Photo: Chevrolet
For the love of everything that’s holy about the automotive industry, can automakers stop describing tuned production vehicles as concepts? Chevrolet did exactly that with four examples of the 2019 Silverado 1500, and we’re not even sure the golden bowtie did it right.
Take the Silverado RST Street and Silverado RST Off Road as prime examples of this oddity. Instead of using the 6.2-liter V8 in the Tahoe RST, Chevrolet dropped the 5.3-liter V8 in the engine bay, swapping the standard intake system with a cold-air intake.
In addition to not being worthy of the RST designation, the 5.3-liter V8 in the two concepts can’t be compared with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the Ford F-150. The same goes for the 6.2-liter V8, which can’t hold a candle to the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 on the F-150 Limited and F-150 Raptor.
Having said these, let’s move on to the Silverado High Country Concept and Silverado LTZ Concept. As the names imply, both are based on production models and both feature minor modifications in the guise of original accessories from the Chevrolet Performance catalog. The 40-inch LED light bar and Off-Road Squadron sport lamps on the RST Off Road Concept, for example, come from Baja Designs.
The two-piece exhaust tips in carbon fiber, as well as the cat-back exhaust system, come courtesy of Borla and the one-piece hard tonneau cover has been developed by UnderCover. As highlighted at the beginning of this story, “concept” isn’t the right word to describe these mildly-modified Silverado 1500s.
“We know every truck customer is unique, which is why the Silverado offers eight trims, each with a different combination of technology, performance, and design,” declared Hugh Milne, marketing manager for the Silverado. “With a full catalog of accessories and performance parts, we offer exponentially more ways for customers to build their ideal truck.
"And, unlike certain aftermarket components, these are designed, engineered and validated to the same engineering standards as the Silverado itself, and backed by Chevrolet.” Even though there's a good point to using original accessories, the aftermarket is certain to cash in on the Silverado 1500 to a greater extent than Chevrolet Performance.
In addition to not being worthy of the RST designation, the 5.3-liter V8 in the two concepts can’t be compared with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the Ford F-150. The same goes for the 6.2-liter V8, which can’t hold a candle to the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 on the F-150 Limited and F-150 Raptor.
Having said these, let’s move on to the Silverado High Country Concept and Silverado LTZ Concept. As the names imply, both are based on production models and both feature minor modifications in the guise of original accessories from the Chevrolet Performance catalog. The 40-inch LED light bar and Off-Road Squadron sport lamps on the RST Off Road Concept, for example, come from Baja Designs.
The two-piece exhaust tips in carbon fiber, as well as the cat-back exhaust system, come courtesy of Borla and the one-piece hard tonneau cover has been developed by UnderCover. As highlighted at the beginning of this story, “concept” isn’t the right word to describe these mildly-modified Silverado 1500s.
“We know every truck customer is unique, which is why the Silverado offers eight trims, each with a different combination of technology, performance, and design,” declared Hugh Milne, marketing manager for the Silverado. “With a full catalog of accessories and performance parts, we offer exponentially more ways for customers to build their ideal truck.
"And, unlike certain aftermarket components, these are designed, engineered and validated to the same engineering standards as the Silverado itself, and backed by Chevrolet.” Even though there's a good point to using original accessories, the aftermarket is certain to cash in on the Silverado 1500 to a greater extent than Chevrolet Performance.
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