Some of you know GM is working on an all-new Silverado/Sierra 1500 for MY 2019. Some of you who keep up with these things know that basically all manufacturers have let Ford take off and leave them with respect to automotive-type technologies that improve FE and performance and capability all at the same time.

Toyota has stood still for eleven years and this is bewildering considering the competitive nature of this segment. I guess they are satisfied with their market share. They have EPA mpg ratings for their 4.6 V8 equal to F150 Raptor! And their 5.7L is lower than the Raptor! That's crazy! Is Toyota going to compete in this segment or not?

Nissan came out with an all-new truck but with nothing that new or exciting to power it. The previous, super-long-in-the-tooth Titan was powered by a 5.6 V8 or customers had the choice of a 5.6 V8. The new Titan has a choice of a 5.6 V8 or a 5.6 V8, and what happened to the V6 they promised, and the diesel turned out to be an expensive version of a 3/4-ton with average mpg and less capability than the big threes' diesels; nothing new, bold or exciting for most people. It seems as it was before what happened after the first Titan. They spend hundreds of millions on a new platform that is on par with the competition when it starts, and then poor sales prevents them from keeping up with the competition. Is Nissan going to compete in this segment or not.

Then there is Ram. They'll have some things for 2019, and they already have a segment leading Ecodiesel with respect to mpg, but their parent company is somewhat cash strapped, and while Ram is a big cash cow for them, I wouldn't be surprised if they've been funneling money away from engineering a new Ram and from other vehicles that make money, e.g. Jeep Cherokee, Pacifica, Caravan just to keep FCA afloat. I've not heard or read what Ram has been up to for a new truck, but they are working on a new truck.

GM is a different story. They are flush; they have tons of engineering and engineering prowess. These are the folks that produced the electric Volt and now a Bolt, which may be a Tesla killer. There are rumors regarding Silverado/Sierra 1500. It's been leaked that their was a test Silverado or Sierra found filling up the tank with diesel and the tell-tell tailpipe (funny that some people think these leaks are accidental; these leaks are purposely done to gauge reaction and media response).

Also, and this could be even more significant, because Ford will also have a diesel. GM has partnered with Delphi and Tula for a new and improved method of cylinder deactivation called Skip Fire. According to Delphi (and keep in mind these sort of things are often exaggerated in their promotion), this technique of cutting off cylinders on every needed cycle in real time via software can reduce fuel consumption up to 20%. According to Delphi, they have tested a GMC Yukon with a 6.2 V8 and can move down the highway using only 30 horsepower. If this technology yields even a 10% mpg increase (1/2 what they're claiming); this will be significant and will catch GM up and over Ford's downsized turbo-charged strategy all in one whack. F150 loyalists should be worried about GM especially since they've been able to maintain decent market share over the last 5 years with doing little or nothing automotively other than applying direct injection to the Ecotec line and adding convenience technologies. They have a brand loyal consumer base; they have great engineers but sometimes fall down on execution; they are committed to large V8s and most of their customers appreciate that despite their woes with active fuel management systems.

If you're interested, just Google "Skip Fire"

 

Oh boy. Get ready for the GM hate.

 

Personally I hope GM is successful. It's about damn time someone holds Ford's feet to the fire and gets their quality back to where needs to be. GO GM! There's big improvements to be made across the board by all the manufacturers.

 

It will be interested to see what they bring out in 2019. I was a GM truck owner for a long time, just never could get used to the square wheel wells. Never had problems with most GM trucks I had, the last being an 06 Duramax that had over 450,000 trouble free kms on it when I sold it. Just didn't have the need for a 3/4 ton , or for that matter a diesel anymore. My 2012 F 150 has been a great truck as well, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a new GM if they changed their styling inside and out more to my liking.

 

When GM goes to an aluminum body and loses 500 lbs, and is then 500 lbs lighter than the F-150, how will they deal with the poor towing and back end bouncing because the truck is too light? Not to mention the videos of older GM's having boulders dumped in the bed without the bed tearing and their new aluminum ones getting ripped to shreds?

 

Square wheel 'arch' design.... just can't get past that.

 

GM has a history of PI$$ poor engineering! Examples are converting a gas 350 V-8 to a diesel, Cadillac V8-6-4, all aluminum Vega 4 cylinder, etc.

Recently, there have been class action suits on the Silverado, and Corvette Z06, for engineering defects. On top of that, look at the recall history, showing the lack of testing! GM has NOTHING to compete with Ford's EcoBoost engine technology!

Here are some features that's been available on the F-150 for several years, and still isn't available on the 2018 Silverado, or Sierra:

Adaptive Cruise control
Blind spot monitors
360 camera view
keyless ignition

 

GM is playing catch up. And their marketing for years have been on things that they will no longer be able to use in 2019. All aluminum construction. Yep, they are going to it. Ford has WiFi hotspotting now, so their little commercial about Chevy being better as a mobile office is no longer valid.

Their latest about a "camouflaged" truck looking like an F150 but actually a Chevy is just dumb. Basically admitting that without smoke and mirrors they cannot compete.

I wouldn't doubt if Ram catches and passes them at some point, but if anyone thinks that the 2019 "me too!" Chevy Silverado will change anything then they are nuts.

 

If GM is developing new software it is safe to believe Ford is doing the same. Better MPG isn't the only parameter people consider when purchasing a vehicle. Their trucks are butt ugly - that trumps better MPG for me. I was able to find a spy photo on their new engineering efforts... :-)

 

If GM goes to an aluminum body but somehow keeps a steel bed, that will both offset some of the weight concerns, and give the truck the kind of bed material that it needs. I for one am not excited about the way my bed walls flex, despite the spray-in liner.