Chevrolet to unveil 2014 Silverado trucks in December
You’ve been warned, Ford.
Chevrolet announced Monday that it will officially unveil its all-new 2014 Silverado 1500 pickup on Dec. 13 at a special event in Detroit. The truck’s fancier cousin, the GMC Sierra, also will break cover. The pair will be on display to the public at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show in January and production will start early next year.
Details (and images) of the new truck are scarce, but bet your trailer hitch on this new model having a more fuel-efficient lineup of engines that likely will include a V-6, possibly turbocharged.
This is certainly in response to the ever-increasing cost of gas. But it also reflects a growing trend of smaller engines selling well in full-size pickups. Ford has led the way with the turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 in its F150 trucks and the company’s F-Series truck sales are up 11% this year over last. Meanwhile, Dodge has also dropped a six-cylinder engine (and an eight-speed transmission) into its Ram 1500 and is seeing a 20% sales increase this year. Look for a Times review of the Ram 1500 in the near future.
No doubt Chevrolet is keen to get a piece of that growth. Its Silverado is still the second-best-selling vehicle on the market (way behind Ford’s trucks) for 2012, but sales have remained flat this year compared to 2011.
Look for more details on Chevrolet’s Silverado’s engines, V-6 and otherwise, to trickle out between now and the Dec. 13 release. And we’ll be reporting from the floor at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show when these trucks (and Chevrolet’s Corvette) will be on display. Stay tuned.
