The current Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has been around since the 2014 model year and has only received a minor facelift in 2016. But, this truck won’t be around much longer. Chevy is bringing an all-new Silverado for the 2019 model year, and with it, some big changes. It’s hard to know for sure what Chevy has up its sleeve at this point, but rumor suggests the pickup’s body will be aluminum while its bed remains steel. The fame will be new, too, lending to better ride comfort and strength for doing truck stuff. The rest is still a mystery.

So, in the darkness of the unknown, we have four ways Chevrolet could make the 2019 Silverado a better truck. Ranging from minor to major, these updated would also help the Bowtie compete against Ford’s ever-hot F-150, which just went under the knife in 2018 for a mid-cycle refresh. Ram is also debuting its next-generation 1500 for 2019, so the competition is certainly getting tense. Let’s hope Chevy (along with GMC and its Sierra) make these and other much-needed updates. And don’t forget to leave your ideas for updates in the comments below.

Continue reading for the top four things Chevy needs to change about the 2019 Silverado

1. The Key

The current Chevy Silverado does not offer a proximity key or push-button starting. Nope, even the $60,000+ High Country trim comes with an old-school key fob you’ve got to remove from your pocket and push the unlock button to get inside. Then you’ve got to turn the key in the ignition. Yeah, it sounds like we’re spoiled millennials with no concept of how hard things used to be, but seriously, proximity keys and push-button starting is easy to get used to.

Making it worse for Chevy, only the Toyota Tundra still uses a conventional key. The rest of the Silverado’s competition offers the keyless system. That means Ford, Ram, and even Nissan have all moved into the 21st century.

2. Second-Row HVAC

While the Silverado has the Tundra keeping it company in the old-school key category, the Chevy is the only full-size pickup to not have air vents for its second-row passengers in its Crew Cab model with the first-row center console. Rather, Chevy just teases its sweaty or freezing second-class… err… second-row passengers with blank spots on the console. Chevy needs to give these rear passengers both air vents and their own HVAC controls, at least in high-trim models like the High Country.

3. A Flat Load Floor

Still harping on the back seats of the Crew Cab model, the Silverado has a mostly flat load floor that’s great for hauling stuff too fragile for the cargo bed. However, the space is hindered by the bumps and unevenness in the floor. By comparison, the Ford F-150 has a completely flat load floor with acres of dead-flat load space. Fold those seats up and boom, it’s like a cargo van. Even better, the F-150’s rear seats are mounted high enough there’s tons of room under them for storing lesser used items. Ford even sells a cargo organizer for this area. Yes, the Chevy does have a similar space and cargo organizer, but it’s just not as cavernous as the Ford’s.

Granted, the Chevy still outranks the Ram and Nissan Titan in rear floor flatness. Both still rely on a foldout load floor that doesn't completely extend to the front seats.

4. Fuel Economy

Of course, nobody can expect Prius-like fuel economy in a full-size pickup designed to tow 10,000 pounds and go off-road, but improvements can still be made. The Silverado 1500’s most popular engine option is the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V-8. It’s rated at 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined when fitted to a Crew Cab truck with 4WD. Granted, Chevy has worked some impressive tech into its classic small-block V-8 engine, including variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, and direct fuel injection. Added up, these three advancements (hints the Ecotec3 name) do help the Silverado get competitive fuel economy against Ford and Ram’s V-8s.

However, adding its new 10-speed automatic transmission should help boost those fuel economy numbers up, at least by one or two mpg. Currently, the Silverado caps out with an eight-speed automatic, but it’s heavier than the new 10-speed and obviously has few gears to keep engine revs low when not doing big work.

Better yet, Chevy could revive the 4.5-liter Duramax V-8 turbodiesel it nearly put into product in 2009. This engine was ready to go, but the economy recession killed it from seeing dealership showrooms. With a few updates to pass modern emissions regulations, the baby Duramax could be a great engine for the half-ton Silverado. It was designed to make 310 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque while getting better fuel economy than a similar-sized gasoline V-8. These numbers aren’t far off from the 5.0-liter Cummins V-8 turbodiesel in the Nissan Titan XD, but that isn’t a half-ton truck.

Ram already beat everyone to the half-ton diesel market with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 in the Ram 1500. It makes 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque and is capable of getting 29 mpg on the highway. Ford hot on Ram’s heels with its new 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6 turbodiesel. It’s basically the same engine found in Jaguar Land Rover products like the Range Rover. In that application, the oil-burner makes 254 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. Expect Ford to keep or slightly exceed those specs in the 2019 F-150 turbodiesel.

Chevy could also make its eAssist mild-hybrid powertrain more robust and widespread through its Silverado lineup, too. Currently, the Silverado eAssist is being produced in limited numbers and sold in limited areas, so not everybody can get one. The eAssist is combined with the 5.3-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic to add 13 horsepower and 44 pound-feet of torque via a 0.45 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor to help ease the burden on the V-8. The system is said to boost fuel economy by 13 percent, giving the 2WD Silverado 1500 eAssist an EPA-estimated 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. That’s not bad for a tiny hybrid system that only adds $500 to the Silverado’s price tag.

Conclusion

These are just a few things we’d love to see Chevy (and GMC) add to its pickup for 2019. We’re expecting big things since we’ve seen some pretty exciting spy shots in the recent months. Chevy is scheduled to debut the 2019 Silverado 1500 at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show in January. After that, we can expect the same updates for the 2020 Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD.

What do you think? What changes should Chevy make for the 2019 Silverado? Let us know in the comments below.

References

Chevrolet Silverado

Read more about the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 in our previous overview.

Find our more about the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 Midnight Edition name

Learn more about the handiest feature on the 2017 Chevy Silverado.

Read our full review on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado.