TRUCKS pick up more performance, luxury
Whether it’s playing hard or working hard, trucks are often an indispensable part of the equation. Though they may not (yet) be as bespoke as a Bentley, shoppers face a full plate when tailoring a pickup to their needs, lifestyle and budget. Let’s take a peek at a few samplings from this year’s crop.
Specialized models and packages continue to proliferate, with off-road muscle remaining a big draw. To play in that space, Chevy’s all-new 2023 Colorado midsize pickup will be offered in a Trail Boss version that features a factory 2-inch lift and a wider stance. Its big brother, the Silverado, gets a ZR2 Bison variant that includes a 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V8, boron-steel skid plates and 33-inch Goodyear tires on 18-inch AEV wheels.
The 2024 GMC Sierra HD adds a new top tier, the Denali Ultimate, which hikes the luxury benchmark with goodies like massaging front seats, full-grain leather seating, open-pore wood trim, dark chrome badging and a 15-inch color head-up display. Meanwhile, the new-for-2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV features stamped bumpers with heavy-duty recovery points, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires and a freshened front grille.
Ford’s on their game too, with a new Rattler package available for the 2023 F-150 XL. The Rattler bundles FX4 content like all-terrain tires, skid plates, hill descent control, off-road-tuned shock absorbers and an electronic rear-locking differential. Pickup purists take note — the F-150 Tremor model now gets a 5.0-liter V8 as standard. Later in the year, the redesigned 2023 Ranger midsize pickup will debut. An available Tremor Off-Road package will feature special shocks and taller ground clearance. In my book, one of Ford’s most impressive feats is lowering the admission price of the pickup segment with its Maverick compact pickup.
Under the Ram banner, there’s a new heavy-duty Rebel slotted between the Laramie and Power Wagon. Available with either a 6.4-liter gas V8 or the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel, the 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel will have its own suspension, rear differential and performance hood. For the Ram 1500, a new limited-edition Emergency Medical Service model honors first responders. It will sport a black grille, bumpers and lighting bezels, and specific 20-inch wheels.
The darked-out look gets even easier to achieve thanks to the Toyota Tundra and Tacoma’s new SX packages.
Of course, the power race never goes out of fashion with pickup purveyors.
Case in point: the optional, high-output 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel is again available with the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty. With 420 horses and 1,075 lb.-ft. of torque, Ram says the rig can tow up to 37,090 pounds.
Ford’s offering a new high-output Power Stroke diesel for its 2023 Super Duty. It’s rated at 500 horses and 1,200 lb.-ft. of torque.
There’s also a new standard engine for the F-Series Super Duty, a 400-horsepower 6.8-liter gasoline V8. But on the light-truck side, there are also impressive stats: the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 stuffed under the hood of the new F-150 Raptor R puts out 700 horsepower and 640 lb.-ft. of torque.
Chevy Silverado updates
Chevy’s full-size Silverado also gets power updates. The 3.0-liter Duramax diesel’s torque increases to 495 lb.-ft., thanks to new fuel injectors, pistons and turbocharger enhancements. On the heavy-duty side, the 2024 Silverado 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 also generates more oomph — 470 horsepower and 975 lb.-ft. The new Silverado HD’s gross combined weight rating with the gas engine goes up to 26,000 pounds. The Silverado HD should be available by spring.
The technology race has also heated up. Ford’s new F-Series Super Duty trucks, for example, will be 5G wireless ready. The navigation system can factor in the trailer’s weight and dimensions, while an added camera lets the driver keep an eye on things with the tailgate down. That should make hitching and backing up to a loading dock a lot less stressful.