In America, the competition between light and heavy-duty pickup trucks is so fierce it makes griped between high-end supercar brands look civil, even tame. That's why we've all been waiting with bated breath to see how General Motors would respond to back-to-back slam dunks from Chrysler and Ford with the fifth Generation Ram 1500 and fourteenth generation F150 respectively.
Chrysler and Ford brought their absolute A-game to get an edge in a race for supremacy as hot as any grudge between three automakers in the entire world. Recent spy shots of what appears to be GM's clap-back have us all buzzing. Let's take a look at what we know so far, and what we all want the truck to be.
The latest Ram and Ford trucks have been all-time greats, does GM have what it takes to turn the tide?
Progress At A Break Neck Pace
The current Silverado was unveiled in 2018. Even so, a big refresh is expected for the 2022 model year. Just as the last of the 2018 models have only just started to lose their new car smell, spy shots reveal what looks to be a redesigned front facia only three years after launch.
It was GM Authority who first reported sightings of a camouflaged 2022 Silverado undergoing testing near Detroit. They reported redesign of the front headlamp arrangement to fit more in line with Chevy's new Blazer and Tahoe. Expect the Silverado's sister truck the GMC Sierra to adopt a similar layout for its headlights as well.
We can also expect GMC's MultiPro tailgate system to make the jump over to the lower-end Silverado. This would allow easy access into the bed of the Silverado with a minimum of effort regardless of what someone is holding.
Not Just A Cubic Displacement Battle Anymore
There was a time in America where the idea of a pickup truck without a thumping great V8 was like a world without sunshine. Thankfully for the world's oil reserves, those days are over. The offering of high output but fuel-efficient V6 engines and turbo-diesels alongside V8 options make for a much more complex and equally hard to navigate.
With a mid-life-cycle refresh expected in 2022, expect the 2022 Silverado to sport the option of a 4.3 liter Ecotec V6 equal to that of Ford's new twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 or Ram's 3.6 liters Pentastar V6 with eTorque.
Recent spy shots also show that the 2022 Silverado prototypes are equipped with a four-leaf spring rear suspension setup as opposed to the traditional two-leaf system. If this transfers over to the production truck, we see no reason why the Silverado couldn't take back the throne of the highest towing capacity in its class in 2022.
Finally, A Redesigned Interior
It seems for as long as Chevy trucks have been around, they've all had shabby, boring, and not very well put together interiors. The 2018 introduction of a new generation Silverado did little to quell these harsh critiques. But we have reason to suspect the tides could be changing for the mid-cycle refresh upcoming soon.
I was reported by the verge in 2019 that General Motors was in talks with Google to embed their proprietary automotive operating system's into GM cars and trucks by the year 2021. Granting Chevrolet access to Google's top-of-the-line voice recognition software and access to Google app play store.
Borrowing The Best Tech From Chevy's Sister Brands
The great thing about having an entire international automotive conglomerat is there's always technology from other brands at their disposal if they choose to throw their low end consumers a bone. Because pickup trucks are GM's bread and butter, it's reasonable to suspect the 2022 silverado with the same hands free supercruise autopilot system as the Cadillac Escalade.
Spy shots also reveal a much larger infotainment display system than what was available on previous models. Presumably in response to customer complaints about the inadequacy of those systems. With these features already confirmed for the upcoming GMC Hummer EV, it's pretty much a slam dunk that this will also be present on the Silverado.
A Great Time To Be A Truck Enthusaiast In America
Pickup trucks mean just as much to Americans as Ferraris and Lamborghinis to Europeans. We live in a time when they routinely account for almost half of all vehicle sales in North America.
It seems the times are over when it was possible to buy a truly shoddy and poorly built pickup truck. And while the charms of a basic work truck that's a little rough around the edges have the type of character that can never be replicated. Maybe it's for the best that we embrace this new wave of high-tech pickup trucks. Whichever truck you decide to buy, you're bound to buy something sure to satisfy, but we still think you should pay special attention to Chevy dealerships in the near future if you're in the market for a top-of-the-line truck.
Sources: GM Authority, TFL Trucks