A more refined and useful pickup
Brand new for 2019, the totally redesigned Chevrolet Silverado is all about more, except when it isn’t.
The latest Motown full-size truck to get a ground-up rework, following the comprehensively retooled Ram 1500, which debuted a few months ago and Ford’s aluminum-bodied F-150, which has been on the market since 2015, the bow-tie brand’s popular “half-ton” pickup is loaded with advanced engineering and thoughtful amenities that are sure to delight both commercial customers and commuters alike.
Compared to its predecessor, the new Silverado offers more cargo volume and tie-down points in its bed, has more interior space, more overall length, more wheelbase and it’s more aerodynamic to boot. There are more engine options, more durability, more capability, more luxury and of course more technology. But what there isn’t more of is weight. Amixed-materials strategy Much like with the aluminumintensive Cadillac CT6, Chevy took a measured approach with the new Silverado, rather than betting the farm on one material like a major competitor did (*cough* Ford).
Compared to its forebear, engineers have trimmed up to 204 kilograms off this pickup’s waistline by optimizing as many of its systems as they could. From the body alone, they took out 40 kilograms by using seven different types of advanced steel. This metallurgical mélange is all about putting the correct amount of the proper material in exactly the spot needed.
Like its body, the Silverado’s brand-new, fully boxed frame has dropped 40 kilograms thanks to the extensive use of high-strength steel. Despite this significant weight loss torsional rigidity has increased by 10 per cent.
Slashing still more weight, this truck’s swing panels, things like the hood and doors, are made of aluminum. Certain models also feature composite secondstage leaf springs, a move that saves about 5 kilograms per side.
Ensuring this weight loss doesn’t translate into a quality decline, engineers doubled many key validation metrics, meaning this is the most rigorously tested vehicle GM has ever built.
Making the Silverado’s weight loss all the more impressive is that it’s grown. Crew-cab models, like the one tested here, are about 3 centimetres wider, 3.8 centimetres taller and 4.3 centimetres longer. Even the wheelbase has grown by 10 centimetres. Six for the road Ahead of the firewall, there’s been a similar revolution. When the full Silverado range eventually becomes available you’ll be able to choose from six different engines. That’s nearly as many as the truck’s trim levels!
A 4.3-litre V6 is the first rung of the ladder, offering a stable of 285 horses. Beyond that, a 2.7litre turbocharged four-cylinder will also be available, providing a respectable 310 ponies and likely superior fuel economy.
Two versions of GM’s venerable 5.3-litre V8 will be on the menu, including one with a new efficiency-boosting technology called Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM), though both brandish the same 355 horsepower.
Next, a 3.0-litre inline-six diesel will join the range at a later date.
Finally, the top offering is a 6.2-litre small block equipped with DFM. And that’s the one I experienced in the High Country model tested here. The drive At least partially making up for its lacklustre cabin, this new Silverado drives like a dream, providing world-class refinement over practically any road surface.
For starters, the structure feels incredibly rigid, absolutely unyielding, even while traversing war-torn pavement. There are no creaks or judders to cheapen the experience, with the entire rig feeling as if it’s hewn from stone.
Despite having old-fashioned leaf springs and a live-axle at its rear, the Silverado’s ride quality is buttery smooth and free of the jiggles you might expect in a pickup.
This is one area it clearly beats the starchy F-150 and might even equal the creamy Ram 1500, which of course offers standard rear coil springs and can be fitted with an adjustable air suspension system.
Steering is likewise precise and nicely weighted. The wheel’s rim could stand to be a bit meatier, but the Silverado feels light on its feet and agile through corners. Surprisingly, despite sitting so high up there’s minimal body roll, even when you push this truck hard. The 2019 Silverado provides a refined ride and well-controlled body motions; what more could you ask for? The verdict By far, this is the best Silverado ever. The folks at Chevrolet have done their homework to create an even more capable, refined and useful pickup, a rig that’s sure to give their counterparts in Auburn Hills and Dearborn fits for years to come.
But it’s also a truck without any revolutionary attribute. There’s no “military-grade” aluminum bodywork or adjustable air suspension system to crow about. Instead, the 2019 Silverado befits from a host of smaller innovations spread throughout, a range of features that add up to something just as significant, if not as flashy.