The SUV->ke145 and pickup->ke242 segments in the U.S. are in the midst of their long awaited renaissance, as sales of these types of vehicles have steadily increased in the past couple of years. Chevrolet->ke199 knows all too well that its top-selling model is a pickup. To be more specific, it’s the Silverado.->ke1787 The numbers certainly back it up. In 2015, Chevrolet sold a total of 600,544 units, according to GM Authority. That’s more than double the sales compared to the Chevrolet Equinox,->ke1784 the second-place car on that list with “just” 277,589 units sold in 2015. The Silverado’s sales momentum has even extended into the first month of 2016 when the the pickup once again set the pace for all Chevy models with 37,863 units sold in January.

Chevy has acknowledged that the popularity of the Silverado can be attributed to a variety of things, and one of those things, albeit not as large scale as others, has been the introduction of special edition versions like the Midnight Special Edition. The popularity of the Silverado Midnight Edition was evident from the start, as Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet's truck->ke1311 marketing director, indicated when he said that the demand for the model “outstripped supply in a matter of months” and that it “made sense to expand the Midnight Edition and add new models into the fold.” So, beginning in 2016, the Chevy Silverado 1500 LT Z71 is set to join the current crop of Midnight Edition models alongside fellow debutante, the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71.

With both models in the fold, customers now have the opportunity to have their pick of midsize, light-duty, and heavy-duty Midnight editions, each coming with plenty of new features and equipment.

Continue reading to learn more about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 Midnight Special Edition.

What makes the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 Midnight Special Edition special

Not to state the obvious, but in the interest of full disclosure, the Silverado 1500 Z71 Midnight Edition comes dressed to the hilt with an all-black design. With the exception of the headlamps, the chrome trim on the badges, and the Z71 badges on the door, seemingly every surface of the truck is dressed in black, right down to the grille, bumper, tow hooks, fog lamps, and transfer case shield. The extent of the monochromatic nature of this pickup even extends to the side moldings, beltline moldings, and the alloy wheels that, incidentally, are wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tires.

The Silverado 1500 Z71 Midnight Edition also gets a handful of useful mechanical and technological features, as part of the Z71 off-road package. These features help boost the truck’s overall versatility, especially when it’s getting down and dirty on the less-beaten path. I’d like to think that the Silverado already benefits from having any of these features on board, but with the Midnight Edition getting off-road suspension, locking rear differential, and hill descent control, it does feel like Chevy wants to really put its best food forward.

Chevrolet made no mention of any interior modifications for the new special edition Silverado, but as has been the case with past iterations of the model, expect generous helpings of black materials covering a majority of the cabin’s surface. Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system with an eight-inch touch screen should also come as standard and, since these are 2016 models, the infotainment system now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other standard features should include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and front bucket seats, among others, while options include a seven-speaker Bose sound system.

For power, it’s unlikely that Chevrolet has anything other than the Silverado’s standard 4.3-liter V-6, although for a little premium, customers can opt for the bigger and more powerful 5.3-liter V-8 engine. The former is rated at 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque whereas the latter comes in with a meatier 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. Both engines come with Active Fuel Management, Direct Injection, and Variable Valve Timing.

Pricing for the Midnight Edition package has yet to be revealed, but considering that the 2015 version of the Silverado Midnight Edition carried a price of as much as $1,995 on top of the LT Z71, I suspect that with the 2016 Silverado LT Z71’s price starting at $38,390, the Midnight Edition could cost as much as $41,000.

Chevrolet Silverado

First introduced in 1999 as the successor to Chevy’s venerable C- and K-Series line, the Silverado has evolved into one of Chevrolet’s more popular models, regardless of size. It’s been quite a journey for the model, which actually owes its “Silverado” name to a trim level that was used by its predecessor. Today, the Silverado stands proud and tall in its own name, having gone through three generational changes and still holding its own in the increasingly competitive pickup truck segment. That’s quite an achievement in itself for a model that has to continuously go up against the likes of the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500. Pricing for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado starts at $26,895 for the 2WD Silverado WT and going all the way up to as much as $54,000 for the 4WD Silverado High Country.

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Silverado here.