The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado has arrived, complete with a controversial new mug which — among other things — gives it some high-performing aerodynamics and a very distinctive look. The face isn’t for everyone, but it grew on me over the course of a week at the wheel.
Looks aside, it turns out this is also a heck of a thing to drive.
My tester was the Silverado High Country, which intends to give shoppers a pickup that’s equal parts luxury and capability, something with all of Chevrolet’s latest and greatest tech, and a machine that’ll work nicely as a pickup, a luxurious family hauler, or a decked-out towing rig, losing little in between.
Included was Chevrolet’s latest 6.2-litre V8, complete with direct injection and a new cylinder deactivation strategy which allows extended use of less cylinders, more of the time.
This benefits your fuel bill. Ditto the new 10-speed automatic. Sure, this is a big and heavy truck beast with 420 horsepower, so it’ll still put gas away in a hurry if you’re driving it hard, but during a gentle highway cruise the mileage is very reasonable.
All four wheels are driven via a 4x4 system with high and low range, as well as a full “auto” setting. The latter enables set-it-and-forget-it operation and works like the AWD system from your family crossover.
The whole package rolled on a set of 22-inch wheels, wrapped in (excellent) Toyo winter tires. Traction was abundant. And equipped thusly, the new Silverado is psychotically good to drive in the snow.
As all-new pickups tend to be, this latest Silverado is larger, more intelligent, quicker, more powerful and more capable. Also, it’s safer, more connected, and lighter, despite being physically bigger than its predecessor; that’s thanks to the increased use of fancy-pants lightweight materials and clever engineering.
Chevrolet says they’ve even made the bed stronger and reinforced the tie-down points in the box. You access said box via a clever tailgate that’s motorized to open or close at a button press.
Silverado has largely advanced on all fronts, other than the cabin. Designers say that customers liked the last-generation cabin so much that they designed the new one to be very familiar.
If you’re upgrading from a few-year-old Silverado you’ll feel at home with the switches, displays, interfaces, dials and overall layout and shape. There’s some additional stitching and some upgraded materials to help liven things up.
The cabin hits all important marks for features and functionality. No issue with space for passengers or smaller items — each seat has plenty of room and a good view, even for larger occupants.
There’s a hilarious amount of at-hand storage for smaller items, by way of two glove boxes, a plethora of cup holders and cubbies, and a centre console that’ll swallow a full camera kit with multiple lenses, a laptop, or whatever else.
Don’t miss the slick heads-up display, built-in Wi-Fi, and household power outlet that help turn the truck into a worthy workspace for you and your laptop, or the fiery-hot heated seats and steering wheel which are triggered automatically via the remote start on cold mornings.
Also notable is the central display screen. Though the graphics and animation look somewhat dated compared to some competitors, the system is highly logical, consistently responsive, and easy to use after just five or 10 minutes of experimenting.
How does it drive?
Very well, in virtually all situations.
The big V8 is as gentle, or snarly a giant as you’d like. Drive with a light foot and you’ll barely hear a peep from the engine room as 460 pounds of torque ooze the Silverado up to speed from under about 1,600 revs.
The big Ford Ecoboost is more responsive and quieter at lower engine speeds, but if you don’t care for twin turbochargers in your pickup truck (and you may not) then Chevy’s big V8 will serve you well.
Boot down, the big six-two emits a tastefully restrained grumble as it fires this heavy Chevy along with nearly excessive thrust. The 10-speed automatic shifts with nearly imperceptible smoothness at virtually all times, and rarely feels like it’s having any trouble finding the right gear for the job.
On snow and ice, the 4x4 auto setting works brilliantly, powering all four wheels instantly, from the first inch of movement, for plentiful off-the-line traction. The ABS brakes are so smooth there’s a warning illuminated in the cluster when they engage, as no telltale pulsation is detectable at the pedal. If one or more wheels are struggling for traction on snow and ice, the same display even advises you of which ones are suffering from insufficient traction. Slick stuff.
Steering is typically light and requires minimal wrestling in parking situations, themselves supported by a 360-degree array of camera angles that can be called up on the fly. Brakes, further, demonstrate higher-than-average precision at the pedal, which imparts added confidence when a fast stop is in order.
Ride quality might have been my tester’s greatest asset — specifically because the typically rigid, bouncy, giggly pickup truck ride is nicely mitigated. You still feel like you’re in a pickup, but rarely does the ride cause occupants to be tossed or jostled.
On smooth highways, it nearly rides like a luxury sedan and, on nasty in-town roads dotted with frost heaves and potholes, drivers will find that the Silverado maintains a comfortable ride, more consistently, and more of the time.
Put simply, little breaks the machine’s composure and the ride won’t cause you any stress. Other than, perhaps, in one situation.
Strike a deep, sharp bump on a slippery highway and the Silverado’s tail has a party, dancing around this way and that until composure is regained. This can be startling, but with winter tires and an on-the-ball stability control system, all remained well after a bit of squirming. Keeps you awake. Some sources suggest that skipping the monster 22-inch wheels may help mitigate this behaviour.
Aside from this, and a cabin that might not wow the socks off of shoppers as powerfully as the comparable Ford or Dodge, your writer found Silverado to be an expert long-haul, bad-weather cruiser, with plenty of easily-appreciated technology.
At my tester’s $75,000-plus asking price, shoppers can expect most value for their dollar when priorities include slick gadgets and tech, a luxury sedan ride, the segment’s most distinctive face, and a proper V8 engine, more than interior design.
The specs
- Model: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado High Country
- Engine: 6.2L V8, 420 horsepower
- Drivetrain: 4x4
- Transmission: 10-speed automatic
- Features: two-way powered tailgate, built-in Wi-Fi, climate-controlled seats, head-up display, OnStar, automatic climate control, sunroof, automatic lights, lane departure alert, full 360-degree parking camera system
- Starting price (Silverado High Country): $66,500
