This pickup gets a little bigger and better
Chevy’s redesigned Silverado is tough yet refined, with multiple engine choices
One day, a truck manufacturer is finally going to blink and the next new pickup will be smaller, rather than wider and taller, than the one it replaces.
That isn’t just my short little legs talking. I ran Chevrolet’s all-new and larger 2019 Silverado past a few truck owners — all of them considerably taller — and they also would prefer something with a lower step-in and a box they could reach over. But obviously, somebody wants bigger along with better and automakers are answering, and so all I can do is overlook this new Chevy’s bulk and look instead at what it has to offer — which is quite a bit.
This includes six engines, one of them the Silverado’s first turbocharged four-cylinder, along with an upcoming light-duty diesel. You can also buy the outgoing truck, marketed as the 2019 Silverado 1500 LD, although GM won’t say for how long. Prices start at $35,000, but I had the top-ofthe-line High Country 4WD, which began at $65,800 and swung up to $76,630 with options.
The Silverado’s previous 4.3-litre V6 and 5.3-L V8 carry over. Both use Active Fuel Management, which shuts off half the cylinders for fuel efficiency when full power isn’t needed.
But there’s also a new and higher-tech 5.3-L V8 available alongside, as well as my tester’s new 6.2-L V8 that replaces the old version. They make the same horsepower and torque as before, and the big deal with both is GM’s new Dynamic Fuel Management, a higher-tech version of cylinder deactivation. The active system shuts off the same cylinders each time; the dynamic one deactivates them in 17 possible patterns, right down to a single cylinder if it can. Both power plants have idlestop, which shuts the engine off completely when you’re sitting at a light under the right conditions, while all other functions continue to operate. You can temporarily disable the system if you prefer.
The various engine choices are salted among the trim levels, and my tester’s 6.2-L V8 is available only on the two top trims. On the High Country tested here, swapping out the standard 5.3 paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission for the 6.2 with tenspeed added $2,895 to the price. My truck’s bigger engine churns out 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and while it’s probably overkill for most everyday drivers, it’s a considerable step up from the stock 5.3’s ratings of 355 horses and 383 lb-ft of torque.
The ever-changing cylinder deactivation process is seamless when you’re driving, although I sometimes got a bit of a choppy idle when standing still. With a light foot and no load in the truck, the fuel readout went as low as 9.0 L/100 kilometres on the highway. The official combined city/highway rating for the 6.2-L engine is 13.7, down from the old engine’s 14.1.
As with most full-size pickups these days, the ride is more luxury car than tough truck. The steering is nicely weighted and accurate, and it tracks straight and smooth on the highway. Towing is rated at a maximum 12,200 pounds, but not all configurations and engines go that high, so be sure you’re getting what you need when you buy.
This big truck features a roomy interior, with lots of legroom and an almost-flat rear floor. On the High Country, the front seats are both heated and ventilated, while the two outboard rear seats heat and the steering wheel warms up as well. The cabin design isn’t spectacular, but it’s simple and clean. Most of the controls are easy to use, although the mirror switch and wiper stalk are small and fiddly, and can be tough to operate when you’re wearing gloves.
Storage space abounds, with a laptop-swallowing console box, twin glove boxes and a central cubby with wireless charging. The Crew Cab’s rearseat cushions lift up to reveal lidded storage boxes, while their seat backs cleverly conceal two bins inside.
Having run an ad where someone rips a hole in Ford’s aluminum bed floor by tossing in a tool box, Chevrolet couldn’t very well use that material here. There is an aluminum hood as before, and the tailgate now uses that lightweight material, but the bed floor is steel, which GM calls the Durabed. It’s also wider than before and will carry the benchmark four-byeight sheet of plywood. The brilliant bed steps continue as before: Simple cut-outs in the bumper, with a handhold in the box side, that get the job done without pulling out a step and handle.
Overall, GM’s done a very good job of updating this truck. It looks good, it’s comfortable, and buyers get lots of choices. I don’t like that it’s bigger, but I like that it’s better.