Chevrolet and GMC are preparing new V8 and diesel engines for their next generation of full-size pickups even as fuel prices rise and Asian automakers gain market share with more efficient lineups.

General Motors is preparing to launch a new generation of full-size pickup trucks with exactly the kind of engines the current economy would seem to discourage. The 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 are expected to feature updated V8 and diesel powertrains, including GM’s next generation of small-block V8 engines and a larger Duramax diesel option. The timing is awkward. Gas prices are sharply higher than they were a year ago, diesel has climbed to record levels, and affordability has become one of the biggest concerns facing car buyers. Yet GM is not retreating. Its message is straightforward: truck customers still need towing capacity, durability and range, and those buyers remain willing to pay for it. Marketing Brew reported that GM intends to emphasize capability and value rather than apologize for selling fuel-hungry vehicles into a high-fuel-cost environment.

There is a financial reason for that confidence. Full-size pickups remain among the most profitable products Detroit builds. GM says demand for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra remains strong, and its third-quarter results show Silverado light-duty sales up 13.3% from a year earlier, even though total Silverado sales were down slightly year to date. Full-size trucks and SUVs also help support margins that smaller cars often cannot match. For an automaker balancing higher labor, technology and manufacturing costs, abandoning those vehicles because of a temporary fuel-price spike would mean walking away from some of its strongest profit centers.