From the March 2019 issue of Car and Driver.

Secure possession of one’s Man Card is too frequently associated with the overt machismo of one’s truck, a metric closely tied to the size of its tires, the power of its engine, and, of course, its number of cylinders—not necessarily in that order. Which, in the world of presumed stereotypes, puts Chevy’s new four-cylinder Silverado in a tough spot. We discovered, however, that it is indeed a manly and capable thing.

HIGHS: Substantial acceleration and towing performance.

Consider exhibit A: This all-wheel-drive double-cab Silverado, laden with 6080 pounds of trailer, car, and ballast—the same weight we towed in our recent light-duty truck comparo—achieved 60 mph in 12.8 seconds, a paltry 0.9 second slower than the 2019 Ram 1500 4x4 equipped with a 5.7-liter V-8 assisted by a 48-volt motor.

View Photos Andi Hedrick Car and Driver

Despite a lengthy 102.0-millimeter stroke, Chevy’s turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four is among the smoothest four-cylinders in the General’s arsenal. It motivates the unladen Silverado to 60 mph in a very reasonable 7.0 seconds without feeling burdened. And it helps the truck achieve a 65-decibel noise reading at 70 mph, the same as the comparo-winning Ram 1500, an immodestly equipped $69,000 luxury pickup.



The undersquare engine, as you’d expect, is a grunter. Its 348 pound-feet of torque persists between 1500 and 4000 rpm, enough latitude to accommodate all normal driving. The 310-hp peak comes at 5600 rpm, only 100 rpm before redline, but you’ll never need it. Chevy pairs the mill exclusively with its eight-speed auto, and it’s a predictive ’box, giving you immediate torque on demand. The EPA rates this version of the Silverado at 20 mpg combined, but we achieved only 16 in daily use, the same fuel economy we measured from an all-wheel-drive 5.3-liter V-8-powered Silverado crew cab. On our 200-mile highway loop, the four-cylinder made liberal use of its turbocharger and yielded 18 mpg, 3 mpg less than that same Silverado.

View Photos Andi Hedrick Car and Driver

LOWS: Can’t tow as much as its big bro, disappointing fuel economy.

At 4912 pounds, the four-cylinder Silverado is 590 pounds lighter—and thus more wieldy—than the last 6.2-liter High Country model we tested. The RST trim’s 18-inch wheels help calm its ride versus that truck’s, too (the High Country had 22s). And it shares the more costly truck’s highly effective braking system, which stopped it from 70 mph in a properly abrupt 177 feet.

Starting at $43,595, this Silverado costs about $1400 less than the same truck equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8. But a 5.3-liter Silverado can tow substantially more (up to 11,600 pounds versus 7200 pounds max with the turbo four). The four-cylinder might let you keep your Man Card, but the V-8 guarantees it.

Specifications Specifications 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST 2.7T 4WD Double Cab VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, rear-/all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup PRICE AS TESTED

$46,430 (base price: $43,595) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement

166 in3, 2727 cm3

Power

310 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque

348 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): control arms/live axle

Brakes (F/R): 13.5-in vented disc/14.1-in vented disc

Tires: Michelin Primacy LTX, 265/65R-18 114T M+S TPC SPEC 1500MS DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 147.4 in

Length: 231.8 in

Width: 81.2 in

Height: 75.6 in

Passenger volume: 126 ft3

Curb weight: 4912 lb C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 7.0 sec

100 mph: 18.2 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 7.1 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.7 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.8 sec

¼-mile: 15.4 sec @ 93 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 107 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 177 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.81 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 16 mpg

75-mph highway driving: 18 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 20/19/22 mpg Expand Collapse

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