By Christoper A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 26, 2018) When Ford switched the F-150’s body from steel to aluminum, it sent a shiver down the spines of the competition. Would it be necessary to copy this move in order to remain competitive, and — if so — how much would this add in cost? And though Ford boasted of a 700-pound savings, Chevy is trumpeting a 450-pound weight loss compared to the outgoing Silverado V8 crew cab while sticking with steel.

The hood, doors, and tailgate of the 2019 Silverado are made from aluminum, but the fenders, roof, and bed are stamped from steel, with seven different grades used in the cab alone.

Eighty-eight pounds have been taken out of the cab, which is almost four inches larger than before, and another 80+ from the frame, which has a wheelbase up to four inches longer than before. Reducing the dead space under the hood and shuffling things around, however, has kept the increase in overall length down to just 1.6 in.

Oh, and widening the maximum bed floor width up to seven inches not only increased bed volume, it means the Holy Grail of bed measurement — the 4x8 plywood sheet — can lie flat on the floor. And that floor is made of a higher grade steel with an even greater yield strength. Looks like Ford can expect more commercials about bed damage in the future.

Under the hood are six different powertrain combinations, though Chevy didn’t go into any great detail other than to say that the 5.3- and 6.2-liter V8s will be more efficient, the automatic will have 10 speeds, and a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline (yes, inline) six-cylinder will be available as an option. It will be interesting to see how the pickup market reacts to the new diesel, the new styling, and the new focus of the Silverado.


2019 Ram 1500

At a time when Chevrolet has thrown off its cloak of timidity and produced a wild looking new Silverado, Ram seems to be taking a more genteel and elegant path. The in-your-face 18-wheeler look of the past has been replaced by styling that raises the front fenders, and is more cohesive and handsome.

It’s also lighter. Ram engineers pulled 100 pounds out of the frame and another 100 pounds out of the cab, but only claim a 250-pound weight reduction compared to previous models, probably because the new Ram is better equipped.

Unlike the new Silverado, which uses vents near the headlights to create an air curtain that diminishes wheel-induced turbulence along the body side, the 2019 Ram features a Magna-sourced extendable front air dam that deploys at speeds above 35 mph. (Off-road and Rebel models, or those versions equipped with the optional air suspension, don’t get this device, though the air suspension drops the truck 0.6 inch at speed to compensate.)

In addition, the side of the truck bed has been raised 32 mm (1.26 inch), which not only improves the looks, but reduces the wake turbulence behind the cab. Combined, these improvements reduce the drag coefficient to a remarkable 0.357; better than many sedans.

Both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 come standard with hybrid assist. Called eTorque, it replaces the conventional alternator with a 48-volt motor generator unit that can recharge and use energy stored in a lithium-ion battery pack. Not only can it briefly add 90 lb.-ft. of torque to the V6, it ups this to 130 lb.-ft. for the V8, and the eTorque unit also is used to restart the engine when the standard stop-start system is engaged. Like the Silverado, the Ram also will offer a 3.0-liter diesel engine, carried over from the current Ram, but without the motor generator unit.

Both the hood and tailgate are made from aluminum, though the Ram doesn’t offer the power up-down tailgate that’s an option on the new Silverado. The doors, however, are made of steel in an effort to keep repair costs down for customers. Wheelbase has increased 4.1 in. on crew-cab models, overall length is up 3.9 in., and interior room has increased accordingly. However, Rams with smaller cabs are dimensionally similar to the models they replace.

The Virtual Driver