For decades, pickup truck buyers were told there was no replacement for displacement. Bigger engines meant more powerful trucks, period. Yet 2025 sales data tells a very different story. Turbocharged, four-cylinder new truck sales are on fire, much to the dismay of online commenters who say they will NEVER buy such a truck.
From midsize pickups to full-size bestsellers, consumers are voting with their wallets, opting for the small displacement engines with more torque, better performance off-the-line and, at times, better fuel economy than the non-turbocharged engines. A closer look at the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Silverado explains why.
Toyota Tacoma: Four Cylinders, Massive Growth
The Toyota Tacoma delivered one of the most eye-opening sales performances of the year. Despite abandoning the long-running V6 in favor of turbocharged four-cylinder and hybrid powertrains, Tacoma sales surged to more than 274,000 units, up 42.4 percent year over year.
Under the hood, every Tacoma now relies on four-cylinder power, including the turbocharged i-FORCE and hybrid i-FORCE MAX setups. While some enthusiasts continue to question long-term reliability compared to the old V6, Toyota customers have not hesitated. Tacoma remains the dominant midsize pickup in the U.S., outselling competitors by a wide margin and proving that efficiency, torque delivery and modern powertrains matter more to buyers than cylinder count.
Plus, in an even more wild twist in today’s world, the Tacoma is exclusively built in Mexico, not in the U.S. anymore.
Ford Ranger: Turbo Four Goes Mainstream
The Ford Ranger, like the one we bought for our long-term review vehicle, tells a similar story. Powered primarily by the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, Ranger sales jumped 53 percent in the U.S., reaching approximately 70,000 units last year.
While Ranger still trails Tacoma significantly in overall volume, its growth rate highlights strong consumer acceptance of Ford’s turbocharged four-cylinder that it sells in many other SUVs as well. Despite online debate about reliability and long-term durability, customers continue to buy Rangers in increasing numbers. Some could argue they are buying the optionally 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost, but the reality is the base engine always sells the most in any brand.
Chevy Colorado: One Engine, Strong Results
Chevrolet took a bold approach with the new 2023 Colorado by offering a single powertrain: a turbocharged four-cylinder. That strategy paid off in 2025, as Colorado sales climbed 26 percent to roughly 52,000 units.
The Colorado’s turbo-four delivers strong torque and competitive towing numbers, helping it appeal to both lifestyle buyers and light-duty work users. With no V6 option available, every Colorado sold reinforces the same conclusion: buyers are comfortable with four-cylinder power when performance meets expectations. The Colorado’s growth underscores how normalized turbocharged fours have become in the midsize truck segment.
Chevrolet Silverado: Four Cylinders in a Full-Size World
Perhaps the most surprising example of this trend comes from the full-size truck segment. The Chevrolet Silverado’s base engine is a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder aka Turbomax, and Silverado sales rose modestly year over year. When combined with GMC Sierra sales, GM outsold Ford’s F-Series in the U.S. by more than 40,000 trucks.
The TurboMax four-cylinder has become a volume engine for GM for both fleets and the volume selling lower trim models. While V8s and the 3.0L Duramax diesel still play an important role in sales, the Work Truck, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT and RST all come with the base Turbomax engine. This covers a price range from $45,795 to $62,795 for an LT Trail Boss 2WD truck. Opting for the 5.3L V8 adds a little less than $2,000 to the price.
This small four-cylinder engine produces an astonishing 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3L V8? It produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. You get more torque from the four-cylinder engine than you do with the V8 and better fuel economy if you can avoid driving the truck like a race car!
The Bottom Line on Four-Cylinder New Truck Sales
From Tacoma to Silverado, the sales results are clear. Four-cylinder trucks are not a niche experiment — they are a core part of today’s pickup market. While V8s still have passionate fans, the numbers show that most buyers are choosing turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines without hesitation.
While critics will point to fleet sales as a major driver for these sales, especially the Silverado 1500 numbers, a sale is still a sale. Fleet sales make up around half of all trucks sold each year.
In simple terms, this is Economics 101. Manufacturers build what people buy, and right now, four-cylinder trucks are selling in record numbers.
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