A pickup truck can handle a significant amount of cargo in the open bed and cabin. Plus, it has the engine performance to provide significant towing capacity. Because of these key features, it is a great option for private consumers and commercial purposes including product transportation and construction.

One very popular pickup truck for the past 20 years has been the Chevrolet Silverado, which was first introduced with the 1998 model year. The Silverado is typically well known for being ahead of the competition in terms of interior features, engine performance, and overall style. The Chevrolet Silverado will once again be a very popular pick for consumers when the 2020 model year is fully available. This model will have a variety of new features and a starting MSRP of around $28,300. However, with many different trim levels and upgrades available, the price could be close to $50,000.

Performance Specs

Similar to years prior, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado will have two different engine options, one which will be a traditional gas engine and the other will be a diesel engine option. One of the most highly-anticipated features with the 2020 Silverado is the new enhanced V8 engine. With the 2020 Silverado, there is a new V8 engine that has direct injection and will produce around 400 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. This is an upgrade from the prior model year which produced only about 380 horsepower and will give drivers a noticeable amount of power. This engine comes coupled with a standard six-cylinder transmission. With this engine option, you can expect to get about 13,000 pounds of towing capacity.

Those that want even more power will want to upgrade to the Duramax 6.6-liter Turbo-Diesel engine. This diesel engine is the same as the prior model year. However, this year it will come coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission, which will give a driver smoother control when they are on the road and improves torque all the way up to 910 pound-feet. With this engine option, you can expect to get about 14,500 pounds of towing capacity. With both engine options, the 2020 Silverado can come with either front wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

Fuel Efficiency

Given the size and performance of the 2020 Silverado, it gets pretty good overall fuel efficiency. With the gas-powered V8, it is expected that the Silverado will get around 22 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg when driving in the city. When upgrading to the higher performance engine, the overall fuel efficiency could decline to around 15 mpg when driving in the city and under 20 mpg when driving on the highway. Fuel efficiency will also decline if you are going to upgrade to four-wheel drive and if you are hauling a significant amount of weight.

Safety and Entertainment Features

Although the safety, tech and entertainment features are similar to prior model years, the new Silverado offers some exciting upgrades.

The 2020 Silverado’s base trim comes standard with a seven-inch touchscreen that controls the navigation system, entertainment features, and some safety features. The Silverado’s screen can also be easily connected to either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Chevy has its own entertainment system — called the Infotainment 3 system — which provides a variety of control and entertainment functions to drivers. With some of the higher trim levels, there are even more entertainment features including a larger touchscreen, three additional USB ports, wireless charging, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and an upgraded entertainment system.

There are also a wide variety of safety features available with the Silverado. One of the most popular standard safety features is the Teen Driver system, which is available with all Chevy vehicles. With this safety suite, you will be able to put certain controls on the vehicle when certain people are behind the wheel. This can help to control the speed and acceleration of the Silverado, which will make it safer for a teen to drive.

Beyond that, there are many great standard safety features including the rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane change alert, forward collision warning, and a surround-view parking camera. While many of these features are available in competing pickup trucks, they are typically considered expensive upgrades. With the Silverado, these upgrades are available with the base trim level.

How It Stacks up against the Competition

While there are plenty of options for you to choose from when it comes to picking a pickup truck, the Chevrolet Silverado’s offerings make it stand out from the competition.

Engine Performance and Towing Capacity

If you are looking at a truck for commercial use, having a strong engine and being able to tow a significant amount of weight is very important. The Silverado’s strong engine performance allows you to tow up to 14,500 pounds. This is compared to a variety of competing pickup trucks that are barely able to tow more than 10,000 pounds. The base engine option, which is a V8 that produces over 400 horsepower, is also stronger than the base engine found in many competing pickup trucks.

Standard Safety Features

Having a strong engine is very important, but you also want to make sure that you are safe when you are behind the wheel. One of the strongest selling points of the Silverado is that it comes with a full suite of safety features that are not standard with other pickup truck options including a rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, and lane keep assist. Due to these features and many more, the Silverado routinely is given five-star ratings from the NHTSA.

Pros and Cons

Overall, there are a variety of strong selling points that come with the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado. One of the strongest selling points will be the base engine and towing capacity. When paired with the standard V8 engine, you can expect to get more than 400 horsepower and will be able to tow 12,000 pounds. This is ideal for consumers that are looking for a higher-performance pickup truck.

Additionally, the amount of safety features that are available with the base trim level is impressive. While the base MSRP of the Silverado is in line with the competition, most of these standard safety features are much more expensive with other pickup trucks. This helps to make the Silverado one of the safest pickup trucks on the market today.

While there are some great advantages to the Silverado, one disadvantage is a lack of standard entertainment features. While the base trim does not have many, the next levels up include many of the entertainment and luxury features that a driver would expect, which means you can still get them at a reasonable price.

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This article was worked on by a variety of people from the Autoversed team, including freelancers, editors, and/or other full-time employees.