This is the great "Summit White" 2019 Chevy Silverado, the fourth generation of the nameplate, but a full-size pickup that can trace its lineage back to the early 1960s.
What has changed, you might ask yourself? Well, the third-gen truck had been around since 2007, so despite updates, it was getting long in the tooth.
And full-size the Silverado is! It tips the scales at 5,000 lbs. — but that's several hundred less then the outgoing generation, thanks to lightweight steel and aluminum.
... Came with a short bed, but a larger box is available. (The base work truck in just under $30,000.)
This Silverado isn't a huge departure from the previous generation. But with that massive grille and bow-tie badge, it retains road presence.
Engines! The Silverado could be outfitted with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a 4.3-liter V6, a 5.3-liter V8, a 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder diesel — or in the case of my tester, a 6.2-liter V8.
The V8 motors have a cylinder deactivation features that can drop the engine down to a fuel-sipping two, if all you're doing is humming along at highway speeds (Chevy calls it "Dynamic Fuel Management").
A full bore, the 6.2-liter V8 makes 420 horsepower with a whopping 460 pound-feet of torque. That's 65 more ponies than the 5.3-liter V8 mill. It can propel the truck to 60 mph in around six seconds, sending the power through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The MPGs are actually respectable, at 16 city/20 highway/17 combined.
The "Gideon/Very Dark Atmosphere" interior is oddly named, but still quite pleasant, if a bit on the utilitarian side.
The heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel and the fairly classic Chevy instrumentation isn't a major change from the previous generation.
Perhaps controversially, Chevy stuck with the column shifter. I find it oh-so-cool — much cooler than a shifter mounted between the seats.
I richly enjoyed my time tooling around in the near-luxury LTZ trim level. The front seats are heated and cooled, a nice extra. The rear seats are merely heated.
The eight-inch center touchscreen isn't huge, but it is responsive, with a few buttons and knobs to fall back on.
The venerable OnStar system provides 4G LTE wireless connectivity, along with navigation and emergency communications.
The Silverado is also crammed with driver assist features, including parking aids, lane-change alerts, blind-spot monitoring, and a cross-traffic warning when backing up.
It is worthy! But the ultimate verdict is that it might not be quite new enough to turn a lot of heads away from the F-150.
I last drove the Ford F-150 as a high-performance Raptor, and I haven't yet sampled the new RAM 1500. I've also driven the normal F-150, and I've even checked out the Toyota Tundra.
The Silverado is often the number-two-selling full-size pickup behind the F-150 — although if you add in the Chevy's mechanical sibling, the GMC Sierra, the platform is neck-and-neck. It is therefore critical that GM not allow the Silverado to fall behind.
With the new 2019 model, it most certainly hasn't. But while the revamped F-150 had a storyline that involved the risky use of much aluminum to lightweight the old warhorse, the new Silverado is more of an incremental improvement. When I first hopped inside, I thought to myself, "Huh? This sure seems familiar."
Some of those reservations vanish when, rather than cranking an ignition key, I punched the start button and fired up the volcanic 6.2-liter V8. Yank the column shifter into drive like you're the Lord of the Ranch and feel the power disgorging itself as if from a bottomless well of fire. Sweet mercy!
The V8 is a monster. All I did was lug around a paltry Christmas tree in the bed — no challenge. In fact, I'm not sure a challenge could be found. I suppose I could have tried to tow my house. But I think the Silverado would have laughed at me.
Chevy is part of General MOTORS, after all, and this V8 reminds you of what that means. The F-150's available 5.0-liter V8 tops out at 395 horsepower, giving up 25 ponies to the Chevy's 6.2-liter V8. OK, the Chevy clearly doesn't obtain that additional oomph efficiently. But it does obtain it. And boy! Is it sweet.
The Silverado handles well, rides smooth, and with a robust 4x4 system, should be able to absorb anything that an owner throws at it. The cabin is spacious and comfortable, and in the LTZ trim, close to luxurious. Although I should highlight "close" — it could be better, and perhaps should be, as pickup-truck customers have moved far beyond using their vehicles just for work.
The infotainment system is among the best in the business, so no issues there. The addition of 4G LTE wifi connectivity makes the Silverado a fine family hauler, as well as a helpful multi-device hotspot on job sites.
As for all-around toughness ... well, the Silverado certainly looks and feels like you could beat the crap out of it. The styling hasn't undermined that quality. What we have here is a handsome truck.
Chevy took a conservative path with the new Silverado, and on balance, that was a wise call. Why mess with success? The big question now is whether the moderately ambitious update will be enough to keep longtime Chevy owners from flirting with Fords and RAMs. It probably will, but 2019 will be the year that tells that tale.
Obviously, I couldn't find anything substantial to dislike about the Silverado. And I found plenty to enjoy. The truth is, American pickup-truck buyers now have three excellent choices, proof that Detroit knows better than ever what it's doing in this segment.