Written by Marco Carvajal
The 2019 Silverado RST, Rally Sport Truck gives a new flashy and stylish look to the Silverado line, with great body design and color, full LED lighting including foglamps, headlamps and taillamps, and up to 22-inch wheels all-season tires. The Silverado has one of the most functional beds of any full-size truck with great cargo volume.
The new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado is 450 pounds lighter than its predecessor. It is manufactured at the GM assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The Silverado, was introduced in 1998, as the successor of the C/K line. The name Silverado was taken from a model previously used by its predecessor.
This Chevrolet is one of the best-selling trucks in the United States with about 12 million units sold. Chevrolet is one of the many car brands owned by the large automobile group GM (General Motors), who also owns prestigious automotive brands like Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. The Chevrolet Silverado is similar to the GMC Sierra, also owned by GM. Both the Silverado and the Sierra are very robust pick up trucks.
The Chevy Silverado 1500 year 2019 was redesigned from scratch and represents the continuous evolution of this segment. It has modern technology, tons of functions available and several utility updates.
The Chevy Silverado has become an American tradition, loved for its great performance, power and great style. This Chevy is always ready for any adventure or difficult task.
Trims
The 2019 Silverado 1500 is available in eight different trim models:
- Work Truck (WT)
- Custom
- LT
- RST
- Custom Trail Boss
- LTZ
- LT Trail Boss, and
- High Country
The one I am test driving is the RST model. Each Silverado is available with different cabin and bed configurations depending on the level of equipment and on the needs of each car owner.
The RST is available as a 2WD or 4WD and it can be configured as:
- Regular Cab, Long Bed
- Double Cab, Standard Bed
- Crew Cab, Short Bed
- Crew Cab, Standard Bed
Pricing
The starting price for the 2019 Silverado is $28,300. The MSRP for the 2019 Silverado RST model that I am test driving is $38,800, plus a $1,495 Destination Freight Charge, for a total Retail price of $40,295. Some of the other trim models are more expensive.
2019 Silverado RST Highlights
According to Chevrolet, the 2019 Silverado is the strongest and most advanced Silverado ever.
- Durabed – Roll-formed high-strength steel
- 2.7L Turbo engine
- 310 hp @ 5600 rpm
- 348 lb-ft of torque @ 1500 rpm
- 8-speed automatic transmission, electronically controlled with overdrive and Tow/Haul mode
- 6,800 lbs. GVWR
Some of the most interesting features of the new Silverado are the ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot inside the car so everybody onboard can get connected using the 4G LTE Wi-Fi® hotspot, keyless open and start. For a better performance automatic Stop/Start, Cruise Grade Braking, 4-wheel antilock disc brakes and 3.42 rear axle ratio. A great feature to make your engine and breaks last longer is that it downshifts automatically to slow down when drives downhill if it exceeds certain cruise speed. More additional features that make me love the Silverado are capless fuel fill, a beautiful high quality 8″ diagonal color touchscreen and 6 airbags.
Fuel Economy
The 2019 Silverado RST 2WD has an average of 21 MPG. 20 MPG city and 23 MPG highway.
More Features
The Silverado RST comes fully loaded with an updated information and entertainment system with HD radio, satellite radio, a CD player, Chevrolet’s MyLink interface, OnStar with 4G LTE and Wi-Fi, smartphone compatibility through Apple carplay and automatic Android, audio connectivity and Bluetooth phone, voice controls and sound system. A package of Max Trailering includes an integrated trailer braking controller, heavy duty suspension calibration and a larger capacity radiator, making the 2019 Silverado the most advanced ever.
Engine and transmission
The Silverado RST has a towing capacity of 6,700 up to 7,000 pounds.
The powerful 8-speed automatic transmission is electronically controlled with overdrive. For better performance and efficiency it includes Tow/Haul mode, raises transmission upshift points to provide more power to accelerate with a trailer or heavy load. Raises downshift points to use engine compression to help slow the truck instead of merely braking. Powertrain Grade Braking. Automatically uses the engine and transmission to slow down to maintain desired speeds when driving downhill. Reduces brake wear and increases vehicle control
Automatic Stop/Start, this automatic system works when the car completely stops, when drivers keep their foot on the brake pedal then the engine shuts off. When the driver remove their foot from the brake, the engine automatically restarts.
Keyless Open and Start
This chevy is a classic American truck but it has been modernized. It locks and unlocks your car’s doors without having to use the key fob. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and then press the engine start/stop button to start the engine and then the green indicator on the button will illuminate. When you want to turn off the engine just Shift to Park and press the engine start/stop button to turn off the engine.
Interior style
The interior of the Silverado is not too different from previous versions, comfortable and with a very nice classic look. The cockpit of this chevy has enough room for five adults, however is not the largest cabin compared to other full size trucks. The second row in the double cab that I am test driving is compact, but if you need more space you can upgrade to a larger cab. The front area of the Silverado is very comfortable and you get very good view of the sides and front of the road.
The interior of the Silverado is built with high quality materials, with numerous containers and cubicles, cup holders and enough USB ports to keep all your devices charged and possibly connected to the Silverado’s Wi-Fi Hotspot. The leather seats are durable but not as luxurious as some competitors, but they are comfortable and very practical. If you need more cargo space inside the cabin, you can use the 60/40 split rear seats fold.
Technology
While the Silverado is available with many high-tech features, most of them are limited to premium trims. Smartphones connect quickly and those systems respond well to commands. The new Chevy infotainment system has sharp graphics and responsive touchscreen buttons. The simple structure of the menu and the quick command responses facilitate the use of the system. It has very good screen size and well positioned. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come are standard. Smartphones connect to Bluetooth easily.
There are USB and USB-C ports on the board, a USB port in the center of the console and another in the rear seat area. It would be nice to have a few more ports in the second row.
Safety
Standard safety features include anti-lock disc brakes, traction and stability control, side airbags for the front and rear seats and side curtain airbags. Also standard includes services such as automatic fault notification, roadside assistance, unlocking of remote doors and assistance of stolen vehicles.
The Silverado RST includes 6 Airbags, Dual-stage frontal airbags for driver and front outboard passenger. Seat-mounted side-impact airbags for driver and front outboard passenger. Head-curtain airbags for front and rear outboard seating positions. Includes front outboard Passenger Sensing System for frontal outboard passenger airbag.
Conclusion
The new Silverado is one of the best-selling trucks in the United States, powerfully balanced and easy to drive. This 2019 new generation is better and have more features. The 2.7L Turbo engine with a 310 hp delivers enough power for towing, accelerating or climbing a hill. The brakes are strong and precise, with a fast response in stop-and-go traffic. The ride is very smooth with a great absorbing suspension. The Silverado feels comfortable and adequate for short and long trips.
This Chevy Silverado has one of the most functional beds with great cargo volume. The internal cabin is compact but practical.
Priced around $40K the 2019 Silverado RST is a powerful pickup truck with a reasonable price.
The Chevrolet Silverado is a classic truck that is here to stay, and it is a major player in the automotive industry. It sells hundreds of thousands units every year. Truck competitors like the Ford F150, Nissan Titan XD, Toyota Tundra, or the RAM 1500 are major players against Silverado. The competition is hard, for the benefit of car buyers that end up getting better trucks with more standard features for a lower price.
