By Winfred Cross, NNPA Newswire Contributor

There are no higher stakes than the truck wars. Chevy, Ford and [Dodge] Ram, not to mention a whole bunch of imports, fight hard to reign supreme for the billions spent on these behemoths. There is high exposure and sky-high profits to be had. That’s why the 2019 Silverado is packing heat.

It’s always duking it out with Ford’s F150, which has been the No.1-selling vehicle for a number of years. Is this the year the Silverado takes the crown? Maybe.

The new Silverado is something to look upon. The grille, especially on the LT is, well, busy. I don’t dislike the thing, but it took a while for me to get adjusted to what’s going on. I do like the body, however. It’s burly, but trim where it needs to be. The truck is particularly handsome in the three-quarter view.

The Silverado is bigger and wider and yet lighter than the outgoing model. It can tow more and has now fewer than eight models to choose from. The beds are now longer than regular beds, recreating each category. For instance, Chevy says the regular bed is longer and has more storage area than some extended beds. You can choose to get some fancy coverings or do the durable spray on bed liners. The beds come with 12 tie-down hooks but can be outfitted with as many as 19. While we are back here, there are also outlets if you need to use power tools out in the wild. There’s LED lighting as well. The liftgate? It is equipped to be power-operated from the key fob.

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Inside the new Silverado is an interior that has been stretched and widened to accommodate people and equipment in comfort. I was a little disappointed in some of the material choices in my LT Double cab, but the revision gets an A. It’s more modern and despite some materials, has a more upscale look. I’m not fond of three abreast seating but Chevy does a great job in hiding the middle front seat with a big center console. When deployed it looks as if you have captain’s chairs. If you need that third seat, simply flip it up.

The ubiquitous 8-inch touch screen is very easy to operate and has a quick response. Yes, there is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A three-month satellite radio subscription is also included.

One of my favorite features on a Chevy vehicle is the built-in 4G LTE hotspot which is easy to setup and will allow 10 devices to be connected. You do have to pay for the connection, but Chevy was all in at the beginning to offer such connectivity.

The Silverado LT is powered by a 2.7-liter 310 horsepower engine that makes 348 pounds feet of torque. It is available only on the LT and RST models. As truck engines go it’s fairly quiet but does have a good bit of oomph. Combined with the AWD and eight speed transmission it’s ready to work.

So, what kind of socialite is this? Glad you asked. Most folks purchase trucks as their main source of transportation, even if the vehicles are used for work. The Silverado can certainly put in work, but it has a very relaxed feel on the highway. The suspension soaks up bumps with aplomb and despite being larger and wider, the truck doesn’t drive big. I still had problems parking this thing but no more so than a Ford F-150.

I will say I like this almost as much as the F-150 I recently drove but I’m comparing oranges to apples. The F-150 was dressed to the nines and didn’t have much missing on the options list. The Silverado can be had with as much or more, depending on the trim level.

Not that this Silverado was spartan. With a base price of $40,200 there was a lot of standard stuff. It was a double cab with all-wheel-drive, ABS, 4G LTE hotspot, power windows, door locks and mirrors; keyless remote, rear HVAC vents, steering wheel audio controls, 40/20/40 split bench front seats and eight-inch color monitor.

There was about $8,000 worth of options which included front and rear park assist, lane change alert, blindside alert, rear cross traffic alert, dual zone climate control, heated steering wheel and front seats, black tubular assist steps and front under seat storage.

Add nearly $1500 for delivery and you have an as-tested price of $49,365.

That’s a little above average paid for a pickup these days. The Ford I tested was almost $70,000. Consumers love trucks at work or at play. This new Silverado is certainly something to love.

Pros:

• total redo is well done
• bigger, faster, stronger
• comfortable ride and good handling
• 4G LTE hotspot

Cons:

• some material use is questionable
• grille is a bit out there

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