2014 Chevrolet Silverado High Country
07/21/2014
Shahed Hussain
Chevrolet sells Silverados in all sorts of cab, bed, and powertrain configurations, but while the GMC division has the fancy Sierra Denali pickup, Chevy had nothing like it. With the introduction of the redesigned Silverado, Chevrolet finally gets a luxury pickup to compete with the premium models from Ford, Ram, Toyota and also GMC.
Like other luxury pickups, the Silverado High Country can be optioned up to well over $50K. Pricing starts at $48,880, but the options on our test pickup rapidly boosted the sticker price to $56,965. Options included the 6.2L V-8 ($1,995), Rear Seat Entertainment System ($1,495), sunroof ($995), High Country Premium Package ($950), Mylink audio system ($795), chrome assist steps ($700), and LED cargo box lighting ($60). The destination charge added another $1,095 to the total.
Chevy offers two bed sizes with the High Country: a 5'-8" bed (5.3L V-8) or 6'-6" bed (6.2L V-8). The 4WD High Country has a payload rating of 2,462 lbs. and a curb weight of 5,429 lbs. GVWR is 7,200 lbs. and towing capacity is an impressive 9,400 lbs. Opting for the longer bed does drop towing capacity by a negligible 100 lbs.
Against the previous Silverado, the new truck is significantly plusher, approaching a luxury sedan in amenities. Simulated wood grain on the center console and doors appears genuine on casual inspection. Most surfaces, including the dash and front doors are softly padded, but Chevy substituted hard plastic on the rear doors. Perforated leather front seats are both heated and cooled for comfort, but the flat thigh bolsters lack lateral support. The rear seats are comfortable with generous legroom. The back seats flip up for extra cargo capacity, but the central driveshaft tunnel protrudes above the floor.
Chevy included a generous complement of 3 USB ports, dual 12V power outlets, and a 120V AC outlet, all conveniently located on the center console. Under the center armrest is a large storage bin with an additional 2 USB ports, and an auxiliary audio input. A flip-down display allows rear passengers to watch DVD or Blu-Ray discs, or connect their media players via RCA and video jacks.
In our tested Silverado, the standard Ecotec3 5.3L V-8 was replaced by the optional Ecotec3 6.2L V-8. The 6.2L V-8 cranks out 420-bhp @ 5,600 RPM and 460 lb.-ft. @ 4,100 RPM, a gain of 65-bhp and 77 lb.-ft. over the base V-8. Direct fuel injection and Active Fuel Management technologies are standard. Active Fuel Management adjusts fuel flow to allow the V-8 to function as a V-4 when possible to reduce fuel consumption. Both engines are coupled to the Hydra-Matic 6L80 6-speed automatic with a 3.42:1 axle ratio. The Silverado's EPA estimates are 14/20 MPG (city/hwy.) We averaged 15 MPG in mostly urban driving.
The Silverado adheres to the pickup truck standard of an independent front suspension and solid axle layout in the rear. The front setup consists of lower control arms, twin-tube dampers and coil springs. The rear axle is suspended via variable-rate two-stage leaf springs and twin-tube dampers. Vented disc brakes are at all four corners. The Silverado's rack-and-pinion steering is electrically assisted. Alloy wheels are shod with P275/55R20 Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires. ABS, Stabilitrak(R) Stability Control, and Trailer Sway Control are standard.
Pickup customers expect ample low-RPM torque, and the 6.2L V-8 delivers. Although the torque peaks at 4,100 RPM, a substantial portion is available just past idle. The Silverado jumps off the line with an unmistakable V-8 rumble. Midrange throttle response is just as robust, and acceleration at highway speeds leaves nothing to be desired. The 6-speed automatic shifts smoothly, but downshifts at full throttle are sluggish. However, the generous torque output masks the transmissions reluctance to downshift.
Big pickups are often jittery beasts on the highway, usually requiring constant steering correction, especially when lightly loaded. The Silverado is an exception, as it tracks steadily at speeds over 80 MPH. We would appreciate a bit less steering assist at speed, but Chevy engineers did an excellent job dialing in decent steering feel. As we expected from a front-heavy pickup, the Silverado exhibits significant understeer and body roll around corners. The all-disc brakes are effective, but the spongy pedal encourages caution when heavily loaded.
Full-size pickups are more than capable of hauling landscaping supplies, so we loaded over a half-ton of stone, sand, bricks into the Silverado's bed. Unsurprisingly, the Chevy barely noticed the load in the bed, but we did notice that the extra weight did affect acceleration and braking distances. As expected, adding hundreds of pounds kept the rear axle better planted over bumps. "Cornersteps" built into the rear bumper allowed us to get into the cargo bed easily. LED lights illuminate the bed at night. A spray-on bedliner eliminated any gouges to the bed floor and sides from the landscaping rocks. Tie-down hooks along the upper side of the bed can be used to secure heavy cargo, but the hook attachment hardware is not designed for easy removal.
The Silverado has consistently ranked #2 in sales to the Ford F-Series for years, but this has only encouraged Chevrolet to try harder to capture more full-size truck buyers. Each generation of these pickups get incremental improvements as Chevy and Ford vie for the sales crown. As Chevy seeks to expand into the premium pickup truck niche, the Silverado High Country gives affluent customers a reason to stop by their local dealer for a look.
