In the truck business, styling might make more of a difference to buyers than in any other sector. A good example is the 1994

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Ram 1500 which transformed an also-ran half-ton pickup into a major player thanks to big rig road presence, but Chevy’s light duty trucks never had design problems to begin with.

Certainly there were years the Silverado wouldn’t be considered a head-turner, but bowtie branded trucks were long considered the best looking of the lot even before the Silverado nameplate came into existence in 1998. Prior to that it was a trim level for a variety of Chevrolet’s trucks and SUVs, the full-size C/K pickups boasting great looking designs since the ’60s, while the Task Force trucks of the ’50s are some of the most sought after by custom tuners today, and prior to that the late-’40s to mid-’50s Advanced Design pickups were very attractive for their era.

Speed

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forward to 2014 and Chevrolet’s new Silverado 1500 is as bold, brash and downright good looking as anything else in the segment. Certainly there will be blue oval fans that disagree and those with rams branded onto their foreheads that will never stray from their beloved beasts of burden, but no doubt Chevy could influence many Toyota Tundra owners away from their half-ton rides, not to mention the dwindling few still waiting for a redesigned Nissan Titan.

These last two full-size trucks have long played catch-up to Detroit’s big three, and while both Japanese automakers have made credible pickup trucks that are worthy of their much smaller followings, they simply don’t measure up to what’s on offer from the domestics, especially when it comes to the variety of powertrains and cab/bed body styles. For example, the Titan is available with one V8 engine, two cab sizes and two bed lengths, whereas the Silverado 1500 offers three engine choices, three cab sizes and three

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box lengths (actually four if you allow for the standard box’s two different six-foot-five and six-foot-six lengths), the perfect triumvirate.

Of course the imports would complain that the entire domestic truck industry is the real triumvirate, but they’ve had ample time to make their stand and frankly what they’ve come up with isn’t as competitive. For instance, one might think that the imports would have more appealing interiors, but the domestics trump them both thoroughly. While the General’s truck interior designs and execution were lagging behind competitors prior to the new 2014 pickup truck makeovers, the new

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Silverado and GMC Sierra fraternal twins are arguably the best in the business now, delivering premium-level soft touch surfacing in all the right places, although you’ll need to reach up past my tester’s LT trim to attain all the luxuries Chevy has on offer.

The LT’s dash plastics are hard, albeit nicely textured and attractive. More upscale trims I’ve driven have even added the soft-touch treatment to the lower instrument panel as well as over the two glove box lids, but no such luck with this lower trimmed Silverado.  Good thing the bowtie product planning team didn’t forget to give the door uppers the soft touch treatment so as to pamper left elbows, while the door panel inserts boast even plusher padding, and of course the truck’s rubberized armrests and centre console lid are downright comfortable to

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rest your arm on all day long. The seats are extremely comfortable too, and covered in a nice looking high-grade fabric that appears like it will wear well over the years, while all the truck’s switchgear is first rate, some circled with rubberized rims for added grip as well as a premium feel.

Premium in mind, my tester was fitted out with a lot of convenient features such as automatic headlights, automatic climate control, a 10-way powered driver’s seat, three-way front seat heaters with dual settings (just the back cushion or the back and seat cushion), power adjustable pedals, reverse parking sensors, a large eight-inch full-colour touchscreen Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system with navigation, reverse camera, plus six-speaker AM/FM/CD/satellite audio, an auxiliary jack, SD card slot, Bluetooth phone connectivity and streaming audio, voice-activation, plus no less than three USB connectors, a three-prong 110-volt household

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socket, two 12-volt adapters set right in front of the driver and front passenger. A universal remote was also included, as was a rear window defogger and remote vehicle start. Much of this gear comes as part of a $1,890 LT Convenience package as well as the $730 LT Plus Package. The overhead console included a handy sunglasses holder, always appreciated, while OnStar was ready and willing to give me turn-by-turn directions or, in case of a problem or accident, much-needed assistance.

If all this sounds like a lot of unnecessary opulence for a mule you’ll only be using to haul with, Chevy offers a very basic Work Truck (WT) that doesn’t even include carpeting. You can have it for a mere $26,540 plus a freight and pre-delivery prep charge of $1,695, and it’ll do the job as long as you don’t plan on carrying a full crew of workers along for the ride and don’t need to do any serious off-roading. The

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WT1 is priced $614 lower than the most basic GMC Sierra, incidentally, so if you’re looking to shave the most from your budget, Chevy’s your brand. You can get a WT1 with four-wheel drive, the price starting at $31,835 plus freight, and after that the skies the limit as far as body style configurations and trim levels.

The LT trim is next in line, but the difference between a Regular Cab LT1 and my Crew Cab LT2 is obvious. For starters all of the matte black plastic surrounding the more basic pickup gets exchanged for nice bright chrome, giving the Silverado that highway rig presence most truckers like. Its ride height increases for a more substantive stance, due to the uprated off-road suspension with monotube Rancho brand shocks that come as part of the standard Z71 Off-Road package, which also includes a unique grille with a Z71 badge, special lower bumpers and Z71 decals on the pickup box, plus on the inside brushed metal Z71 door sill plates, an exclusive

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Z71 gauge cluster, and uniquely finished interior trim plates, while things unseen include hill descent control, a high capacity air cleaner and underbody skid plates. Making my Blue Topaz Metallic painted Silverado look even better was a sweet set of 20-inch chromed alloys on 275/55R20 all-terrain tires for $1,295, well worth the extra coin for style points alone.

One key feature that made driving the Silverado more enjoyable was the 5.3-litre V8 under hood, good for 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. It’s strong at takeoff and impressive during passing maneuvers, the standard six-speed automatic smooth enough for this class, with direct positive shifts. Tow-haul mode, cruise grade braking and powertrain grade braking come standard, as do two overdrive modes to save as much fuel as possible while on the highway.

Fuel

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economy has long been a Chevy strongpoint in the light truck segment, the new Silverado no different with a claimed rating of 13.0 L/100km in the city, 8.7 on the highway and 11.0 combined in 2WD trim or 13.3 city, 9.0 highway and 11.4 combined in 4WD. If fuel-efficiency is priority one consider the base 4.3-litre V6 that’s good for an estimated 11.9 city, 8.4 highway and 10.4 combined in 2WD or 12.6, 9.0 and 11.0 with the optional 4WD powertrain, while delivering amply strong performance for most peoples’ requirements at 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque.

Both

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engines are made stingier on fuel because of GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder-deactivation system, which shuts down a bank of cylinders under lighter loads, plus the inclusion of direct injection and variable valve timing that benefit power and efficiency simultaneously. If performance is critical, GMC also offers a 6.2-litre V8 in higher trims. With 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque at your beck and call there won’t be many jobs it can’t handle, and if there are you might want to consider moving up to one of its heavy-duty pickup trucks.

As it is the 5.3 lets you pull up to 3,266 kilos (7,200 lbs) thanks to a 3.08 rear axle ratio, while its auxiliary external transmission oil cooling system will make sure the gearbox maintains the load.

I

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never had opportunity to pull a trailer or even haul a light load in the box, but time well spent behind the wheel made me confident it is up to the task. The 5.3-litre V8’s power aside, this new Silverado is one structurally rigid truck. A fully boxed frame, including the main rails and major cross members, which are all formed from high-strength steel, uses hydroforming for the frontal portion of its three-section design, resulting in rock solid base to build the truck on, while the body structure is made from advanced high-strength and ultra-high strength steels to further increase torsional rigidity, no doubt aiding in the truck’s overall 5-star crash test results. Additionally the Silverado’s cargo box floor is constructed from roll-formed steel, which is both lighter and stronger than conventional stamped steel. Lastly, the tow hitch is integrated into the frame for greater strength.

Another

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sign of the Silverado’s overall rigidity is felt inside the cab, where squeaks and rattles are distant memories of the past. The doors and windows are sealed so tight and cab so well insulated that you might feel like you’re ensconced in a luxury car if you closed your eyes, while GM trucks have long been lauded for their excellent ride quality, the new 2014 Silverado no different. Likewise, handling is very good for the half-ton class, the big truck sticking to its lane nicely even when moving along quickly, while standard traction and stability control keep its rear end in place when pushing it harder than most pickup truck owners would.

Recently I tested that big rig inspired pickup truck I mentioned before, and while it

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offers good ride and handling as well as an impressively efficient and powerful diesel powerplant it’s missing out on some features that GM addressed with this new Silverado, particularly a way to easily climb in and out of the bed. When I was younger stretching my leg enough to put my foot up on top of the bumper and then hoisting myself up there wasn’t an issue, but as I age and my joints, bones and muscles aren’t as flexible such tasks are trying at best. GM’s answer is a simple set of steps integrated into each corner of the rear bumper, lowering the foothold position just enough to make that climb up to the bed a lot easier. In similar fashion my tester included handy retractable side assist steps, a $395 option

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that is well worth the money in my opinion. Keeping everything clean in back, GM also included a $930 hard tri-folding vinyl tonneau cover, which I’m guessing also reduces drag for improved fuel economy.

Storing gear in the rear portion of the cab is made easier thanks to a bench seat that’s split 60/40 and replete with lower cushions that flip up out of the way when needed, while the standard front seat is split 40/20/40 to accommodate a centre passenger. As you might note from the photos this stock centre position was replaced with a nice big optional console, a handy place to hide valuables.

As you can imagine, I have hardly touched on all the standard feature and options available to Silverado buyers, the myriad items on Chevy’s light truck menu a key reason

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why it’s such a popular truck, as mentioned. Test out the configuration tool on the brand’s web site and you’ll see just how unique you can make your ride, with plenty of option packages as well as numerous standalone features resulting in what are likely countless available Silverado variations.

As mentioned, 2014 Silverado pricing starts at $26,540, but you can easily spend more than $70k if you load every available option onto a top-line High Country model. When you’re done you’ll have one of the nicest luxury trucks on the market, outclassing both Japanese wannabes while giving its two Michigan-born rivals a serious run for their money.

This is where I bow out of the “best pickup truck” argument and let you choose the

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winner for yourself, however, as it’s the automotive equivalent of a diehard Labatt Blue fan telling a Molson Canadian guy he’s drinking the wrong beer. Pickup owners are a loyal bunch, and while we in the automotive journalism business do our best to sort through the good, bad and ugly of the truck world in the most unbiased way possible, you’re going to like what you like no matter what I say.

So, in a nutshell, if you already like past Silverados you’re going to love the new 2014 Silverado. It is so much better than the outgoing model that it might even be capable of swaying Ford and Ram zealots to the General’s side, or at least influence import buyers out of their Tundras and Titans.
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