Chevrolet is looking to jump start Silverado sales with a new Rally edition of the full-size pickup.
A decade back, “urban cowboys” made up a sizable slice of the pickup market. That niche largely vanished as the nation fell back into recession, and though truck sales are bouncing back big right now, the bulk of the buyers need their vehicles for work and chores, rather than to show off in a suburban driveway.
But Chevrolet is hoping to expand the appeal of its big Silverado line with the launch of a new series of Rally Editions that, it promises, will give the truck a “new attitude.” It can use the help. Despite getting rave reviews – and winning the coveted North American Truck of the Year trophy in January, the recently redesigned Chevy Silverado’s sales haven’t gained the same level of momentum as rival products like the Ford F-150 and Fiat Chrysler’s Ram 1500.
“Silverado won more awards in 2014 than any other pickup,” notes John Fitzpatrick, Silverado senior marketing manager, adding his hope that “The Rally Edition packages will let customers add an aggressive new look to this great all-around performer.”
Rally models – or “Rallye,” as some makers prefer – have been around for quite some time, the name implying an added level of sporty performance though, as often as not, the reality is more of an appearance package. In Silverado’s case, there are such bad boy details as a black bowtie logo, mirror caps and door handles, as well as the requisite racing stripes.
The 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition gets a sporty new look with racing stripes on the hood.
Offered in limited edition for 2014, the new Rally packages will be offered across the line for 2015 on the Silverado. And, yes, it’s Rally packages, plural.
There are two versions of the Rally 1 package, one for the Silverado LS, another for the LT truck. They include features such as that black bowtie on a body-colored grille, black door handles and mirror caps and two black rally stripes. The LT model also gets 17-inch alloy wheels, a trailering package with hitch and locking rear differential, a rear defroster and a backup camera.
The Rally 2 package bumps things up – visually, anyway – on the Silverado LT with 22-inch black alloy wheels, black tubular side steps, and the blacked out bowtie and mirror caps. Here the stripes cover both hood and tailgate.
The higher-level package also includes such niceties as a10-way power driver seat, dual-zone climate control, remote start, and the Chevy MyLink infotainment system with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.
Pricing runs from $540 on the Silverado LS Rally 1, to $5,910 for the Rally 2 suite – after factoring in “package discounts.” The new Rally Editions will go on sale Sept. 4.
A trailer package with 22-inch wheels sounds a like lot swimming upstream.
“…the bulk of the buyers need their vehicles for work and chores, rather than to show off in a suburban driveway.” WORK AND CHORES. So, when all that could be done, has been done,to bring a new truck to market, what’s left to do? Address why this defined market is going to the competition, and address that? Or indulge in racer boy cosmetic silliness for the urban driveways that are not filling up, as in years past. Mr. Fitzpatrick, really? That’s your scheme?
Winning awards by journalists doesn’t mean the product meets the needs or requirements of the market place – as we’ve seen many times before.
X-LNT point.
Missed it again Chevy. The SS454 Pick-up was your last great attempt at a “sport Truck” that worked.
This looks like an after-market attempt with some ugly rims and a rattle-can and stencil racing stripe. Some day, you need to hire car/truck people rather than 30 yr old engineers that grew up on video games and transformers. (That’s how you screwed up and built the Aztec rather than a car that would have sold—–the ReBorn Nomad) And speaking of blowing it, the HHR could have been a runaway hit , if it was the size of the Durango and maintained the retro Suburban look. Another waste of time, the SSR. You just don’t know how to put the “I want one of those” in the cars your build today I wished I could work in your design/development dept for a couple of years, I could get you back in touch with the people who drive these things.
Every One of These reply’s, Are Spot On. To Me G.M. Lost It Long Ago. They Are Going backwards Because The Products They Produce Are? “JUNK” And have Benn For a Least a generation. And I can Back that Up With My History Of G. M. Junk That I have Owned!!!!!
Reminiscent of when my cousin started driving his dad’s ’61 Ford Custom slush box 292 V8 to school. It wasn’t long before he applied those threatening Ford Thunderbird 427 factory emblems onto the front fenders. My three-on-tree Chevy Blue Flame six still beat him off the line and up to about 65. A “lipstick red” mean old pickup truck for a suburban cowboy? He’ll intimidate the drive-thru line at McDonald’s!
Wouldn’t you love to sit in on a product planning meeting and get the unfiltered marketing manager-speak?
I just saw pictures of the new canyon/colorado “small trucks” they look nice but they are in now way areplacement for my hard working S-10. They should be what you clowns are selling for a full size truck– one that the average person can reach in the bed to get tools and equipment from with out a damned ladder! I don’t know if your customers are all as large as Howie Long but I am not and your new line of pickups are far too tall, heavy and bulky for normal use. I drive a 15 year old S-10 so I can USE the bed and save some cash. One or two inches of cab width and modern motors/transmissions and I’d be in the market for anew S-10. you should build a truck the size of my old S-10 with the same motors as the new ones but add a turbo 4 of 275hp/280lb/ft for power instead of a six