Photo: Chevrolet Trucks
The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations and eight trim level packages.
The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations and eight trim level packages.
The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations and eight trim level packages.
The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations and eight trim level packages.
The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations and eight trim level packages.

Chevrolet officially reveals 2019 Silverado pickup

Jan. 15, 2018
The OEM plans to build the new 2019 Silverado at its assembly plant in Ft. Wayne, IN, with deliveries to customers expected by the fall.

General Motors officially took the wraps off its 2019 model Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The new Silverado – which journalists got a look at in December last year at a special event held at the Texas Motor Speedway – is larger than previous models, with a wheelbase that is up to 3.9 in. longer and an overall length that is 1.6 in. longer, enabling both more cargo volume and more interior room for all cab lengths, the OEM said.

It’s also lighter, GM noted, weighing 450 pounds less when comparing the 2019 crew cab V-8 engine-equipped model with previous versions.

The 2019 Silverado will be offered with six engine/transmission combinations, the company said, giving customers more combinations of performance, efficiency and value to best fit their priorities.

This includes new 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8s equipped with “Dynamic Fuel Management” technology that actively shuts off any number of cylinders, in a variety of combinations, depending on immediate needs to optimize fuel economy.

The Silverado will also be available with an all-new Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six turbo-diesel, with both the 3.0-liter diesel and 6.2-liter engines are paired with a new Hydra-Matic 10-speed automatic transmission as well as start/stop technology to improve fuel economy for optimum performance and efficiency.

“Truck customers told us they want the perfect truck for them and not a ‘one size fits most’ truck, compromised for the masses,” noted Mike Simcoe, vice president of global design for GM. “That insight shaped our design strategy with eight distinct models, each with a unique personality to fit different customers, from the affordable ‘Work Truck’ model to the luxurious ‘High Country.’”

Other features of the new 2019 model Silverado pickup include:

  • More cargo volume: The 2019 Silverado offers more cargo volume in every bed length, with the short-box offering 63 cubic ft. of volume. Most of that volume was created by widening the maximum width of the bed floor nearly seven inches. Chevrolet Accessories will offer storage bins that fit over the wheel wells, offering nearly seven cubic feet of lockable cargo space for short-box models, while easily accommodating a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood flat on the cargo floor.
  • Higher-strength steel floor: The Silverado continues to be built with a roll-formed, high-strength steel bed floor. But for 2019, a higher-grade steel is used, with yield strength increased from 340 to 500 megapascals of pressure for optimal strength and mass.
  • More and stronger tie-downs: Silverado now has 12 fixed tie-downs, and their strength has doubled to 500 pounds of force before bending. Silverado also has nine moveable tie points for even more cargo flexibility.
  • Retooled suspension: The front independent short/long arm suspension features new forged-aluminum upper control arms that are lighter and provide better wheel alignment than the stamped component they replace. The live-axle rear suspension is also redesigned, including new carbon-composite second-stage springs on LT models that save about 12 lbs. per side over the steel springs they replace.
  • Improved aerodynamics: Key elements of the front grille are front functional air curtains, similar to those introduced on GM’s latest Camaro sport car, which reduce aerodynamic drag by routing air around the front wheel wells. The side profile design further enhances aerodynamics with integrated spoiler at the rear edge of the cab that directs air onto the tailgate lip, reducing wind drag from the bed. Changes like these result in a 7% increase in aerodynamic efficiency.
  • More features: Silverado will be available with a power up/down tailgate that can be operated from the key fob, interior button or by hand. Other changes include available task lighting, a 120-volt power outlet and larger cutouts in its “CornerStep” bumpers to better accommodate steel-toed boots.

GM noted that the 2019 Silverado will also be available in eight trim packagesdesigned for three distinct buyer profiles:

  • “High Value” customers want the capability of a full-size truck at a great value.
  • “High Volume” customers represent the heart of the truck market, requiring the capability of a full-size truck as well as the creature comforts of a passenger vehicle.
  • “High Feature” customers represent the fastest-growing part of the truck market and want luxury-car refinement and appointments without sacrificing capability or durability.

The eight trims also reflect another key differentiator for truck buyers: chrome.

“Chrome has become more polarizing, and more personal, than any other aspect of truck design,” noted Rich Scheer, director of exterior design for the Chevrolet Trucks division. “Some customers want no chrome at all and only body-color or blacked-out trim. Others feel a truck isn’t a truck without a chrome bumper, but feel extra chrome can be too ‘flashy.’ Others want as much chrome as they can get.”

Accordingly, the eight trims are tailored to give customers a wide range of features and levels of chrome, GM stressed, enabling customers to choose the best 2019 Silverado package for their personal preferences.

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