ONE-TICKET BOOK REVIEW NEW Silverado Work Truck
New Interior On the interior, the Silverado has a new instrument panel, new seat contours and fabrics, new center console design, and new interior trim. From the inside, the 2014 Sil- verado is defi nitely a new truck. Both the cloth covering over the seats
and the inner foam inside the seats are completely new. T e new layers of diff erent kinds of foam are designed for the subjec- tive balance between initial comfort and day-long support. T e high-wear fabric un- derwent a more objective test in its develop- ment: a simulated driver slid in and out of the vehicle across the seat covering and en- gineers checked for “linting” and “pilling” that could lead to premature wear. T e new seats have a low-medium bolster
on the seat bottoms and medium-high seat back bolster. Even with a full duty belt, the seats were very comfortable. T e 1WT trim level uses manual adjustments for legroom, tilt and lumbar. T e interior has optional four upfi tting switches that can be wired to the battery or the ignition key. T ese can be used to control any aftermarket device.
Wider Rear Doors From the outside, the logic was don’t mess with the truck that has the highest residual value of any ½-ton. With one exception, only the slightest styling and sheetmetal changes were made. T at exception was a big one—the doors. For 2014, the B-pillars on the Crew Cab were moved forward a few
The new Silverado has an EZ Lift-and- Lower tailgate, bigger front and rear brakes, a wider rear track and wind tunnel crafted sheetmetal from hood to hitch.
Simple Step,
inches to make a 4-inch wider entry/exit gap for the rear passengers. T e front doors are a bit shorter in width and the rear doors are a bit wider. However, the biggest door change was to the Extended Cab—now called the Double Cab. Instead of the rear doors being hinged at the rear and closing under the front door, the rear doors are now hinged at the front and close like the Crew Cab. T e addition of the B-pillar to the Double Cab (there was none on the Extended Cab) makes the cab stronger, quieter and more crash-safe.
The new Silverado has an all-new interior. The seats have new kinds of foam and high-wear fabrics for the elusive goal of initial comfort and all-day support.
Controlled Tailgate For the fi rst time, the Silverado 1500 Crew Cab comes with a longer 6-foot, 6-inch box, while the 5-foot, 8-inch box remains stan- dard. T e turning circle, curb to curb, of the 2WD and the 4x4 Crew Cab is the same. On the shorter box, it is 47.2 feet compared to 48.5 feet for the longer box. T e box has four integrated cargo tie-
downs built into the corners. Upper tie- down hooks are available, each with a rating of 250 pounds. T ese can be located in sev- eral locations around the upper bed rails. Four hooks are part of the optional package, while additional hooks are available as parts from the local Chevy dealer. A subtle but ingeniously simple change
for the Silverado is a Corner Step formed right into the rear bumper and hand-holds (grip pocket) built into the bed rail protec- tors. T is extremely useful solution results in a very functional, no-moving-parts step up to the bed. T e new Silverado also has under rail LED lights—nice feature! T e new Silverado has an EZ Lift-and-
Lower tailgate, which was one of the fi rst things noticed by most of the offi cers and deputies who also drove the test truck. An internal torsion bar greatly reduces the ef- fort to raise the tailgate. A rotary damper allows for a controlled and more gradual lowering of the tailgate. Frankly, while the Silverado was almost
all new, it was the corner step, the con- trolled tailgate, and the numerous tie-downs that made the most buzz among the other
40 Police Fleet Manager Mar-Apr 2014
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