Chevy Silverado styling toughened up for 2016; New Face, Wider use of 8Speed

[Cmicasa the Great]

 

 

 

 

DETROIT -- Chevrolet is scrapping the long-running dual stacked headlights on the freshened 2016 Silverado and giving the hot-selling pickup a mean-machine look.

The stacked headlights -- a fixture on Chevy’s big truck since the 1980s -- have been replaced with smaller, more stylized units that recall high-tech electronics. The 2016 model also adds a more muscular hood and a new front fascia.

The styling changes were planned to keep the truck, overhauled for the 2014 model year, fresh against Ford’s revamped F-150 and Fiat Chrysler’s Ram 1500, Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson said. Also, Nissan Motor Co. is just months away from rolling out a new version of the Titan pickup.

It's one of the most radical mid-cycle changes to the face of the Silverado. Some dealers, truck enthusiasts and journalists questioned whether the Silverado's 2014 redesign went far enough. Some critics griped that it looked too much like the truck it replaced.

U.S. sales of the light- and heavy-duty Silverado have spiked 15 percent this year in a full-size truck market that has expanded 4.7 percent. Deliveries of the F series, including super duties and the redesigned 2015 F-150, have dropped 2.4 percent and Ram volume has climbed 4.3 percent.

Upper trim levels of the 2016 Silverado, such as the Z71, will feature two rows of LED lights separated by an accent bar that stretches the width of the grille.

 

Chevrolet is expanding the availability of an eight-speed automatic transmission for models with a 5.3-liter V-8 engine. The eight-speed gearbox had been available only on models with a 6.2-liter V-8.

Inside, the Chevy MyLink system has been reworked to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

 

 

 

AUTONEWS

[El Kabong]

It's a nice refresh, though based on the sales figures it's probably unnecessary.

[cp-the-nerd]

I think this is a strong mid-cycle redesign. It's early and happening right during a surge in sales, likely to build even more momentum, and certainly shut up the nay sayers who said the 2014 truck didn't change enough visually. The 8-speed 5.3L truck could be a perfectly balanced package with another MPG and better acceleration.

[David]

I like this even more, should help them to continue to push sales and win over converts.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Chevy is being proactive on this one. A refresh just 2 years after the debut of a model that is doing quite well.. despite new competition from its most immediate rival AND.. and this is a big AND.. the Colorado certainly getting the "I dunno.. I like this size too" debate from prospective buyers on the Chevy lots. 

 

 

They also didn't screw anyone over in making these upgrades the way they kinda did with the 2015i Yukon/Tahoe/Escalade in giving the same year, hence the "i" later models optional features that weren't avail on the original batch. Waiting 2 years is just enough time to allow some people to be ready to get out of their current Silvy into a new one, thus also pushing sales even more.

[Stew]

I really like that and I see the see the 5.3/8 speed combo providing the best mix of power/fe/acceleration/reliability.

[ccap41]

I dig the body color running through the grill. Hopefully they don't make a chromed out version where that is instead a massive chunck of chrome.

Is it me or does anybody else see a little more Colorado in this?

Either way, I think it is a good facelift. I like the grill a lot more, The hood has some muscle to it, the lights look much more modern. Good job.

[cp-the-nerd]

My only complaint is all the new panel seams because the new design has to fit in place of the old one. Ideally, you'd want the body color pieces to flow continuously from headlight to headlight. If the fit and finish isn't really good, it's going to show much more in this new face.

[ocnblu]

DETROIT -- Chevrolet is scrapping the long-running dual stacked headlights on the freshened 2016 Silverado and giving the hot-selling pickup a mean-machine look.

The stacked headlights -- a fixture on Chevy’s big truck since the 1980s -- have been replaced with smaller, more stylized units that recall high-tech electronics. The 2016 model also adds a more muscular hood and a new front fascia.

 

This statement is wrong, makes it sound like stacked headlights have been in continuous use since the 1980's on Chevy pickups.  Untrue. 

 

This new face is going to take some time to get used to.  I like the current Silverado face better.  The single headlights skew toward GMC's style.

[SuperDuper]

I think it looks really good. I only think it is too bad they are keeping the 6 speed at all.

[Cmicasa the Great]

I think it looks really good. I only think it is too bad they are keeping the 6 speed at all.

 

 

Why? The 6 Speed is actually quite nice, especially when a tweak here or there is performed, OR.. the driver simply allows the Tranny to learn his driving style.

[hyperv6]

Nerd I agree it has to be right but as it is now the hood on the present truck has no issue with the grill so I expect it will be ok. Now once someone has bounced off a tree ehhh!

[Suaviloquent]

I dunno, I'm not really warming up to the way they changed the looks, but the updates to power trains are a welcome upgrade.

[balthazar]

The first moment I saw the pic I liked it. But after a few moments of study, it is rather chaotic and I'd give the above pic a thumbs down.

[Intrepidation]

I like it, its more visually interesting. Still looks MANLY MAN but they used more than just SQUARES to design it.

 

Looks like the fenders are the same, so the new headlight design is based entirely on body color trim pieces to make the shape different. No doubt cost effective, although it makes for a lot of cut lines. Bet you could swap those into the current truck.

 

The only thing I really dislike is just how vertically massive the lower bumper is and how far below the lower body line it extends. I'm sure its for aerodynamics, but its very ungainly.

[balthazar]

The only thing I really dislike is just how vertically massive the lower bumper is and how far below the lower body line it extends. I'm sure its for aerodynamics, but its very ungainly.

GM has been doing this to a slightly-increasing degree for some years now. From the frontal view it looks fine, but I agree it seems counter-intuitive to reduce the front break over angle this severely. It's likely also so GM can foster the 'big truck' image, too.

[Cmicasa the Great]

What I'm wondering is whether they are going to go with Chrome or Black in the painted areas in between the grille and lights or is the painted the new norm overall. I'm betting chrome on the mid-models and black on the LS

[David]

In reading others comments and reviewing the picture, I would have to do to this truck what Ocnblu did to his and that is remove that butt ugly black plastic with chrome middle piece from the front bumper. It is the one thing that does not look right on what is an otherwise lovely looking truck.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think it looks really good. I only think it is too bad they are keeping the 6 speed at all.

6-speed is typically fine for work trucks. 

[Drew Dowdell]

 

The only thing I really dislike is just how vertically massive the lower bumper is and how far below the lower body line it extends. I'm sure its for aerodynamics, but its very ungainly.

GM has been doing this to a slightly-increasing degree for some years now. From the frontal view it looks fine, but I agree it seems counter-intuitive to reduce the front break over angle this severely. It's likely also so GM can foster the 'big truck' image, too.

 

 

That thing on the current Suburban scrapes on EVERYTHING.

[ccap41]

In reading others comments and reviewing the picture, I would have to do to this truck what Ocnblu did to his and that is remove that butt ugly black plastic with chrome middle piece from the front bumper. It is the one thing that does not look right on what is an otherwise lovely looking truck.

I actually don't think it looks as out of place or noticable on this a smuch as it does on the Colorado.

 

But they do sit extremely low. I walked past a new Denali a few months past and I was checkin' it out and I noticed that that front diffuser had to have been only 6 inches off the ground.. But it sat far enough back that it wasn't really noticable like it is on the Colorado.

[El Kabong]

The headlights look like a variation of what GMC is doing.

[ocnblu]

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

[Drew Dowdell]

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

 

The Z71 specifically?  Because the Suburbans I've driven (about 8 months ago) do have it... I've scraped it when parking.

[Drew Dowdell]

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

 

[David]

 

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

 

 

I would so remove that as it would look better without it and you would have better ground clearence for real use of what this auto is designed for. They need to remember these are SUV's for use and not a car. If they want to drive them by the dozen for the soccer moms fine and they get lower gas mileage fine also. Just do not loose the functionality of what this auto is all about.

[Intrepidation]

 

The only thing I really dislike is just how vertically massive the lower bumper is and how far below the lower body line it extends. I'm sure its for aerodynamics, but its very ungainly.

GM has been doing this to a slightly-increasing degree for some years now. From the frontal view it looks fine, but I agree it seems counter-intuitive to reduce the front break over angle this severely. It's likely also so GM can foster the 'big truck' image, too.

 

 

The HD trucks are particularly bad, I shudder to t think how big the refreshed ones will be. What gets me is that the other players in the segment have front lower air dams but theirs are far more subtle and less of an eyesore.

[SAmadei]

The new front end isn't doing anything special for me... the old one was fine.

OTOH, I wish GM would have changed the ugly Tahoe/Suburban front end.  It would have looked so much better with the Silverado front. 

If I ever end up with a current Tahoe/Suburban, I'll have to have Leepu graft the Silverado nose on it.  ;-)

 

[ocnblu]

Yes, specifically.  Here's one.

[hyperv6]

dfelt

 

The SUV's are seldom sued off road anymore and they need the MPG so the air dams are here to stay. at least till they get belly pans. That is what they did not the front of the new Camaro.

[Cmicasa the Great]

 

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

 

 

 

 

 

yup.. so does my Catherina. I think if it bothered me I'd paint it the same color before getting rid of it. As it turns out.. I actually like the look

 

[Cmicasa the Great]

 

 

 

I would so remove that as it would look better without it and you would have better ground clearence for real use of what this auto is designed for. They need to remember these are SUV's for use and not a car. If they want to drive them by the dozen for the soccer moms fine and they get lower gas mileage fine also. Just do not loose the functionality of what this auto is all about.

 

 

People who are really into off-roading these vehicles would mos likely simply by the Z71. Some would even go so far as to lift them anyway. I think for the sake of fuel economy.. and the fact that 90% of these vehicles are family cruisers and GM is fighting CAFE, and as an actual owner of this vehicle.. I think they did the right thing.

[ccap41]

 

 

New Tahoe and Suburban Z71 do not have the dangly airdam.

 

 

I would so remove that as it would look better without it and you would have better ground clearence for real use of what this auto is designed for. They need to remember these are SUV's for use and not a car. If they want to drive them by the dozen for the soccer moms fine and they get lower gas mileage fine also. Just do not loose the functionality of what this auto is all about.

 

This IS the funcionallity of what this is now though. People hauler, stuff hauler, vacationer, fuel economy while doing all of those. These don't get taken off road by 99% of the customers. And the 1% that do won't have an issue getting under there and taking it off on day 1.

[Drew Dowdell]

^^ Exactly.

[hyperv6]

The few that do go off road in these clearance it on the first bump.

 

Real off road people generally are in trucks and more often anymore modified new and mostly older trucks. These things are just too damn expensive to take off road and trash when new. Even most Raptors are in mall parking lots than the desert.

 

My Off Road customers generally are 1-3 generations behind on what they off road. They are cheaper buy and if they get rolled over they just transfer the parts to another used truck. Also the new trucks you also face the issues of Airbags etc. The 70's and 80's models are still treasured for their low cost, toughness and simplicity.

 

If I sell parts for a new SUV generally its for a bug shield, KNN intake or step bars. If it is lifted it will seldom if ever go off road.

[Stew]

Luckily those are easy to remove,.  When I was looking at the Z71 Colorado I knew the first thing I would do is remove that crazy low splitter.