2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid 1500: Truck Icon Goes ‘Green’

By Mike Blake, Carlisle Events

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Last winter, I test drove a very solid Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD full-size, the lynchpin of the Chevrolet truck line, and second best-selling vehicle in America last year. At $39,010 (mine was a very upscale model with all the bells and whistles GM was willing to pack into the package), and an average of 16.9mpg during my tests, this E85-capable pick-up (I used regular unleaded gasoline) was a refined work truck that offered pampered toughness.

A few weeks ago, I tested a similarly outfitted Silverado 1500 4W Crew Cab, but this one had something extra – a hybrid engine that adds fuel-friendliness to the mix without sacrificing from the original, with even more power than its non-hybrid sibling.

True, this test vehicle was sticker-priced at $49,275 -- $10,265 above the previous version – but it held back nothing in terms of ruggedness, dependability, brawn and versatility, and it added even more luxury, a larger engine and the eco-friendliness of hybrid.

Chevy’s truck line, which began as a work vehicle, has branched out into luxury status and environmentally conscious without sacrificing its tough-task roots. Silverado, which started as a trim designation in 1975, became its own model in 1999 and this second-generation version provides refinement, lavishness and enhanced muscle in all of its forms, while adding hybrid form this year.

Silverado is assembled in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, with 75 percent of its parts originating in the U.S. and Canada. With the same measurements as the non-hybrid Silverado 1500 Crew, my test ride stood at 230 inches in length, 79.9 inches in width (not including mirrors), and 74 inches in height, with a step-in height of 22 inches and ground clearance of 9 inches on a wheelbase of 143.5 inches.

The non-hybrid Silverado uses a muscular 5.3-liter Vortec V-8 engine that pumps out 315hp and 338 lbs.-ft. of torque. The hybrid version utilizes an even brawnier two-mode hybrid system that mates GM's Vortec 6.0-liter V-8 with the company's new Electrically Variable Transmission. This system flexes out with 332 horses and 367 lbs.-ft. of torque. That’s enough power to thrust the 5882-lb. hybrid (596 lbs. heavier than the non-hybrid Silverado 1500 Crew) from zero to 60mph in 8.5 seconds, a tenth-of-a-second faster than I did in my non-hybrid test truck. I navigated a quarter-mile in 16.4, shaving two-tenths off my non-hybrid time.

The hybrid system is the same one GM uses in its Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade hybrid models, but it didn’t quite live up to the GM claim of increasing fuel mileage by 40 percent. The vehicle is EPA rated at 20 mpg in the city and 20mpg on the highway, while the non-hybrid is rated at 14/20. In real-world testing, my hybrid achieved an average 20.4mpg in nearly 500 miles of mixed-use tests, while my non-hybrid came in at 16.9mpg on regular gas – an increase of about 20 percent.

One thing you do sacrifice with the hybrid package is towing capability. The regular 2009 Silverado 1550 Crew is tow rated at 9500 lbs -- up to 10,400 lbs. with an enhanced package – and the hybrid version only has a tow rating of 6,100 pounds.

Eager to go off-road, the 4-wheel-drive hybrid Silverado smoothes out road imperfections, ruts and trails, while taking to city streets and Interstates calmly and confidently.

Quiet, smooth and alert, the Silverado hybrid moves down the road with solid handling and excellent stability. The move from battery and 300-volt motor to the gas engine is seamless, and while GM offers that the motor is good under 30mph, the gas engine does seem to kick in around 26 or 27mph.

To reduce drag, the hybrid version has added a slightly deeper front air dam, and my test version came with a standard three-segment hard tonneau cover. Other enhancements include liquid-filled cab mounts located beneath the aft portion of the cab to isolate the interior from vibration, low-rolling-resistance and the omnipresent and classy "Hybrid" badges to set this vehicle apart from simple pick-ups.

Inside, dimensions are equal to the non-hybrid models with headroom of 41.2 inches in the front and 40.5 inches in the crew cab, legroom of 41.3 and 39 inches and shoulder room of 65.2 and 65.1.

Interior luxury abounds with such amenities as 6-gauge cluster with tachometer, driver info center, auto dual-zone air conditioning, leather, illumination, lumbar support, XM Satellite radio, Bose speakers, navigation audio system with touch screen, rear audio controls, AM/FM/CD sound system and power adjustable pedals.

Safety-wise, Silverado scored a perfect 5 stars in crash tests (4 stars in rollover tests) and is outfitted with 4-wheel ABS with dynamic rear proportioning, dual-stage driver/front passenger airbags with passenger sensing system, head curtain side airbags, Stabilitrak stability control, theft deterrent system and tire pressure monitor.
My earlier test vehicle was base priced at $32,965, with a price as tested of $39,010. This hybrid test truck was base priced at $47,305, with a $995 power sliding sunroof and $975 in destination charges added for a bottom line of $49,275.
If you are considering Silverado in 2009, you might want consider the hybrid as well.

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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