Chevrolet released a short video showing testing of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado during final testing in Yuma, Ariz.
Chevrolet is whetting the appetite of full-size truck buyers with a short video showing a heavily camouflaged prototype of the next-generation Silverado pulling a load up a steep incline.
The next-generation truck will likely offer incrementally better horsepower, towing and fuel economy – critical numbers in the automaker’s traditional rivalry with Ford’s F-150 – but more important may be improvements made to some of the touchy-feely parts of the truck.
Where Ford, as well as the Dodge Ram, offer glitzy, ranch-inspired interior trim, even the top-of-the-line Chevy and GMC Sierra interiors lack pizzazz, and are covered in acres of plastic.
General Motors’ twin trucks also lack special features such as Ford’s unique optional step that is built into the tailgate or Dodge’s Ram Boxes, which turn the sidewalls of the bed into storage compartments.
GM has already announced a new fifth-generation small-block V-8 with direct injection, aluminum blocks and a unique combustion chamber design.
The automaker could also make broader use of V-6 engines, following Ford’s lead, although a turbocharged V-6 like Ford’s EcoBoost would be a surprise. What is likely is that GM will finally jettison the ancient 4.3-liter V-6 in favor of the more powerful, yet more efficient 3.6 that it uses in everything from the Chevrolet Traverse to the Cadillac CTS.
The last of the four-speed transmissions will probably be gone from the Silverado lineup, replaced by more efficient six-speeds.
Big changes could be in store for the truck’s structure. Some have suggested that the trucks could lose up to 500 pounds, which would require the extensive use of plastics and aluminum since GM is unlikely to give up any of the truck’s capability.
Also, it could follow Dodge’s lead and offer coil springs instead of leaf springs, but GM engineers have indicated they prefer the leaf setup.
GM said in a brief statement that the video shows the Silverado going through final testing at its proving grounds in Yuma, Ariz.
The new Silverado is scheduled to go into production in 2013.
Click here to visit the Silverado’s facebook page to watch the video.