Silverado Hybrid: strong and environmentally conscious

This is one fine and powerful truck

By: Mike Blake

"image"
The Silverado’s horsepower is rated at 295 hp at 2,500 rpm, with a torque rating of 330 at 400 rpm — plenty of force for moving through traffic, hauling a payload of 1,000 pounds or pow´ering through snow, mud or trou´blesome driving conditions.


   America is truckin.’ Pickup trucks now account for nearly 20 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States, and Chevy is firmly in the mix with its line of rugged trucks, including the tough, luxurious and environmentally conscious 2005 Chevy Silverado Hybrid LS 1500.
   This is one fine and powerful truck. The Silverado’s Vortec 5300, 16-valve, 5.3-liter V-8 automatic propels you quickly during acceleration in all the ranges — from a dead stop all the way through highway passing gear. Horsepower is rated at 295 hp at 2,500 rpm, with a torque rating of 330 at 400 rpm — plenty of force for moving through traffic, hauling a payload of 1,000 pounds or powering through snow, mud or troublesome driving conditions. The power plant also offers plenty of strength to accommodate the tow rating of 6,400 pounds.
   The 4×4 function, automatic 4×4 and 2WD settings give you diverse handling options, and as I often drove my test vehicle from clean pavement to ice to snow to rain, the automatic 4×4 seamlessly chose the most-opportune configuration and handled the conditions with ease. The Silverado mill accelerates smoothly, quietly and comfortably, giving the driver an air of confidence behind the wheel.
   The smooth power is accentuated by an even smoother ride. I found the heavy-duty suspension to be road-hugging, bump-eliminating and ride-leveling. The truck’s independent torsion bar and 32-mm stabilizer bar, with solid rear axle, semi-elliptic, variable two-stage multileaf springs and gas-pressurized shocks were equal to the task of flattening potholes and sailing across uneven wintry roads.
   Ride confidence is imprinted through the feel behind the wheel and Silverado’s safety features. The four-wheel ABS with dynamic rear-proportioning braking system is solid in all road conditions. With four-wheel discs and Hydroboost hydraulic brake assists, this truck has stopping power, and the large footprint P245/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler ST all-season radials provide the stickiness. Passenger-sensing system dual-stage air bags provide that extra measure of assurance.
   I did find that the center of gravity was a bit high, affecting tight, high-speed turns in poor conditions, but with some cargo in the truck bed, the added weight will bring the balance to a more confidence-building level.
   Trucks have a reputation for not being environmentally prudent, but GM has attempted to change that with its line of Hybrid pickups — the Silverado and the GMC Sierra. A true hybrid is thought to combine electric power with conventional gas-powered engines, and several manufacturers attack this in different ways.
   The General’s approach is to add a compact electric motor integrated between the truck and the transmission. It takes over at the most environmentally opportune times — at starting, idle, coasting and deceleration, shutting off the fuel in an unnoticeable transition. This system cuts down on pollutants at the times when such elements traditionally are at their zenith and provides an estimated 10 to 13 percent fuel economy gain.
   The process helps to push the fuel economy to a still-unfriendly 17 city-19 highway, but that is decent for such a worthy truck with vigorous performance. And the Chevy Silverado Hybrid warranty is a solid eight-year, 100,000-mile package that even covers towing (for warranted defects) and interim transportation from dealers.
   The vision inside the cab is excellent. The rearview and side mirrors allow you to see all day, and the back window provides a panoramic view with no real blind spot. The seats are cushy, wide and comfortable and offer a measure of luxury in this hard-working truck. It comes with a lumbar support system and six-way power bucket seat setup. The extended cab gives you seating for three back there and five overall. The legroom in back is fine for anyone under 6 feet, but the seatbacks are straight and unforgiving, making this tough for children if on a long ride. The rear cab door opens easily as does the bed lift gate.
   The interior is one of luxury rather than traditionally truck-Spartan. The standard interior package includes up-level cloth trim, and dual-zone air conditioning with fine-tuned climate control to the degree desired. Leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, cruise control, theft-deterrent ignition, compass/outside temperature indicator, power locks and windows, remote keyless entry, power heated manual folding rearview mirrors and inside rearview mirror with auto dimming also are in the standard package.
   One neat Hybrid feature is the power ports: two 120-volt AC outlets in the cab and two in the pickup bed. The auxiliary power outlet system provides up to 2,400 watts of power with an activation switch up front (to keep the kids or adult passengers from using the system if you prefer they don’t).
   The test vehicle I drove was painted in the classy dark green metallic color that looks verdant in sunlight and takes on a black appearance in shadows and evening light. With the upgrade to front leather, aluminum wheels, the Vortec 5.3/Hybrid combination, On-Star system, XM satellite radio, AM/FM stereo with CD/cassette capabilities, a Bose speaker system and light-duty power package, this big beauty was priced at $36,860.
   Silverados have been included in the GM recall regarding pressure accumulators in the braking system, and while the upgrade is being made, GM has stressed that it did not know of any injuries related to the problem.
   The Silverado is one proud ride … confident, strong and paying attention to Mother Nature.
Visit www.carsatcarlisle.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.