10 Things You Need To Know About The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado

There are few battles more epic in the automotive industry than the yearly fight between General Motors and Ford for the title of 'best-selling full-size pickup.'  GM's perennial challenger to the vaunted F-150 is the Chevrolet Silverado, a pickup that, alongside its GMC Sierra twin, has challenged the Blue Oval for sales supremacy for decades.  Completely re-designed for the 2014 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado is aimed at customers who want better fuel mileage and more power in their full-size truck without having to defect to another brand.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.

01. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Is All-New

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado might not look like it, but it has been massaged from stem to stern in an effort to introduce new technologies and features to its list of capabilities.  The exterior design of the Chevrolet Silverado is reminiscent of the 2013 edition of the truck, but boxier fender flares and a new front grille call to mind an almost retro appearance, complete with stacked quad headlights.  More aluminum has been used in the truck's chassis and body panels in order to balance out the weight added by additional equipment and sound deadening materials, which render the truck's cabin quieter than ever before.  A leaf-spring setup rides out back, and the Silverado's lighter ladder frame chassis manages to be stronger without sacrificing comfort over rougher roads.

02. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Comes In Three Body Styles

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado continues to be offered in three separate body styles: regular, extended, and crew cab.  A number of changes have been made, however, to the configurations of each of these particular models.  The biggest difference can be found in the extended cab, which no longer features a rear-hinged second set of doors but rather traditionally-hinged doors that have been downsized to fit behind the two front openings of the truck.  This makes it easier to get in and out of the extended cab's expanded passenger compartment.  Crew cab trucks have also seen their entrances widened, with the vehicle's B-pillar now pushed towards the front of the pickup to create more space.

03. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Offers Multiple Bed Lengths

In addition to its three body styles, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado also provides a bevy of bed lengths for its cargo area.  Buys can choose 5'8", 6'6" and 8' beds, depending on which edition of the truck has been ordered.  Of course, there's more to these re-designed cargo areas than their dimensions, as the Chevrolet Silverado has gained a number of useful new features to help make it easier to deal with cargo.  A step set into the corner of the rear bumper now makes it easier to get up inside the truck bed, and a number of hand-holds designed to help lift oneself up and in are also present and accounted for.  Chevrolet even makes in-bed LED lighting available to illuminate a load at night when loading or unloading.

04. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Provides Updated Engines

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's engine displacements haven't changed on the options sheet, but the three motors that are available with the truck are significantly different than they were in 2013.  The base 4.3-liter V-6's output makes a huge jump to 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque, while the Silverado's 5.3-liter V-8 (which GM has tapped as the likely volume mill) now pushes out 355 horses and 383 lb-ft of torque.  A new version of the truck's venerable 6.2-liter V-8 will also be available later on in the model year.  Giving the Silverado such a bevy of robust engine options helps it to better compete against Dodge and Ford, which have seen similar renaissances under the hood in recent years.  Four-wheel drive is of course also available with the Chevrolet pickup.

05. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Delivers Improved Fuel Economy

Not only are the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's available motors much more powerful than ever before, but they also benefit from additional efficiency.  Direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation (with even the V-6 dropping a few cylinder during highway cruising) all combine to improve the fuel economy figures associated with the Chevrolet Silverado.  Chevrolet is most proud of the gains that have been made by its 5.3-liter V-8, which posts an around town rating of 16-mpg and a highway rating of 22-mpg - increases of one mile per gallon for each respective measure when compared to the less powerful 2013 edition of the motor.  A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with all versions of the truck.

06. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Offers Excellent Towing Capacity

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's 4.3-liter V-6 engine is no longer a consolation prize for entry-level buyers, especially when it comes to utility.  Trucks equipped with the base V-6 can now tow up to 7,200 lbs, a figure which trumps many other six-cylinder pickups, SUVs, and crossovers.  Those who need to haul an even heavier load will be happy to learn that the 5.3-liter V-8 version of the Silverado has been cleared to tug a hefty 11,500 lbs, which bests any other full-size truck in the half-ton segment.  In theory, the vehicle's upcoming 6.2-liter V-8 will offer even greater towing comfort when flirting with the outside edge of the Chevrolet's performance envelope.

07. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Is Outfitted With A Revamped Interior

One of the criticisms that was most often leveled at the departed 2013 version of the Silverado was that its interior wasn't on par with the competition in terms of quality and design.  Big changes are in store with the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, which updates not just the list of equipment available with the truck but also the way in which it is presented.  A more modern-looking gauge panel (which includes a TFT information screen) directly faces the driver, while an updated center stack houses all of the necessary entertainment, climate, and other controls associated with operating the truck.  Plastics are improved throughout the cabin, and front and rear passenger room has also been upgraded.

08. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Now Comes With MyLink

The middle of the re-designed 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's center console has been reserved for the Chevrolet MyLink system.  This feature consists of either a 4.2-inch or eight-inch LCD screen, depending on which version has been ordered, and it handles voice controls, Bluetooth connectivity, smart phone integration, and entertainment features for the driver.  The larger version of the MyLink feature even offers a touchscreen.  MyLink is available on almost all versions of the Chevrolet Silverado, and it can be completely customized to suit the tastes of the truck's owner.  The updated Silverado is one of the last Bowtie-wearing vehicles to receive the MyLink system as an option.

09. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Can Be Had In Seven Trim Levels

Like most full-size pickups, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado is sold in a bewildering variety of trim levels.  No fewer than seven editions of the Chevrolet Silverado are visible on the order sheet: 1WT, 2WT, LT, LT Z71, LTZ, LTZ Z71, and High Country.  WT are 'work truck' trims that pare the Silverado down to just the basics needed to get through an eight-hour shift, while the LT is the mid-tier range that should appeal to the greatest number of shoppers.  The LTZ and High Country target luxury seekers - within modest bounds - and the Z71 off-road package is considered its own trim level when added to either the LT or LTZ version of the truck.

10. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's Base Pricing Carries Over From 2013

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado costs the same amount as the 2013 version when ordered in base form for either the regular, extended, or crew cab models.  What this means is that the least expensive version of the Chevrolet Silverado will set you back $23,590 with a V-6 engine and two-wheel drive.  The top-tier LTZ Z71 requires a payment of $40,215 (pricing for the High Country has yet to be released).  This helps the Silverado undercut the base model of the Ford F-150 by a few hundred dollars, while coming in at slightly more than the base Ram 1500.