USA TODAY International Edition
These redesigned pickups sport lots of secret storage
Chevy, GMC, Ram don’t let any space go to waste
Ask buyers of the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 GMC Sierra or 2019 Ram pickups what makes them so cool, and one answer will be the added storage. From snug, hidden cubbyholes inside the pickups to extended boxes and beds outside, designers did not let an inch of space go to waste. “You’re using your vehicle as more than just a car; you’re putting a lot of things in it and not just going from point A to B. You’re living in it,” said Ryan Nagode, chief designer for Ram performance car and Dodge interiors. When it comes to utility, most people think of the bed or the pickup’s towing capacity or the ability to drive off-road, Nagode said. But designers didn’t want to ignore the utility in the interiors for storage. “We didn’t want any dead air in the cabin,” he said.
Ram seats
Nagode and his team grew the cabin in the redesigned Ram by 4 inches. Most of that room can be felt in the second row of seats. There, a person can raise the seats and create more flat floor space to easily load and unload large boxes. Ram engineers added some tiedowns on the floor to help hold those items in place during transport.
Ram center console
The Ram’s front-row center console is bigger and offers multiple ways to configure it for daily use compared with the outgoing Ram, which had one configuration and held 23 liters. The console in the 2019 Ram holds up to 39 liters and has 12 configurations, Nagode said. “We wanted to make sure we can use larger phones or an iPad in the cellphone holder area,” he said. “We have a center console that can be maneuvered so you can put a purse in there, a gallon of milk ... it’s flexible storage.”
Ram secure storage
Given that many people want to store items securely and out of sight, Ram designers put locks on the glove compartments and created two in-floor storage bins in the rear – 9 inches deep, 17 inches long and 5 inches wide. Under the rear seats, Ram offers a flip-out storage area that holds longer, awkward items such as fishing rods, a packed tent, folding chairs or a 4-foot level for contractors, Nagode said.
RamBoxes
The well-known RamBox option runs along the bedside of the pickup and continues on in the 2019 model. These are the saddlebag storage units along both sides of the truck between the outside fender and the inner wall. They can be locked and unlocked by a key fob along with all four doors and tailgate. The boxes are only on the 5-foot-7 bed, Nagode said.
Silverado/Sierra storage
General Motors engineers also made the most out of storage in the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra. “One thing we heard from customers is that they wanted more room for people and for stuff,” said Monte Doran, GM spokesman. “All three of our cabs offer 3 inches more of leg room. We also have more tie-downs in the trucks.” The added storage was a selling point for Kurt Wagner, who bought a 2019 GMC Sierra Denali in August. “It has a lot of little compartments for storage,” he said. “There is a door inside the back seat to store things, there are two glove compartments, and under the back seat there is more storage that runs the length of the truck.” The glove compartments are stacked on top of each other with locks, Silverado says. The upper glove box holds 2.6 liters.
Cool console
Similar to the Ram, GM offers a functional center console on its Silverado and Sierra. An open storage bin sits in the console and below the center stack display. New on the 2019 model is a 1.9-liter open stowage tray on the IP pad, above the center stack display. But, oh, is that new console bigger than the one on the 2018 Silverado, said Shane Redinger, salesman at George Matick Chevrolet in Redford, Michigan. The console on the 2018 model was 4.25 inches deep, compared with a whopping 10.5 inches on the 2019, Redinger said. Silverado says the lighted compartment holds 20.2 liters. The driver can also use small exposed compartments on each side of the floor console for umbrellas, cellphones and flashlights. Because of its depth and side grooves, Wagner hangs his office folders inside it, he said.
Hidden storage
Also new is a storage bin underneath the rear seat bottom, Doran said. Fold the bottom up, and the bin can hold umbrellas, gallons of milk and a trailer hitch, Doran said. Seat-back storage bins are also a new feature.
Bigger bed
Chevrolet engineers have created more storage space on the truck’s bed compared with the outgoing model and competitor models – even in Silverado’s smaller variants. Redinger said the 2019 Silverado’s short-box bed at 63 cubic feet is even longer than the standard-box bed on the F-150 and the Ram, which both measure 62 cubic feet. New this year, GM sells lockable bins that can be attached to the tiedown points in the bed of the truck to offer about 7 cubic feet more of storage for tools or chains.