Posted by Mark Williams | April 11, 2015

With so much new engineering happening in the half-ton pickup truck segment -- the debut of the 2015 Ford F-150 and the coming 2016 Nissan Titan XD come to mind -- several truckmakers are pushing their long-scheduled redesigns and engineering upgrades forward to better compete in the segment.

Our sources say that GM is exploring material changes and possible powertrain upgrades for the half-ton. From the looks of these spy shots, this truck could be testing both. Here’s the note the photographers sent us:

"On sale since the summer of 2013 (as a 2014 model), it’s time for the Chevrolet Silverado to get a minor update. Much like its competitor at Ford, we’re hearing it is now time for the Silverado to lose some steel and gain aluminum.

“In an effort to trim a few pounds and help its fuel-economy numbers, the Silverado’s hood looks like it will switch to aluminum. We’ve also started hearing rumors that the front fenders could go to aluminum as well.

“Beyond that, the Silverado will get a redesigned front end with a new grille, lower air dam and headlight look. Our photos appear to show that the Silverado will finally gain LED daytime running lights like the GMC Sierra. A new hood cut line is also visible.

“At the rear, new taillights look to be the main change. The bed is also covered, so there may be new storage technology, or lighting, waiting underneath. The interior was uncamouflaged and appeared unchanged. The 5.3-liter V-8 will ditch the six-speed transmission and most likely use the eight-speed already in use with the 6.2-liter V-8.

“In the 2017 calendar year, no doubt the transmissions will be upgraded again, switching to an all-new 10-speed designed in cooperation with Ford. The launch for this updated Silverado is set for the fourth quarter of 2015. Assuming there are no delays, that would likely make this a 2016.5 model-year vehicle."

Chris Doane Automotive images