The Chevrolet Silverado from Chevrolet and its GMC counterpart, the GMC Sierra, are the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.
As of 2006, the Silverado pickup is the second-best selling vehicle in the United States, behind the Ford F-150 pickup truck.
History
Although General Motors introduced its first pickup truck in 1930, the term "Silverado" was a designation only used to detail the higher-level trim for the Chevrolet C/K pickup trucks from 1975 through 1999. Similarly, GMC's C/K used the "Sierra" as the higher-level trim designation on its vehicles up until 1988. In 1988, GMC decided to use the "Sierra" name on all GMC pickup trucks, though the "C/K" nomenclature was continued through 1999. "C" trucks had rear-wheel drive while "K" models had four-wheel drive. Both Chevrolet and GMC dropped the "C" and "K" designations in 1999.
The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks have been essentially the same for their entire history. The Silverado today is generally advertised as the "tougher" version, while the Sierra has more luxury options. There are some trim and option variations as well. Early models included variations in the engine and equipment, but the present differences are slight. The 1999 redesign included different grilles and interior trim, and certain features (e.g. Quadrasteer) were included at different times on the two trucks.
Chevrolet Silverado SS
Launched in 2003, the Silverado SS is a high-performance pickup truck built by Chevrolet. It is based on the standard 1500 Silverado, with upgrades in drive train and both exterior and interior appearance. It uses the 6.0 liter Vortec High-Output V8 rated at 345 hp (257 kW) at 5200 rpm and 380 ftˑlbf (515 Nˑm) of torque at 4000 rpm. This was the same engine used for the second generation Cadillac Escalade. Chevrolet and GMC advertise this engine as the "VortecMAX", while Cadillac calls it the "HO 6000". The SS debuted with a standard All Wheel Drive setup, but was later changed to the current Rear Wheel Drive only format. The Silverado SS also comes with the Z60 performance suspension and 20 in (508 mm) chrome wheels. In 2006, Chevrolet released a special edition Silverado SS under the name "Intimidator SS" (licenced by Dale Earnhardt Inc.) that came with several minor appearance upgrades, but left the bulk of the truck the same.
Hybrid
GM launched a hybrid version of the Silverado/Sierra in 2005, becoming the first ever GM hybrid vehicle. It is a mild hybrid design, with the electric motor serving only power accessories and the system also automatically shuts down when the truck brakes below 13 mph, and uses electric power to restart it. It uses three extra 14 V batteries mounted under the rear seats to store power. The truck uses an 5.3 L Vortec 5300 V8 for primary power.