Text by Yousef Alvi
When we get press cars, usually it’s the manufacturer’s opportunity to put their best foot forward. To showcase their latest innovations – from engines, to infotainments systems, to driver aids, etc. Well this 2015 Chevy Silverado was a bit different. Did we get a high riding, brightly colored, off-roading, desert-running monster? Nope… we just got a truck. Okay did we get a high-tech, turbocharged, panoramic sunroof’d, massaging seat, luxury equipped truck? Nope… we just got a truck. What we had delivered was a 6-cylinder, 2wd, cloth seat & rubber floor matted truck. We basically had the genesis of the truck, the truest to form delivered to us, and that’s not quite a bad thing.
Let’s start off with the ride quality shall we? I’ll be completely honest here, so brace thyself, it rode… pretty great! Honestly it’s a comfortable, easy-going ride. It handled well for being a truck, it glided over the payment. And the steering delivered solid feedback to the driver. Chevy has just got the ‘truck’ figured out at this point. Meaning – they know the balance of what people want & need… and they know how to make it last. The seats were well bolstered, supportive, and comfortable.
Our tester came with the optional 20-inch wheels, and the upgrade wheel package really helped set off the base Silverado aesthetically. It filled up the wheel wells particularly well, and complimented the deep blue paint & tastefully applied chrome.
The interior is spartan. It’s barebones, but it’s well put together. It has everything you need, and nothing that you really don’t. Designed to withstand years and usage. Basically – it’s tried & true… and built to function. There weren’t any creaks, moans, or poor fitting panels. There are soft touch pieces where you want them to be, and while hard plastics were ever-present, they were never within arm reach most of the time. The air conditioning kicks ass. There is an infotainment screen, but calling it a screen is not doing it justice. It’s more like an infotainment speck. Seriously – my phone has a bigger screen. But hey – it works.
And the sound quality/volume was pretty surprising & impressive. We had the extended cab, and there was plenty of room to fit three full size adults in the backseat if needed. But it’s probably more naturally/daily suited for gear, or children. So all-in-all it was a well put together, no frills interior.
The aforementioned V6 is a 4.3-liter unit producing 285 horsepower and 305 ft/lbs of torque. It’s the base engine for the Silverado. But the fact that it’s base, doesn’t mean it’s bad. It comes with all the modern bells & whistles that a new engine should – with variable valve timing and direct injection along with aluminum block & heads.
The V6 2wd Silverado won’t set your pants on fire in any one category. But it wont leave you hanging either. It’s ready to be a long-term truck. And across the board – it’s gonna get the job done. There’s something elemental and almost character-building about driving a barebones truck in 2015. It’s truer to spirit, truer to form. It’s not a show horse, but it gets up in the morning, works hard, and gets you back home.
