Note that until production of the all-new 2007 model ramps up, dealers will continue to sell the former version as the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic. This is the previous-generation version and should not be confused with the vehicle covered in this report

Walkaround

The 2007 Chevy Silverado may not have the aggressive styling of the Dodge Ram or Nissan Titan or even the Toyota Tundra or Ford F-150, but its upright design may be considered both bold and appealing to its faithful customers, and they buy hundreds of thousands of Silverados each year.

The new design gives the 2007 Chevy Silverado a taller and stronger appearance than the previous generation. Indeed, the new Silverado should look stronger because it's some three inches wider in front and an inch wider in the rear.

However, a more raked windshield (raked at 57 degrees) and careful aerodynamic and body-building engineering make the truck both quieter on the inside and more fuel efficient. GM boasts that the Silverado and GMC Sierra are the first full-size trucks to offer both 300 horsepower and 20 miles per gallon on the highway.

The large, gold Chevy bowtie badge is set against a wide, three-bar chrome grille. The grille is flanked by stacked headlamps sporting the latest reflector-optics. The front bumper incorporates rectangular fog lamps.

The hood has a wide power dome. Bulging front fenders wrap over the front wheels and incorporate the headlamps within their forward sweep. Likewise, the rear quarter panels are punctuated by large faired wheel wells.

The rear view of the truck features stacked tail lamps on either side of a tall tailgate that has a sculpted center section that mimics and inverts the shape of the fender flares.

Built on what General Motors calls its GMT900 platform, the Silverado shares much of its underpinnings with the Tahoe SUV, though the pickup truck gets a unique rear frame section that is 245 percent stiffer. Overall, compared to the former GMT800 truck, the frame is 234 percent stiffer torsionally, 62 percent more resistant to bending and 136 percent stiffer laterally. All of this allows such things as reducing the gap between the truck bed and passenger compartment and between fenders and bumpers. It also enhances aerodynamics and fuel efficiency and allows suspension components to provide improved ride and handling characteristics.

The front suspension has switched from torsion bars to coil-over shock absorbers and the rack-and-pinion steering gear is mounted to the engine cross member frame to provide enhanced control and feedback. The truck also has a new rear axle design with shocks absorbers mounted outboard and more upright for better dynamic control

Interior Features

The Silverado WT and LT come with what Chevy calls the pure pickup truck interior while the LTZ features a more luxurious interior.

The pure pickup interior is more driver oriented, includes two glove boxes in the dashboard, one of them just about the right size to hold a pair of work gloves and a few small items, and a 40/20/40-split front bench seat with the center section of the seat back folding down to form a wide arm rest with lots of storage capacity. This interior also features larger switchgear controls and interior door handles designed to be easily manipulated even while wearing bulky work gloves.

The more luxury-oriented interior includes bucket seats with a permanent center console with 20 liters of storage capacity. The center stack also puts ventilation and audio controls within easy site and reach of the front seat passenger. This version has a single glove box in the dash.

Extended cabs feature stadium-style seating with an elevated view for those sitting in the second row. Both the extended cab and crew cab versions offer plenty of rear legroom. The rear seat bottoms can be easily be folded up to provide more room on the floor for cargo. Rear seats are split 60/40 so one side can be folded up for cargo while the other is used for seating.

Chevy says the interior of the new Sierra is 20 percent quieter than its predecessor, thanks to enhanced insulation materials, much like those used in the company's sport utility vehicles, and to aerodynamic improvements that reduce wind noise

Driving Impressions

We've driven two versions of the all-new 2007 Chevy Silverado on paved and gravel roads in the desert west and north of Phoenix. We drove an LTZ crew cab with the 5.3-liter V8, four-wheel drive, and the Z85 suspension. Later we got into the more upscale version of the LT with an extended cab and standard bed, same V8 engine and same Z85 suspension. The LTZ had the luxury-inspired interior while the LT had the pure pickup interior, though with optional bucket seats.