Chevrolet needs another truck. They missed the opportunity to compete in the high-performance segment, although we can read rumors about Silverado ZR2 or Silverado SS models. Ford Raptor R and Ram TRX are taking advantage in this class. But, General Motors won’t let them take over the compact pickup market. Maverick is already out and Ram 1200 is spotted. The 2024 Chevy El Camino comeback would be a perfect fit for this class.
The pickup was discontinued in 1987. However, in the past decade, we could hear and read speculations about its comeback more frequently. The Breaking Bad movie warmed up speculations, but the truckmaker didn’t use the momentum. Back in 2019, there was no room in the lineup for the El Camino. General Motors had all slots covered – mid-size, half-ton and heavy-duty trucks.
Now, Ford made a bold move by building the compact pickup. In the beginning, almost everyone calls it a bad decision. Now, after the success of Maverick, other companies want to take a share of the profitable segment. Ford’s archrival is not wasting time. The 2024 Chevy El Camino is just a rumor, as well as GMC Syclone.
Compact Truck
The 2024 Chevy El Camino might be based on the compact crossover for maximum efficiency. Urban delivery trucks are not relying on the towing capacity, but a good combination of all performances. A downside for the El Camino is that the pickup is not getting a hybrid engine. General Motors is not building those systems and it cost them a lot. Anyway, the company decided to go with full electrification, and there are a few models already available. In the truck segment – Hummer EUT introduces some cool options for off-road driving.
But, let’s go back to El Camino. As a small pickup, it will use a unibody architecture. The Equinox crossover might be a perfect model to start off. Ford Maverick shares a platform with Escape. So, the crossover-based pickup can use the same engines as well. Equinox is using a 1.5-liter turbo engine with 175 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. The crossover is not too efficient, with just 28 mpg combined.
Hybrid systems can return 40+ miles per gallon (Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Rav4). Even Maverick is using one of those setups. The 2024 Chevy El Camino is not competitive against 191 hp and 42/33 mpg. Ford is using a larger turbocharged engine on a non-hybrid model. In this case, the outputs are 250 hp and 277 lb-ft, with the towing capacity increased to 4,000 pounds. Hybrid tows half as much as the turbo unit.
2024 Chevy El Camino Comeback Rumors
The truck is returning for more than 10 years. But why we believe it will be back now? The new spot opened up. All those old speculations positioned the El Camino in some of the existing slots, or somewhere that it doesn’t belong. For example, it can’t be a high-performance truck and a rival to Raptor. Being a compact pickup makes a lot more sense. General Motors covers all the segments with two models – one Chevrolet and one GMC. So, we have mid-size trucks Canyon and Colorado, full-size models Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500, and the same nameplates for the HD class, with badges 2500 and 3500.
2024 Chevy El Camino EV
This sounds both crazy and logical – the 2024 Chevy El Camino might be an electric truck. Yes, the company is electrifying everything, so any model can become an EV. On the other hand, the first concepts are already out – such as Hummer and Silverado.
But, let’s talk about this – the El Camino was a utility muscle car. Another pony car is turned into the EV – the legendary Mustang. But, Chevrolet is not going to build an electric SUV, but the truck, because of the history. A compact electric model would be able to tow a limited amount of cargo. Its main purpose should be deliveries of small items around the city.
2024 Chevy El Camino SS
The El Camino SS already had a few concepts. But, those images were based on the Camaro pony car turned into the truck, with SS badges and upgrades. Now, it might have sense. The legendary muscle car will have its final appearance next year. General Motors is discontinuing Camaro because of slow sales. Ford Mustang is still alive, but the Blue Oval company is slowly switching it to the EV. The Mustang Mach-E SUV is already available.
There is no way the 2024 Chevy El Camino SS is taking a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine to rival Raptor R and its 700 hp. The GM truck would be smaller, rather based on the Colorado pickup. Instead of a 6.2-liter displacement, the El Camino might use a 4.2-l mill. In some Cadillac V-Series models, it can burst 550 horsepower. That is enough to stun fans of smaller trucks. And the company would keep the price at some acceptable level since Ram TRX and Ford Raptor R are above $100k.
