Revealed in 2012, the current Silverado is the first truck to be updated for this generation. While this has been great at first, it now puts GM in a rather bad position. Both Ford and Ram are going to release updated or all-new models by 2018. This puts quite a bit of pressure on GM which will have to do something with the 2018 Chevy Silverado in order to stay up there at the top. So far there is very little information about the upcoming Silverado. However, considering how things are going, the new model will be lighter, more efficient and capable. It will also likely be more expensive.
2018 Chevy Silverado Price
Early rumors suggest for a base price closer to $30,000. This would still not make it the most expensive out there but it would get quite close to that title. The largest change for the new Silverado will be the move to an all aluminum body. Ford was the first to make the move but GM won’t remain in its shadow. They already confirmed that their trucks will be using aluminum bodies and likely aluminum parts in their construction.
Considering what happened with the F-150, it is quite safe to assume that the new Silverado will also drop a lot of weight. Many suggest around 400 to 500 pounds. This would be less than Ford. However, GM would take a different approach. They are expected to use thicker aluminum around the truck as well as beefier parts in its running gear. Larger axles, brakes, and even a stiffer frame are all going to add weight. This is not idea but these improved parts will make the upcoming 2018 Chevy Silverado a much better all around truck than before.
Exterior Review
With all of these upgrades, the looks of the new truck won’t remain unchanged. The beefy design is likely here to stay. However, the Silverado will definitely receive a more expressive front end. This may now borrow from cars like the latest GM crossovers with the large two-piece grille and slim headlights. Some even suggested that GM may want to give the Silverado a look closer to that of the Colorado in order to keep the brand recognition at an all time high.
The design of the exterior is luckily not that important for a medium sized truck. We really do hope that GM will work a lot more on its cabin. This will have to be improved in every way in order to become what it needed to be a couple of years back. We hope the dashboard will be less cluttered and we really do hope that GM will get rid of all that cheap plastic which still plagues the ongoing model.
Engine
The 2018 Chevy Silverado is expected to be the first truck on the market to move to all turbocharged power. Previously engines like the 4.3 or 5.3 liters naturally aspirated mills were available. This time around everything will change. The base model is expected to make use of a 3 liter twin-turbo V6 with close to 330 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. Further up the range, a larger 3.6 liter V6 with two turbochargers should also be made available. This will get closer to 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque without using too much extra fuel. Both of them should be equipped with their new 10 speed automatic and both of them should be priced similarly to the older 4.3 liter V6 and 5.3 liter V8. Later down the road, GM might also install a larger 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8. So far this has yet to surface mostly because it seems that it still is under development.
