2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Earlier this year, we got to sample the new turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine in the new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado. During our limited time with the truck, we were pleasantly surprised by the four-cylinder's power delivery, though the transmission calibration didn't feel fully polished.

Now, nearly six months later, Chevrolet gave us an opportunity to drive a finalized version of this new powertrain out in the real world. We've already covered all of the changes in the new truck, so read our First Drive of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado if you'd like to know more.

Paving the Way for Smaller

Turbocharging for gasoline engines in trucks is becoming more popular. It started with Ford and its turbocharged V6 in the 2011 F-150. For the most part, we've readily accepted the benefits of turbocharging, such as torque down low in the rev range and, as long as you drive conservatively, greater fuel efficiency. But is a turbo four-cylinder one step too far?

Its 2.7-liter displacement is large for a four-cylinder. Advanced valvetrain technology, which offers adjustable timing and lift, and an optimized turbocharger layout help to produce 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque. Not that long ago, these were V8-worthy numbers. For instance, the old 5.3-liter V8 from the 2013 Silverado 1500 produced 315 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque.

Even with this much power, you'd think that a four-cylinder engine would have to work double duty to be useful in a big truck capable of towing up to 7,200 pounds or hauling up to 2,280 pounds. Chevy makes sure everything stays reliable thanks to careful monitoring and adjusting of the powertrain's temperature. An electric water pump and multivalve distribution system ensure components, such as the transmission and engine block, get up to temp quickly and then stay at the ideal operating temperature, promoting efficient engine operation.

Other technology that's already in use by Chevrolet includes cylinder deactivation and stop-start technology. The result is an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 to 21 mpg in combined driving, depending on drivetrain and body and cab configuration. With the 2019 Silverado's 5.3-liter V8, you're looking at a combined rating around 18 or 19 mpg. That equates to perhaps 10 percent better fuel economy for the four-cylinder.

How Is It in the Real World?

On the road, the four-cylinder engine is responsive. The weight savings compared to the V8 provides slightly nimbler handling. The engine sound is satisfactory at low rpm, though it gets raspier and uncomfortable to listen to as the revs climb to its 5,700 rpm redline. The whine of the turbo spooling up whenever you get on the gas lets you know serious work is going on under the hood.

What you don't hear, or even feel, is the switchover between two-cylinder and four-cylinder operation, or the switchover from the high-lift cam profile to the low-lift one. Depending on how deep you depress the accelerator, you're quickly met with either one or two sets of downshifts from the eight-speed automatic transmission and then a healthy and smooth surge of torque. It's all very smooth and, in some ways, superior to the relatively soft bottom-end power of the 5.3-liter V8. That engine's 383 lb-ft of torque peaks at a relatively high 4,100 rpm. In comparison, the 2.7's 348 lb-ft of torque is available at an ultra-low 1,500 rpm.

Over the course of a long driving route that took us over hills and through curves, with a little bit of city driving mixed in, we netted 23.5 mpg in our double-cab RST four-wheel-drive test truck. These numbers exceeded our expectations and compared well even against Chevrolet's smaller Colorado midsize truck. Once we get a test truck in the office, we'll have a chance to test towing and cargo-hauling capabilities.

Potential Struggles

Aside from the cylinder count, the other big hurdle for Chevrolet will be pricing. The Venn diagram subset of truck buyers who genuinely need the capability of a full-size truck but also want maximum fuel efficiency without having to pay a bunch more for a diesel is small. Most buyers would probably be better off with an easier-to-buy and easier-to-park midsize truck, such as Chevy's Colorado.

Chevrolet took a leap with this engine. It's just as advanced as anything found in the latest crop of German super sedans, and it works just as well, too. We think the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine is clever and is a pretty good insurance policy against rising gas prices. Now to see if buyers will give it a shot.

A proving ground isn't the ideal locale to size up a new model, but we never turn down an opportunity to sample a preproduction vehicle. Sure, the vehicle may not be fully baked and the highly regulated environment limits what you can learn, but the very fact that you've come to a secure facility is a sign that the automaker is giddy about something. Such is the case with the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup.

In this instance, our attention was directed at two important new engines that power the bulk of the 2019 Silverado pickup trucks you'll see in dealer showrooms this fall. The first is a new turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder that's the base offering on the most popular trim levels. Chevrolet also unveiled a significantly updated version of the 5.3-liter V8 that's optional on four-cylinder trims and standard on premium ones.

The Middle Third of a Six-Engine Lineup

Technically, the 2.7-liter four-cylinder is not the base engine. That distinction goes to the carryover 4.3-liter V6 that powers fleet and budget-oriented trim levels such as the Work Truck, Custom and Custom Trail Boss. At this level, last year's 5.3-liter V8 can be fitted as an option, but it lacks the updates we sampled. Both come mated to a six-speed automatic.

The 2.7-liter four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic combination will nevertheless be the base drivetrain for most customers. This package comes on the bread-and-butter LT and the destined-to-succeed LT Trail Boss and RST trim levels. Don't be fooled by the cylinder count. This engine generated impressive thrust during our brief test drive, and the announced SAE-certified ratings of 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque feel right on the money.

The optional choice on these trims is an updated 5.3-liter V8 that differs from the carryover engine of the same displacement in its use of automatic stop-start, a new cylinder deactivation system called Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) and the eight-speed transmission. Just like the carryover one, the engine makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft when all eight cylinders are active.

This updated 5.3-liter V8 comes standard on the LTZ and High Country. The option for these premium trims is the fifth engine in the lineup: a 6.2-liter V8 with DFM and a 10-speed automatic transmission. This one's still under wraps, but we learned it'll make a cool 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. As for engine No. 6, all we know is that it's a 3.0-liter turbodiesel, it gets the 10-speed transmission and it's available as an option from LT on up.

Inside the Big Four

The new 2.7-liter four-cylinder is a clean-sheet design that was envisioned as a truck engine from the outset with the goal to make it as smooth as a V engine. We drove it before we knew what it was and pegged it as a turbo, but never figured it was a four-cylinder. Chevrolet's hit the bull's-eye on that score.

Such an engine needs balance shafts to pull off this feat, and this four-cylinder has them down in the oil sump. There's also a centrifugal pendulum absorber in its torque converter, which is a trick Chevy first applied to the Colorado's diesel engine. The engine block itself has been configured with an offset crankshaft that orients the connecting rods closer to vertical on the power stroke.

The lone turbocharger bolts directly to the head with no exhaust manifold in between. It's a dual-passage design in which the exhaust gasses spewing from the first and last cylinders combine to spin the turbine from one side while the middle two cylinders push from the other side. It's similar to a twin-scroll turbo, but not identical. Picture two kids pushing in unison on opposite sides of a merry-go-round instead of on the same side and you've got the idea.

There are also sliding camshaft mechanisms that provide two intake cam lobe profiles — one for cruising and another for full power. The middle pair of cylinders takes things a step further. The intake and exhaust cams for those cylinders each get an additional lobe profile that has zero lift. These circular lobes allow those two cylinders to be deactivated to save fuel during very light load driving conditions.

Our drive clearly demonstrated that this engine has guts. It gets the truck moving quickly, and it does so without any raw "four-banger" unpleasantries. But we're not convinced about the calibration of the eight-speed transmission, which demonstrated occasional indecisiveness. For now, we'll attribute that to the work-in-progress feel of many proving ground prototypes.

Dynamic Fuel Management

The cam-switching trick of the 2.7-liter is a good choice for that layout, but the V8 needed something more. Chevy's 5.3-liter V8 has had cylinder deactivation for some time, but it basically swapped between V8 and V4 modes by cutting off two cylinders from each back.

The updated 5.3-liter V8 comes with Dynamic Fuel Management, which can switch off one or more cylinders in 16 available patterns. General Motors engineers call it a fractional approach, and the idea is similar to a sprinkler timer that can water every day, every other day, every third day or every fourth day. They can cut it finer in between these examples by assembling those basic blocks in various combinations.

What results are seamless transitions that defy comparison to the old system. The previous V4 step-change was readily telegraphed to the cabin via changes in exhaust tone and vibration, so you didn't want to have it happen often. The DFM's considerably more graduated transitions can't be felt at all, and that allowed GM's calibration engineers to use it more liberally. They rigged an LCD display to show how it changes almost constantly, but we'd never have known had it been absent.

The point of all this is improved fuel economy, but Chevrolet has not yet released those figures. All of the work and complexity that went into DFM has to move the needle an appreciable degree, but we'll have to wait and see by how much.

A Better-Driving Silverado

While the engines were the focus of this activity, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 could not hide how well it rides and drives. Chevy didn't reveal any details about what was going on between the tires, except to remind us of things announced at the Detroit Auto Show. The new Silverado Crew Cab rides on a wheelbase that's been stretched by 4 inches, yet certain versions have lost as much as 450 pounds through the use of high-strength steel and lightweight materials.

Back-to-back drives told us more than any spec sheet. This truck's suspension breathes better and delivers a more polished ride than the old truck. It still uses a live rear axle and leaf springs, but the rear end is less skittish through bumpy corners. The steering feels more responsive and connected, and we could swear the ratio is quicker than before. The jury is out on the steering effort, though. One prototype was too light and another was just right — another likely case of unfinished prototype syndrome.

The new Silverado doesn't just ride better, it mostly sits better, too. A new tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel eases the search for the best driving position, and the front seats offer decent support. The cockpit does feel cozier than it really is, however, because of the vertical cliff of a dashboard. In back, the four extra inches of wheelbase produce abundant rear legroom. We're less jazzed about the Silverado's rear seatback angle, which reminds us of an airline seat before you hit the recline button.

Much More to Come

There's still a lot about the 2019 Chevy Silverado that we don't know. Fuel economy remains a big mystery, and we still lack basic facts about towing and payload. We'd like to tell you about the diesel, the 6.2-liter V8 and how they work with the 10-speed automatic, but we can't. We've not yet put a wheel on dirt, and we've only ever eyeballed immobile examples of the Trail Boss.

Even our driving impressions are inconclusive. This was a very brief drive in tightly controlled conditions away from any other traffic. Any acceleration stabs we made were completely devoid of context. We never climbed a grade or settled into a cruise for a solid hour to see if anything got under our skin.

What's needed is an extended drive in the random circumstances you can only find on real roads. That will come soon enough, as it looks like 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 information is destined to dribble out all summer. Come back for more on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 after we get more information and amass more time behind the wheel.

As of this month, Chevrolet trucks have been part of the American landscape for 100 years. One of the ways General Motors is celebrating this anniversary is by rolling out a fully redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup. In keeping with the gravity of this important milestone, this is no half-baked warmed-over restyle. The truckmaker has gone all out and made numerous transformative changes.

For one, there's a lot more truck. The new Silverado 1500 stands an inch taller at the hood, and the driver's seat and roofline have been raised a like amount. The bed rails stand taller, too. In effect, there's more metal beneath the windows, and that makes for a more beastly truck. Additionally, the crew cab has been lengthened, and the wheelbase on which it sits has been stretched some 3.9 inches. Larger tires measuring 33 inches tall have been fitted to offset the extra visual mass.

But the increased visual mass does not mean actual extra mass. In fact, the new Silverado weighs a staggering 450 pounds less than the one it replaces. For one, a couple of inches have been chopped from the truck's nose and front overhang; the 3.9-inch wheelbase increase only results in 1.6 inches of added overall length. But the real savings come from a greater reliance on high-strength steel (extra strength enables the use of thinner material) and low-mass nonsteel materials. The completely new frame features optimized cross-sectional design and a greater reliance on high-strength steel alloys. The floor of the cab and bed uses high-strength alloys as well. And aluminum is the basis for all of the so-called swing panels: the doors, hood and tailgate.

Those taller box sides produce a deeper box, but GM engineers have also broadened the floor of the box almost 7 inches behind the wheel blisters and ahead of the tailgate. The result is the largest pickup cargo box volume of any full-size truck, no matter which bed length you look at. No less than a dozen fixed tie-downs good for 500 pounds each are present, with provisions for another nine movable ones. Access to the cargo is easier than ever because the corner steps are even deeper and easier to use with steel-toed work boots. And the tailgate can be equipped with a class-exclusive power open-and-close feature. Actual payload figures have not yet been revealed, however.

But the increased visual mass does not mean actual extra mass. In fact, the new Silverado weighs a staggering 450 pounds less than the one it replaces. For one, a couple of inches have been chopped from the truck's nose and front overhang; the 3.9-inch wheelbase increase only results in 1.6 inches of added overall length. But the real savings come from a greater reliance on high-strength steel (extra strength enables the use of thinner material) and low-mass nonsteel materials. The completely new frame features optimized cross-sectional design and a greater reliance on high-strength steel alloys. The floor of the cab and bed uses high-strength alloys as well. And aluminum is the basis for all of the so-called swing panels: the doors, hood and tailgate.

Those taller box sides produce a deeper box, but GM engineers have also broadened the floor of the box almost 7 inches behind the wheel blisters and ahead of the tailgate. The result is the largest pickup cargo box volume of any full-size truck, no matter which bed length you look at. No less than a dozen fixed tie-downs good for 500 pounds each are present, with provisions for another nine movable ones. Access to the cargo is easier than ever because the corner steps are even deeper and easier to use with steel-toed work boots. And the tailgate can be equipped with a class-exclusive power open-and-close feature. Actual payload figures have not yet been revealed, however.

Powering all this will be the job of six engine-transmission combinations. Chevrolet engineers are only ready to talk about three of them. The 6.2-liter V8 and 5.3-liter V8 engines remain, but both are so heavily revised that the representatives we spoke with referred to them as "all-new." They weren't ready to talk turkey about what was changed or how much power and torque they'll produce. But they did say that both use a revolutionary new cylinder deactivation system that can disable any number of cylinders from just one to as many as seven. We're not sure how they manage this without generating vibrations that can be felt in the cabin, but without going into any details Executive Chief Engineer Tim Herrick assured us this wouldn't be an issue.

The third engine is a diesel, a Silverado 1500 powerplant offering many have been clamoring for. It's a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine that uses a straight-six layout instead of a V6 arrangement. Tow rating and fuel economy figures have not been released, probably because the engine and transmission calibrations are not yet finalized. But GM hinted that Ford's new diesel F-150 might have something to worry about.

Speaking of transmissions, the 6.2-liter V8 and the 3.0-liter Duramax will both utilize a 10-speed automatic. The basis for this gearbox was jointly developed with Ford, but numerous hardware details and the final calibrations are GM's own. Still, the huge drivability benefits we've already experienced on the F-150 should apply to the new Silverado, as well. The omission of the 5.3-liter V8 from the 10-speed application list suggests it'll use the existing eight-speed, but that's not been confirmed. And the three other powertrains they didn't talk about remain a mystery.

Chevrolet will sell the 2019 Silverado 1500 in no less than seven trim levels sorted into three broad categories. The High Value bucket contains the Work Truck, Custom and Custom Trailboss. The High Volume group includes the LT, the RST and the LT Trailboss. At the High Content end of the spectrum, you'll find the LTZ and High Country. The RST is a new trim, and the new Trailboss is available in two price and content strata: Custom and LT.

The new Trailboss was teased a month ago in Dallas, and now we know something more about it. Both trim levels will ride on the same 2-inch lift and the Z71 package of Rancho off-road-tuned shock absorbers and skid plates. They'll both have a locking rear differential, and each will roll on 18-inch wheels shod with knobby Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tires. Their 275/65R18 size is a bit of a mystery, though, because that works out to 32 inches tall — an inch shorter than the 33-inch rubber that props up most other 2019 Silverado pickups.

Inside, the new crew cab provides truly massive legroom. The front-seat figure is listed at 44.5 inches, and there are 43.8 inches in back. Our tallest editor found at least 6 inches of daylight ahead of his knees when seated behind another tall person. This one will be comfortable indeed for all concerned when cruising cross-country.

The driving position seems good and proper, and the straightforward gauges and controls make a lot of sense. We're less keen on the rest of the dash, which rises like a monolith in front of the passenger. The center stack is blunt-faced as well, and the stylists have somehow managed to make the 8-inch touchscreen look small. USB and USB-C inputs are provided, and they feed into a MyLink infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with more detailed information to come later.

We'll know more as time progresses throughout the year. Additional details will surely trickle out as we approach the fall 2018 launch date. There's a lot going on with the new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GM was tight-lipped about much of it here at the unveiling. And it didn't say much about the 2019 GMC Sierra, other than we should expect it to be more different from the Silverado than ever. Stay glued to Edmunds in the coming months as we learn more and eventually take a test drive in the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup.

We'll know more as time progresses throughout the year. Additional details will surely trickle out as we approach the fall 2018 launch date. There's a lot going on with the new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GM was tight-lipped about much of it here at the unveiling. And it didn't say much about the 2019 GMC Sierra, other than we should expect it to be more different from the Silverado than ever. Stay glued to Edmunds in the coming months as we learn more and eventually take a test drive in the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup.