Chevy Gives Silverado New Look, Transmission for 2016

To say the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is on a roll is to horribly understate the point. Amid the high-visibility plays both Ford and Ram have made with their 2015 pickups — the all-new F-150 and Ram Rebel, respectively — Chevy has quietly been plugging away, producing some of the best monthly truck sales numbers it's had in many years. According to some reports, Chevy is winning the Half-Ton Pickup Truck War.
To take advantage of that momentum, the Silverado 1500 is getting a subtle face-lift to keep the truck looking fresh. The new look is restricted to the front of the truck with a bulging new hood, a more color-integrated grille and several reshaped design cuts to the headlights and bumper.
Although it doesn't look like there will be any significant powertrain or undercarriage changes, it is possible the 2016 models will include some trim package additions and adjustments. As expected, the new eight-speed transmission (previously only available on the 6.2-liter V-8) will move through various 5.3-liter V-8 models, but will not be standard on all V-8-equipped trucks. We're guessing that's to keep the six-speed 5.3-liter Silverado prices as low as possible.
Whether this massaged look will spread to the heavy duties or to the smaller Colorado remains to be seen. Regardless, this midmodel design refresh — along with new available driver connection technology like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — should give new buyers a few more good reasons to feel like they have something unique.
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