The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the most important
vehicles that General Motors makes so it comes as little surprise the company
decided to unveil the truck at the North American International Auto Show.
Set to battle the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500, the 2019
Silverado eschews the conservative styling of its predecessor for a bolder
design that helps the truck to truly stand out. The front end is fairly
evolutionary but bigger changes occur further back as model adopts new bodywork
which features gentle creases and strong character lines.
Eight different variants will be available including
the new Silverado LT Trailboss. The off-road focused model builds on the Z71
package and includes a two-inch suspension lift, a locking rear differential,
and skid plates. The truck also boasts Rancho shocks and 18-inch alloy wheels
with Goodyear Duratrac off-road tires.
Another new addition is the Silverado RST which is
based the LT variant and adds a "street-performance appearance" to
the truck. Chevrolet says the model has LED lighting units and up to 22-inch
alloy wheels.
While the exterior styling is a bit of a departure,
the cabin should be instantly recognizable to owners of the previous-generation
pickup. Chevrolet says the cabin was "strongly influenced by customer
feedback" and features an additional three inches of rear-seat legroom in
crew-cab variants. The truck also boasts new interior storage options including
two 10-liter bins integrated in the second-row seatbacks and a 24-liter storage
tray underneath the rear seats.
The Silverado is 41 mm longer than its
predecessor and rides on a wheelbase that has grown by up to 100
mm. Despite this, the truck's weight has been cut by up to 204 kg due to the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum. The latter material
is used on the doors, hood, and tailgate and this helps the truck's body weigh 40 kg less than before.
The weight savings extends to the Silverado's fully
boxed steel frame which is also 40 kg lighter despite boasting a 10
percent increase in torsional rigidity. Other weight savings come from the
suspension which features forged-aluminum upper control arms and a live-axle
rear suspension with carbon-composite second-stage springs on LT variants.
The 2019 Silverado will be available with six
different engine and transmission combinations. Chevrolet was coy on specifics
but confirmed choices will include a new 5.3- and 6.2-liter V8 as well as a
3.0-liter Duramax six-cylinder turbodiesel.
On the transmission side of the equation, GM
confirmed the 3.0-liter diesel and 6.2-liter V8 petrol engine will come with an
all-new 10-speed automatic transmission as well as a start/stop system. The V8s
will also have a Dynamic Fuel Management system which can deactivate up to
seven-cylinders to optimize fuel efficiency.
