WHO’S THE BOSS NOW?
Chevrolet’s toughest Silverado takes high road along the icy edge of the Arctic Ocean
Far above the tree line is a sea that cannot be sailed upon. Services we take for granted, such as gas stations, Tim Hortons coffee shops, and even roads, are far behind us. But here, on the icy edge of the Arctic Ocean, it is also easy to feel free and unbridled. “Here” is Tuktoyaktuk, a hamlet of 900 people on the edge of the Beaufort Sea in the Northwest Territories.
It’s a community that, until recently, was isolated from the rest of Canada. There was the infamous ice road along the Mackenzie River in the winter months, but come spring, the only way in was by boat or plane. Not anymore. Tuktoyaktuk is now connected to the rest of Canada by road, a $300-million marvel of engineering.
The Inuvik to Tuk Highway (ITH), which opened last November, is in fantastic shape as we bound across it in Chevrolet’s 2019 Silverado, the truck remade and revised from bow-tie to bumper. Taller, more than 400 pounds lighter, three inches longer and slightly wider, the new LT Trail Boss edition we are driving is consuming the washboard, divots and undulations of the ITH with ease. That is expected given this model gets a two-inch suspension lift, Rancho shocks and Goodyear Duratrac tires on 18-inch rims.
The Trail Boss, one of eight trims available, is by far the bestlooking Silverado of the bunch (the top-line High Country looks fetching on its 22-inch wheels, if a little too pretty for a land where trucks remain caked in mud most of the year). All 2019 Silverados have chiselled flanks and LED lighting all around.
All Silverados are bigger, too, with most of that space added to the rear-seat area. Storage space is good as well, with 60/40-split rear seats that lift up to reveal cubbies, and there’s optional storage inserts in the seats. The beds have been widened, and come with 12 standard tie-downs and nine optional ones. Box and tailgate lighting is optional, but the standard bumper steps are now big enough for steel-toe boots. Depending on the trim, the tailgate will remotely drop with a push of a button on the key fob or a button in the cab. Available on the LTZ and standard on the High Country, the tailgate can close itself as well. As snow streaks across the horizon, the LT Trail Boss presses on. While the seats are comfortable, they could be a pinch wider. But they are heated, as is the steering wheel — small blessings for any Canadian. The truck is also noticeably quiet inside, that is until some large pothole swallows the front wheels and those new forged aluminum upper control arms drop hard, and a loud “bang” erupts inside the cabin as we hammer through the pothole at high speed. Surprisingly, there is no lingering effect. The rear suspension is working to control the ride, though it continues to use leaf springs. While the leafs help support payload — from 2,100 to 2,500 pounds, depending on the engine — there is some shudder or “box walk” when driving over rough roads when the truck is at a slight angle. Still, the leafs do a good job of managing the terrain and remain superior for cargo and towing. On the rest of the truck, anything with a hinge is made of aluminum — the doors, hood, tailgate, etc. — but the bed is steel. The suspension, fixed to a fully boxed frame that is 10 per cent stiffer, is probably one of the truck’s best features.
Fuel economy in our Trail Boss registered between 15 and 17 L/100 km at mostly 100 km/ h. That may not sound impressive, but the ITH has many hills and soft sections requiring plenty of power, plus we idled the truck a lot and weren’t exactly trying to be thrifty.
Chevrolet has enlisted the same primary engines — a 5.3-L V8 (355 horsepower, 383 poundfeet of torque) and a 6.2-L V8 (420 hp and 460 lb-ft) — but they felt quicker than the outgoing trucks and were noticeably smoother.
Some of that refinement comes from Chevy’s new Dynamic Fuel Management system, which can operate under 17 different modes of cylinder deactivation, and some from the eight-speed automatic that shifted cleanly at all times. Like it or loathe it, the gears are still controlled by an old-school column shifter.
Those two engines are joined by a new 2.7-L turbocharged four-cylinder, rated at 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque and paired with the eight-speed automatic.
A 3.0-L in-line six-cylinder diesel is coming, but won’t be available in the Trail Boss, at least initially. The 6.2-L engine is paired to a 10-speed automatic, and the diesel will be as well. The diesel is expected to have best-in-class torque, but is not meant to be a towing leader, but rather an efficiency gem. The diesel will be available on the LT model and up. Starting prices will be lower than current models, GM says, but they have not yet been announced.