The 15 Things You Need to Know about the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Chevrolet’s latest Silverado 1500 enters the 2019 model year with butch new styling, fresh engine tech, and a diesel engine option. Unlike the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150, the Silverado sticks with mostly steel construction-yet it loses up to 450 pounds thanks to some clever engineering. As the full-size-pickup market heats up with an all-new Ram 1500, a refreshed F-150, and Nissan’s recently updated Titan, the Silverado’s advancements are critical. Grab the next slide to see the highlights:

UPDATE: We have now driven the 2019 Silverado, and we think it will prove to be even more competitive in its segment than before.

The 2019 Silverado 1500 isn’t just lighter than its predecessor, it’s also bigger, with a wheelbase that’s as much as 3.9 inches longer than the current truck’s. Overall length is up as well, with the new truck casting a shadow 1.6 inches longer than before.

The Silverado’s larger footprint improves rear-seat comfort in the four-door crew cab, as legroom grows from 40.9 inches to 43.8 inches. Along with the additional stretch-out space, Chevy managed to squeeze in two large storage bins in the rear seatbacks, as well as storage space under the rear seat bottoms.

No matter the cab configuration, every 2019 Silverado gets a larger bed that offers almost seven inches of extra floor width. An available power-operated tailgate is new and allows consumers to open and close the tailgate via the key fob or a cabin-mounted button.

A new roll-formed, high-strength steel bed floor is 1.5 times the strength of the previous one, and it has 12 stationary tie-downs that are double the strength of the ones on the previous truck. Another set of nine removable tie-downs will be offered as an accessory. The automaker also now stamps the bed as two pieces. That saved weight and allowed engineers to maximize bed space, with up to a 23 percent increase.

Chevrolet is offering a total of six different powertrain combinations. Two new gasoline V-8 engines-a 5.3-liter unit and a 6.2-liter-promise improved efficiency by way of General Motors’ new Dynamic Fuel Management system, which can cut fuel flow to between one and seven cylinders as conditions permit. Speaking of . . .

Dynamic Fuel Management is Chevrolet’s name for Delphi’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) technology, which is making its production debut in the 2019 Silverado.

For GM, it marks the most significant upgrade that its cylinder-deactivation tech has received since it was introduced in its current form in 2005. Chevrolet hasn’t talked Silverado-specific improvements, but Delphi said that, in general, the new technology could boost fuel economy by 5 percent compared with existing deactivation systems that shut off specific cylinders or entire cylinder banks during cruising or coasting.

New to the lineup is a diesel-drinking turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. Chevy has yet to reveal horsepower, torque, or fuel-economy predictions for any of the Silverado powertrains, but brand officials did note that both the 6.2-liter V-8 and the turbo-diesel will feature stop/start technology and mate to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The diesel is engineered entirely in Turin, Italy. GM officials hinted that the straight-six format wasn’t chosen only for its superior noise and vibration characteristics, so we’re eager to see more details.

The latest Silverado promises to be lighter and more capable than its predecessor, but unlike the Ford F-150, which uses aluminum bodywork for both the cab and the bed to trim pounds, the 2019 Silverado reserves the lighter material for its hood, doors, and tailgate. The Chevy’s roof, fenders, and bed are once again made of steel. Chevy claims to have cut about 450 pounds from the Silverado relative to its predecessor (the year-over-year comparison being made between crew-cab V-8 models), including 88 pounds from the body and another 88 pounds taken out of the frame.

GM won’t talk about carbon fiber for the cargo bed in any version of the Silverado-at least not yet. Underneath, though, it takes advantage of the Corvette’s composite transverse leaf-spring technology to save another 24 pounds.

With a steeper windshield and an integral roof spoiler, the new truck also claims a 7 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency despite riding an inch higher than the outgoing trucks (and nearly three inches higher for lifted Trailboss versions).

When the new Silverado goes on sale, it will be offered in a total of eight trim levels. The base Work Truck trim lives up to its name and features 17-inch steel wheels, vinyl or cloth seats, and black exterior trim. Even the base truck comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a throwback grille design that drops the brand’s classic bow tie in favor of CHEVROLET block lettering. Sweet.

The Custom trim adds body-color exterior trim, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and LED taillights. Stepping up to the Custom Trailboss nets a 2.0-inch lift as well as the Z71 Off Road package, which includes a locking rear differential, skid plates, a set of Rancho shocks, and 18-inch wheels wrapped in knobby Goodyear DuraTrac tires.

Holding down the middle of the Silverado 1500 lineup is the LT. It sports a Chevrolet bow-tie badge up front and adds chrome exterior bits, LED headlights, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. An LT Trailboss features all of the off-road-ready equipment from the Custom Trailboss and also includes the convenience items from the LT.

A new RST trim provides the Silverado 1500 with additional visual pop by way of body-color exterior trim, all-LED exterior lighting, and available 22-inch wheels. Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether or not the RST trim will pack additional ponies under its hood. Regardless, we’re crossing our fingers that a high-horsepower Silverado SS sees the light of day again in the next few years.

The Silverado 1500 LTZ and High Country trims are the zenith of the lineup and cater to customers in search of a dollop of luxury. The former features standard luxury and convenience items such as leather seating surfaces and power-folding exterior mirrors, while the latter gets a special two-tone grille, chrome running boards, and a standard power tailgate.