model-year 2015, expect this 8-speed to be available in the rest of the full-size truck and SUV line in the near future. When we have an extended amount of time with another 8-speed truck we will report back with fuel economy figures and more driving impressions.

----------------------- 2015 Chevrolet and GMC Pickups, SUVs to Offer Eight-Speed Transmission DETROIT – Chevrolet and GMC have confirmed a new eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard on 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali models equipped with the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8. The GM-developed Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed is approximately the same size and weight as the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic. Its 7.0 overall gear ratio spread is wider than GM’s six-speed automatic transmissions, providing a numerically higher first gear ratio to help drivers start off more confidently with a heavy load or when trailering. The 8L90 also enables numerically lower rear axle ratios, which reduce engine rpm on the highway. With 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 is the most powerful engine offered in any light-duty pickup, and offers a maximum available trailer rating of 12,000 pounds, based on SAE J2807 Recommended Practices. As with other EcoTec3 engines, it seamlessly switches to four-cylinder operation under lighter loads to improve fuel economy. Additional technical details and the EPA estimated fuel economy will be announced closer to the start of production in the fourth quarter of 2014.