Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Live Reveal

[Lamar]

Some differences:

We know the Atlas concept points toward the next F150, and as such we don't know anything about what's underneath the metal, especially about the projected weight savings and other new features.

We have seen the production Silverado and Sierra, and we STILL don't know anything about the capabilities.

[GMTruckGuy74]

After seeing the Ford Atlas concept...even more disappointed with what GM did with these. I look at that thing compared to the 2014 Silverado and it makes the Silverado look like it's a 99 Model. I've owned a GM truck my whole driving life (96 Sierra, 2007 Avalanche, 2009 Sierra) and never once considered a different make. I'm not sure I can support and reward such a careless approach to the design progression of these trucks. Going to the Houston Auto Show next week and hopefully they will both be there. I'll take some live pictures if they are and report back.

Do you remember the 2011 GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept truck? How much of that translated to the 2014 production truck? That truck was purely a stying exercise using many production GMT-900 parts (front end and bed were custom made for the concept; frame was from a 2500 HD and doors were from the Escalade). Not saying that the Atlas isn't pointing to the F150's future, but a production version of the Atlas in F150 form is still a year, year and a half away. I don't think it's smart to say that many people will forgo a 2014 GM truck product because of this Ford concept. Especially not when the RAM trucks are taking so many awards lately too

[G. David Felt]

Over all I think the Chevy / GMC trucks will age well and show well in comparison to the Fords and their funky style.

[Z-06]

I am warming up to the styling, after seeing them in person at Detroit.

But the trucks still do not break any new ground on innovative features for utility and my reservations for the truck continue for that reason.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I am warming up to the styling, after seeing them in person at Detroit.

But the trucks still do not break any new ground on innovative features for utility and my reservations for the truck continue for that reason.

I'm still holding out hope that GM will surprise us with more features for these new trucks. I'm disappointed with the LED bed lighting; it looks like something you'd buy in a late night, "As Seen on TV" commercial. The 2011 GMC Sierra HD All Terrain concept had an in-bed LED light strip, very similar to what the 2013 Ford Atlas has. Why was this not pushed further for production? GM/GMC showed this off two years ago, and nothing for the K2xxx trucks. I'm hoping there will be a composite bed, similar to what the '11 HD All Terrain concept had, that will be optional and include the LED light strip and bedside storage.

I'm a fan of the GMT-900 styling, so while a little let down that GM did not go farther with the exterior styling I'm pretty happy with the look (still getting use to the GMC Sierra headlights; need to see this truck in person to settle this issue).

[GMTruckGuy74]

2014 GMC/Chevrolet LED bed lighting:

2011 GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept LED light strip:

2013 Ford Atlas Concept Bed Lighting:

So unless GM has something up their sleeve, their main competition will make their new "innovative bed lighting feature" look severely dated in a years time. Not good, GM, not good

[Z-06]

I am warming up to the styling, after seeing them in person at Detroit.

But the trucks still do not break any new ground on innovative features for utility and my reservations for the truck continue for that reason.

I'm still holding out hope that GM will surprise us with more features for these new trucks. I'm disappointed with the LED bed lighting; it looks like something you'd buy in a late night, "As Seen on TV" commercial. The 2011 GMC Sierra HD All Terrain concept had an in-bed LED light strip, very similar to what the 2013 Ford Atlas has. Why was this not pushed further for production? GM/GMC showed this off two years ago, and nothing for the K2xxx trucks. I'm hoping there will be a composite bed, similar to what the '11 HD All Terrain concept had, that will be optional and include the LED light strip and bedside storage.

I'm a fan of the GMT-900 styling, so while a little let down that GM did not go farther with the exterior styling I'm pretty happy with the look (still getting use to the GMC Sierra headlights; need to see this truck in person to settle this issue).

With Avalanche gone, there is nothing in GM's stable to replace it. At least carry over those features in some package on the K2XX - let's say fisherman's package or hunter's orgy-box, something. No side storage, no under-bed utility places, nothing - that bed looks bland and utility-less.

And this is the same God Darn mistake GM makes, discontinue a vehicle and do not replace it. Sure it is only 4 vehicles per year, or another 3 vehicles there. Suddenly you are looking at losing 1% of market share.

[Delta Force79]

As far as bed lighting goes, the '14 models look pretty tacked on, I mean anyone can wire in lights in the bed like that, the key is to build them into the bed as seen in the GMC concept, and to an extent the Atlas. At least in those two applications, it seems like it was a design feature built into the vehicle from the outset, not a last minute addition which is the sense I get in the new Silverado and Sierra.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Delta Force79

[Robert Hall]

Is the in-bed lighting just a novelty, or is it a meaningful feature consumers have been asking for?

[Z-06]

Is the in-bed lighting just a novelty, or is it a meaningful feature consumers have been asking for?

Work on the construction site or in remote places after sunset, you will see the importance.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting that it's taken this long to see that feature then, since pickups have had bed lights on the outside of the cab above the rear window for decades...

[Z-06]

Interesting that it's taken this long to see that feature then, since pickups have had bed lights on the outside of the cab above the rear window for decades...

That is like lighting the grill 10 feet away to warm the chilli.

[GMTruckGuy74]

If you have a tonneau cover, the roof-mounted cargo light in the CHMSL (Center High Mounted Stop Lamps) is ineffective completely. Hell, the cargo light on the '06 Ford F350 Crew Cab/utility box I drive at the fire station isn't that great because of the tall cones & barriers we have in the utility's bed.

[Camino LS6]

Interesting that it's taken this long to see that feature then, since pickups have had bed lights on the outside of the cab above the rear window for decades...

That sort of "cargo light" is all but useless, all it does is blind you while trying to work out of the bed at night.

As far as the idea goes, it's a good one - provided you get it right.

The GMC concept is very attractive looking, and the Atlas tucks the lights up under the rail in a safer location.

The thing is, for it to be a real plus, cargo lighting has to be effective and durable.

The GMC concept is beautiful, and would likely light things up effectively - but it wouldn't survive a week in a work truck.

The Atlas concept might protect the lights better, but looks to be ineffective in actually providing useable light.

The "production version" in the '14 is a Pep Boys special - a joke.

Take it from a guy who has worked out of pickups for decades, getting this feature right will be a big win and major sales tool.

[Drew Dowdell]

Don't expect bed lighting in the F-150 to ever look like that. Comparing a production vehicle to concept isn't comparing apples to apples.

Interesting that it's taken this long to see that feature then, since pickups have had bed lights on the outside of the cab above the rear window for decades...

Take it from a guy who has worked out of pickups for decades, getting this feature right will be a big win and major sales tool.

GM HAD it right in the Avalanche in 2002!

[Camino LS6]

I don't.

[Camino LS6]

Don't expect bed lighting in the F-150 to ever look like that. Comparing a production vehicle to concept isn't comparing apples to apples.

Interesting that it's taken this long to see that feature then, since pickups have had bed lights on the outside of the cab above the rear window for decades...

Take it from a guy who has worked out of pickups for decades, getting this feature right will be a big win and major sales tool.

GM HAD it right in the Avalanche in 2002!

I haven't had the pleasure of testing that, but it doesn't surprise me. I think cancelling Avalanche was an error.

[Camino LS6]

The local Chevy Store has an Avalanche in a very nice green tucked into the corner of the lot (new ).

If I had the budget, I'd be hearing it call my name.

[GMTruckGuy74]

The local Chevy Store has an Avalanche in a very nice green tucked into the corner of the lot (new ).

If I had the budget, I'd be hearing it call my name.

[Camino LS6]

OK, next time I'm there I'll get a shot or two.

It really caught my eye.

[GMTruckGuy74]

It might not be there next time: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130114/RETAIL07/301149971

[Camino LS6]

I'll be back there in a few days, so hopefully it will still be there.

[G. David Felt]

The Avalanche is an amazing truck that should not be ended. The local Chevy dealerships are all sold out and there are waiting list from what I am seeing on local news.

Wish GM would realize it still has legs to stand on.

[GMTruckGuy74]

All new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado web site: http://www.chevrolet.com/new2014silverado/#/welcome

[G. David Felt]

All new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado web site: http://www.chevrolet.com/new2014silverado/#/welcome

Very cool web site, thanks for posting. Nice to see GM is keeping things Fresh!

[GMTruckGuy74]

A big surprise for me yesterday was seeing the 2014 GMC Sierra (SLT, Z71 4WD, Crew Cab, 5.8" bed, Stealth Gray Metaliic) and the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado (LTZ, 4x4, Crew Cab, 5.8" bed, Silver Metallic) at the Philadelpia International Auto Show:

Any question of whether I'd want to buy the Silverado over the Sierra was answered yesterday (sticking with the Sierra). The Silvy is a great looking truck, but the Sierra has my name written all over it.

Funny thing is that GMC was distributing actual full-blown brochures on the 2014 Sierra (no new information that hasn't already been released) while Chevy handed out simple brochures that open into a poster. GMC had the Sierra brochures out in the open on the table, while you had to ask the Chevy rep to give you one (and by one, I mean one) on the Silverado

Edited January 22, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[ocnblu]

Cool beans, daddy-o!

[Camino LS6]

Anyone seen a regular cab in person?

[GMTruckGuy74]

I know of no one that has seen a (pre-) production nor does Google bring up any images (well, the ones posted here by those that made one on the Chevy web site). I'm hoping the Chicago show has additional information revealed about the trucks (next month), as waiting until April for the NY show seems to really be pushing it. At the Philly show a lot of people seemed to have watched the reveal at some point and were aware that HP, torque, and towing ratings weren't publicized. Many were asking the reps/spokespersons for that info and all were told, "Sorry, GMC/Chevy has not released it yet." That leads me to believe that we'll see more trucks and get more info between the next couple of shows (case in point the one rep yesterday stated that the trucks will be on the dealer's lots June/July, though I have not heard much about that anywhere else).

[mystik]

Just got back from the Houston Auto Show and lo and behold, the new trucks were there! The downside, like GMTruck guy in his pics, was that they weren't allowing you to go in the trucks. The Silverado was on a stationary platform while the Sierra was on a spinning platform. Also at the Houston Auto Show, the Sierra came with a full fledged pamphlet which they stored inside the truck while the Silverado had a smaller foldout brochure. Now onto the impression...

...I feel like the Silverado was definitely the looker of the two. You can't tell it from the photos (as is usually the case) but the thing has a very bold and striking front end. It just looks...bigger....in person. Very solid. The interior was nice, I really wanted to touch the plastics they used but the woman wouldn't let me. I sat in a loaded Long Horn Ram and can definitely appreciate these interiors more. These are definitely more...less cheesy. Lol.

I'm pretty excited to see what they do with the Sierra Denali and the Silverado High Country. I also want to sit in one but sucks knowing that I need a 2500HD and not sure when those will be made available (esp with High Country or Denali trim). I'm definitely leaning Silverado though.

[ocnblu]

Those are some nice photos, mystik. I agree the Chevy looks great.

[mystik]

Those are some nice photos, mystik. I agree the Chevy looks great.

Yeah, looking at GMTruckGuys picks, the light silver color kind of washes out the details of the trucks so I'd still prefer to see a loaded GMC and Silvy in black or charcoal before passing true judgement. In my pics the Chevy looks like a stunner and the GMC looks a little washed out, but in his pics it's backwards.

GM appears to be playing coy with Ford and Dodge by not revealing HP, Torque and Mileage numbers as well as really revealing the extent of the interiors until it launches. I saw one interior picture of the GMC that had a much more expressive interior layout with reds in the plastics (on an autoblog, dont remember which). It's pretty smart on their part even though it's unfortunate for us not know all of the information just yet. I still believe there's a lot they aren't telling us from a trim and performance standpoint.

[ShadowDog]

I'm going to say the Silverado has some enhanced appearance over the previous version (I was never a fan of the bulky corner chrome bumpers that looked like big bumper covers). It has a cleaner style throughout. Certainly not innovative or worth recognizing over another make, but fresher and reasonably better than before. I also recognize how it previously had that ass-up stance with wheel arches so massive it made 20" wheels look puny, especially in HD configuration... almost like someone spent their money on a lift kit but not enough was left for larger tires... disproportionate. Let's hope the HD configuration isn't more of the same.

The Sierra takes an interesting departure from heritage, jumping more into that in-your-face Tonka styling. I have a monochromatic preferrence, but I don't think it's possible to have that with the new design. That's not a bad thing; considering the enthusiasm among buyers for crap-loads of chrome, so it's giving a healthy dose here. I'm o-k with it, buuut, I'm more a fan of the previous design - a little more conservative and clean looking for my taste.

Comparing interiors, seeing as I've had my truck only since November, I can clearly see things that set this design ahead a bit. The 110v receptacle and multi-port USB directly up front is a big improvement... sad to say. There's plenty of 12v outlets in mine for all things needed for travel with two toddlers and a techno-geek wife; however, I'd have selected better placement regions. Maybe the former design was meant to have things cleaner for less aftermarket cables everywhere; but, it could have been better. This new interior shows what I'd have appreciated; of couse, depending upon what's inside the armrest box and in the back (crew cab model).

I think I like the previous model layout better. There's only one knob I don't like having to reach for in my truck because I need my seat all the way back. Other than that, I really like the clean and simple design. This refresh seems a bit unnecessarily busy. Overall, I'm liking it better than Ford's homage to Duplo Building Blocks.

The instrument info screen is a nice touch; however, I tend to have less distraction looking at my centre screen than my instrument info display, so I'm not sure it's an improvement. I'm definitely not a fan of those small steering wheel button panels. The new placement of the trailer-brake controls is more prominent - not that I really have much of an issue operating mine on the lower panel without looking at it. I suppose other people need to see it clearly, but that top-left placement seems overkill. Not a huge minus, but that left pod really looks too aftermarket to me. Specific climate control buttons are a throwback from the current multi-selection input and viewscreen. Perhaps it just makes for quicker input selection, which makes sense. I know the existing version requires numerous button presses to do everything from turning fan speeds, temperature and modes up and down. This looks like it makes it quicker and simpler. Not at all bad to consider. I'm willing to bet the IntelliLink and touch menu controls are pretty good, but just another gizmo to keep up with the rest of the crap everyone else is throwing in vehicles these days.

I'll finish just saying that I really do prefer my '13 more. The new Sierra has some desireable traits, both cosmetically and mechanically; however, I'm in no hurry to replace mine for just a couple improvements or features. Am I attracted to the Sierra enough that if I didn't have mine now I would choose it over a '13 if they were side-by-side? Well, considering the hefty incentives that would likely be hanging on the '13s to get rid of them, probably not. Given no other choice, yeah I would probably choose the new Sierra over another make, since when I bought mine, I 'was' looking at everything on the market.

I think GM did okay here. Nothing earth-shattering, but nice, necessary refresh. I don't think these are the days of major innovations, but mostly technological advancements to aid in fuel economy and paying attention to the family-oriented capabilities truck buyers are searching for. Well, that's my LONG WINDED thought.

[kvenne]

I think one of the big differances is definately that interior. The interior was touched on above, but it looks so smooth and the shelf interior is unique. I think on the whole the new Chevy GMC is sleeker and more modern than ever before. The design of it is more square and sharp looking than previous models.