2014 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show

The truck market is one of the most fierce battlegrounds in the automotive industry. It's a place where every automaker tries to one up each other with towing numbers, powertrains, fuel economy, and other details. Ford did it with the introduction of the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 into the F-150. Ram followed up with an eight-speed automatic transmission and some clever fuel-saving tricks with the 2013 Ram 1500. Now its GM’s turn to pull something out of their hat concerning pickups. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 is what they came up with.

The 2014 Silverado’s design in profile looks much like the model it's replacing. But when you get up close to the 2014 model, you can see Chevrolet has made some major changes. Up front, the new Silverado wears a larger, eggcrate grille. That is surrounded by large, square headlights. The side features flared-out front and rear fenders. Stepping inside, the 2014 Silverado addresses one of the major complaints from the current model; material quality. Chevrolet has stepped up the quality of materials used throughout the cabin. The cabin also features Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system which offers better connectivity with smartphones. Under the skin, the 2014 Silverado has a new range of engines all wearing the EcoTech moniker and including such technologies as direct-injection, variable cam timing, and cylinder deactivation. The engine lineup includes a 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and 6.2L V8. No performance specifications or fuel economy numbers have been released at this time. All of the engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Autobytel’s Road Test Editor, Benjamin Hunting, gives you a brief overview.