By Anthony Sovinsky x Reid Urban x Vaughn Lowery
Chevy unveiled their most advanced Silverado lineup ever at the historic Forum in Los Angeles for the 2018 Tailgate Fest. 360 Magazine had the pleasure to accompany Chevy in their VIP lounge, where a delicious home style BBQ plate was served in the comfort of the Silverado’s tailgate. The festival included live performances from some of the biggest country artists – including rap star Nelly and country music icon Toby Keith. As the feast came to a close, we were chauffeured back to headquarters in our test model to enjoy for the rest of our Labor Day weekend.
The Z71 has a massively updated design that embodies all of its characteristics – powerful, luxurious, and extremely capable. Starting at the front you are encountered by a very prominent front-end with chrome finishes. The contour lines of the truck blend flawlessly from front to rear, ensuring a luxurious façade to an otherwise bonafide work truck. In addition, unlike your typical pickup truck, several aerodynamic additions have been appended to enhance functionality. It includes air curtains in the front grille, similar to the sixth-generation Camaro, that reduce drag by routing air around the front wheel wells and an integrated spoiler at the rear edge of the cab that help reduce wind drag from the truck bed. Proceeding to the rear end, the tailgate is stamped with the iconic “CHEVROLET” in reference to its late, great predecessors of the 1950s and 60s. However, several other modern upgrades have been made that really set this model apart. Enlarged steps have been crafted into the bumper to better accommodate someone with steel toed boots to have easy access to the truck bed. Dual exhausts have also been stylishly integrated with up to 33 inch wheels for modern customer preferences.
The ultimate test of any pickup truck is the capacity and durability of the truck bed or as Chevy coins it: The “Durabed”. The 2019 Durabeds have all been improved in every manner possible. First off, it is equipped to hold the most cargo space in every bed length offered. This translates to 63 cubic feet of volume, making it 20% larger than the competition. More importantly, it is insanely durable and built for the job. It has a higher strength steel floor that can yield up to 340 to 500 megapascal of pressure. Other features include 12 double strength fixed-tie downs that will withstand up to 500 lbs of force before bending, task lighting, and a 120-volt power outlet.
Aside from using the tailgate for Labor Day festivities, most of our time was expended in the cabin. The redesigned interior with added safety features made commuting in the large truck much more comfy. The cabin space has been increased, allowing up to 44.5 inches of front leg room and 43.8 inches of rear legroom. We also found that there was plenty of storage room in the cabin for medium-sized carry-ons. Equipped with a 24-liter storage tray under the second row seat we were able to stow our champion backpacks and spare gym shoes. Moreover, the fabrics of the seats are super durable while also being stain and smell resistant. This made eating on the go less stressful.
The safety features and infotainment system greatly increased our confidence of navigating such a large truck in a busy city like Los Angeles. Maneuverability was made effortless thanks to several great safety features. The heads-up display enables you to keep your eyes on the road, while important information is projected onto the windshield, a rear camera mirror that allows for a wide angled view of areas behind the truck, and surround vision that gives you a birds-eye view to navigate tight spaces. In addition, several anti-collision mechanisms that include lane departure warnings, low speed forward auto braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, and blind zone alert all help keep occupants of The Silverado safe and sound.
The infotainment comes travel ready with 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, Apple car play, Android auto, wireless phone charging, and Onstar safety and security features. All amazing additions to have on hand for wherever the road takes you.
Last, but certainly not least, we have the the heart of the vehicle. Chevrolet produces arguably one of the best American engines on the market, and so several engines have been introduced to chariot the extensive line up of work horses. The most astounding options include the 5.3L V8 that allows up to 11,600 lbs of towing capacity, an all-new 2.7L turbo charged powerplant that offers up to 22% more torque and greater fuel efficiency than previous models, and new for the 2019 model is the Duramax 3.0L in-line six turbo diesel.
By nature, the Silverado is an all-encompassing vehicle of utility, design, and comfort. Our model, the 2019 Silverado 4WD LTZ crew with the Z71 off-road package, LTZ convenience package, and safety package additions is priced at $55,080 while the base model sticker is $48,700.
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