We likely echoed every single publication that got a look at the 2019 Silverado interior at its debut last month: it’s positively underwhelming.
However, we also echo the thoughts in a new Automotive News story published on Tuesday. This could be a strategic move on General Motors’ part to provide the distinction between the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra. Chevrolet will offer the mainstream truck, and GMC will provide the luxury goodies.
There’s no doubt the 2019 Silverado interior is as functional as can be, but it lacks the pizazz found in the 2019 Ram 1500. We think GMC will step up and counter Fiat-Chrysler’s hard work.
It’s also worth noting we haven’t seen a single shot of the 2019 Sierra interior, compared to numerous 2019 Silverado interior sightings ahead of the pickup’s debut.
In the grander scheme of things, it makes perfect sense as we see the Chevrolet/GMC strategy shift further. This was the first time in years that GM didn’t unveil the Silverado and Sierra side-by-side. Instead, GMC will have its own debut event on March 1. The two trucks will also look quite different from one another in the exterior design department; while the 2019 Silverado sports a streamlined and rounder look, the 2019 Sierra looks upright, blocky and macho.
Should these inferences ring true, we may be in for one of the best looking GMC pickups in a long time. And the Sierra Denali could put the Ram 1500 to shame.
Comments
So, Chevrolet who is Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Nissan’s direct competitor, is once again being dumbed down to make room for another truck? This is as bizarre as Buick getting AWD and Chevrolet getting the shaft all while competing against Ford, Kia and the rest who All offer AWD and many other things Chevrolet’s ‘not allowed’ to have.
Your saying GM/Chevy took all that time to make this big hoopla about a truck they Knew would be underwhelming directly competing against Dodge at the same event just so they could show yet another truck a couple months later that Isn’t underwhelming? And it makes sense?? Not to me. All it did was make Chevrolet look second rate.
This is why RAM keeps growing. GM customers don’t want to spend thousands extra for a GMC.
Screw Sloan’s ladder in 2018. Each GM brand must find a niche and grow. Buick/GMC can’t win by dumbing down Chevrolet.
Agree with you Matt, you’ve echoed many of my thoughts also. Chevy cheapened out here again w/ it’s interior!
GMC & Buick represent the best The General can do hence Buick just winning the JD Power award ahead of Ford, Toyota, Honda in the mainstream category.
What about Chevrolet? For how much longer can the brand grow with sub prime loans? The quality is good but Chevrolet is lacking in options, material quality, and smart execution.
I’m not the only person here who likes tyre Ram better. FCA gives attention to detail and always includes a few Easter eggs.
The “ugly” part is the center stack, it seems to not follow a central theme…Lots of buttons packed tightly together which aren’t even “glove friendly” then lots of dead space between them…If they simply minimized all dead space by increasing the size of buttons it would be far more glove friendly and look far more elegant…
Not glove friendly? And a touch screen is? It has large knobs, toggle switches and descent size buttons (go check any foreign car, those are small buttons). The truck was designed for people who actually use it as a truck and they did a great job, it wasn’t designed for all the guys buying these things to never use them that wanted a macho appearance their German luxury car didn’t provide. Then they added all the stuff those same guys complain about (heated/cooled seats, adaptive cruise, push button start, ect), not sure what the problem is here. They didn’t put a car dash in a truck, that is a win but still has all the features and quality.
“Not sure what the problem is here”…This is now what, the third or forth GMA article about the Silverado’s interior? Clearly it’s a chief complaint…In a past GMA article some defended the underwhelming design by claiming the button layout is very “glove friendly” (I believe they were referencing the wide row of trailer buttons) which is BS as they are pretty tiny buttons which could have been made bigger by eliminating the unsightly gaps…The bigger the buttons the more glove friendly…
Like it or not, there are people richer than us who own a couple of luxury vehicles who may buy a top trim pickup Silverado so they can tow their big boat or horse trailer around a few times a year…
So if you are a Chevy loyalists you can’t get the Goodies in your Silverado but you will be able to in a GMC?
This makes no sense. Ram and Ford are Chevy’s competitors as well. Why would Chevy not offer the same Goodies as the competition? Some people are strictly Chevrolet fans and do not want a GMC. So GM is willing to lose customers from Chevy to Ford and Ram simply to make GMC more luxurious? Makes zero sense to me. I said it from the get go. Chevy should’ve offered the 10 inch screen from the Bolt. It is ridiculous that they have a brand new from the ground up truck with an optional 8 inch screen, no Panoramic Roof which the competition offers, and only a 1940’s column shifter available on every trim level and No soft touch upper dash in any trim level. I am making a BOLD prediction: GM will have to overhaul this interior within two years!!!
Exactly! And not everyone has a GMC Dealer nearby (myself included) only Chevy, Ford and FCA of the big 3. So many will go to Ford or FCA
I’m a Chevy fan, i own two truck and a Camaro but, if they ever replace the column or floor shifter with a rotary knob or push button shifter I’m definitely not buying one… Look at how many issues Ram is having with that piss poor design… How many vehicles have to roll while thought to be in park?.. At least with a column or floor shifter you can be sure which gear you’re in…they have mechanical linkage which allows you to actually feel the engagement.
What a DUMB strategy!
I already said it here once, and will say again: I’ve had Chevrolet trucks for more than 30 years, and this stupid strategy will put me away. What a mediocre dash, and tons and tons of hard black plastic, an ugly gauge cluster. Ford and RAM are Chevrolets competetitors as well, and this interior cant fight the King Ranch, even less the Platinum.
What a bunch of blowhard crybabies. Chevy and GMC are not in competition with each other. They exist to provide a different experience for different buyers. GM has for several years now been positioning Chevrolet as the economy brand, pushing GMC and Buick more upscale, and Cadillac at the top. So, you will only have it if they give you what you want and it says Chevrolet…otherwise, you’re going to Ford or Ram? I care not what the badge says, just that it’s the platform I want. Years ago a friend convinced me that my GMC Sonoma was just a generic Chevrolet S-10 (they were the same truck with different appearances, GM could do that and get away with it back then.). I’ve owned a couple Pontiac G8s. I’ve looked at Chevrolet SSs and Caprices because they are essentially the same car. I don’t care that one says Pontiac and the others say Chevrolet. They’re all rebadged Holden Commodores anyway.
You haven’t been able to buy a Caprice in the US since 2011. They are LE only. Unless you bought it used.
The Caprice is at best a half sister. The Caprice is built on the Holden WM chassis, the G8 & SS are on the Holden VF chassis. The G8 & SS also have about 70 more hp.
I have had both ends of the interior fitment spectrum.
My last truck was an 2016 2500 HD CC 4×4 LTZ (2LZ) Duramax with every option but the rear seat entertainment system.
My current truck is an 2017 2500 HD DC 4×4 LT (1LT I think) 6.0L with the Alaskan package. Vinyl floors, cloth seats, fixed rear window – you get the idea.
I am a Chevy guy. I have had 5 new Chevy trucks in the last 9 years and 9 total in my lifetime (I’m 48 years old). I will most likely purchase a new 2500 HD once the redesigned models come out in 2020 or so. IF I opt for a higher end trim again, I will NOT buy a GMC to get it. I am a Chevy guy after all. Chevy will be missing out on a substantial revenue stream by not having a top end interior. I will buy a new truck and it will be a Chevy but think of how much more I might be willing to spend if they would just let me.
I think it’s a huge stretch to assume GM is actually using any sort of strategy by giving the Silverado a subpar interior compared to the Sierra. The only strategy in play here is the one GM almost always employs: Bean Counter is king. Cut corners on interiors and hope nobody notices; and as is the case in recent years, charge a premium even without premium content.
People complain that they’re too similar. So GM changes is up so there’s not simply small cosmetic differences and people lose their minds. There’s 8 trim levels for the Chevy trucks now. 8!!! If a High Country isn’t upscale enough for you….I don’t know what to say. GMC has always had the better looking front end, but I have say that the new Chevy is the first in forever that I really like.
As for the column shifter…I’d much rather have it there than in the console. What benefit do you derive by putting it in the console? Absolutely none. If I wanted it there I’d buy a sports car.
I have a ’15 GMC SLT and I have to say that thus far I’m impressed. Ride is phenomenal, quiet interior, knobs are great, and it handles well for it’s size. The sole disappointment was the abysmal halogen protectors. Really GM?
Or do what Ram has done and actually advance truck transmission selectors and offer a dial that is easy to use, frees up console space and doesn’t look like a relic from another time.
The issue isn’t if the High Country is enough for some, it is that it is nowhere near the Ballpark with its competition. How do you not see that as an issue?
As for the column shifter, nobody is upset that it comes standard, it is the point that for us that hate column shifters GM decided to not offer us an option. Some may bite the bullet and stay with GM but some may leave. Why would GM even chance that is the question.
Jeez, screen size…..thats what full size trucks are all about these days? Next people here are going to complaint about the lack of a flower vase and tampon holder…….
Not everyone purchases a truck for work purposes. Hence the high end Truck market is Red Hot. So to answer your question, yes screen size matters. Just like it does in the tablet world, compute world, TV world, and phone world. So why would you think it wouldn’t in the car world?
This truck isn’t even available yet and all the know-it-all’s are responding like , well they know it all ! Guys wait for it to be something you can touch and feel before you criticize! Nobody says you have to buy it!
It’s not even just the materials GM is getting criticized on. It is the 1990’s look of it. This interior is extremely bland. Now the exterior is a Home run. GM actually took a lot of chances and are getting the praise they deserve for it. So why can’t we and the pundits call them out on a lack luster attempt at a modern day interior for a huge segment of their portfolio? I mean it is by far the most important vehicle GM makes. By many miles.
Please, the interior is boring and outdating, the gauge cluster could have belonged to the K2XX, there is tons and tons of gray hard plastic… What more? It’s clear GM saved so much dollars here.
This is the most important product for GM. It deserves a special attention and we think it could do MUCH better, but GM wants to degrade Silverado to make GMC brighter. Luxury truck is a lucrative branch, and why do not give Chevy a slice of the cake?
In all other ways, it seems to be a fantastic truck. I really like the exterior.
Yeah the Dodge dash does look a little more symmetrical / organized and has some silver bezels, but it’s not in a league of its own, at least by the pictures. In person, the actual materials may give it more of an advantage if GM has cheapened out.
https://www.google.com/search?q=2019++dodge+ram+dash&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Rx_ql6atY0RpYM%253A%252C0xDD8gxxEG4N_M%252C_&usg=__3uKX4NucxSc4sfsgS__xiLqmqfQ%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQsKbT25TZAhUEQawKHaQIDeQQ9QEIMjAA#imgrc=Rx_ql6atY0RpYM:
bye bye gmc after 35 years, I’m tired of waiting for you to catch up to the technology of the little guys. The new hire from Australia has not impressed.