Chevrolet is preparing to release a new Silverado 1500 pickup for 2027, but it will have to be pretty good to surpass the current vintage of its High Country luxury trim. Equal parts farmhand, family cradle and luxury limo, the big pickup seemingly does it all. Even as the big truck will be redesigned for 2027, it’s a vintage worth savoring.
I prefer my luxury without pretension and the High Country delivers. Sure, there’s a big chrome grille with squinty LED headlamps, but optional black logos and 22-inch wheels give it a sporting flair. I prefer the chrome fixed step bars instead of the optional power-retracting steps. Keep it simple.
On the working end of the truck are pre-installed wiring and hitch receiver for trailers. The bed in protected by spray-in bedliner while tie-down hooks and outlet to run power tools, air pumps or camp lighting add convenience. One press of the key fob deploys the tailgate with built-in step that folds down. LED lights make loading at night or finding equipment much easier. This truck looks handsome, but it’s willing to work.
Details matter, evidenced by the High Country’s interior. Check sparks of umber brown where the leather is perforated and open pore wood looks and feels authentic. Drivers are confronted by flatscreen gauges and a wide head-up display while passengers share the intuitive 13.4-inch touchscreen that wirelessly connects phones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Charge wirelessly too.
Luxuries keep rolling with heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and warmed leather-wrapped steering wheel. A full-length sunroof would be better, but the single panel lets in some light and air. Absolutely not a luxury is safety, fortified by automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. A rear camera mirror lets drivers peer out the back no matter what’s in the bed.
The truck comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8 or optional diesel, but we went full barrel with the available 6.2-liter V8 that delivers 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s very quiet at speed yet bellows sweetly when throttled. Electronic all-wheel-drive keeps it moving no matter the weather or terrain, but the 10-speed automatic transmission finds the right gear to optimize power and fuel economy, rated 15/20-MPG city/highway.
There’s no denying it’s a big hauler better left to the suburbs than city parking spots, but its adaptive suspension tames the big wheels (only partially successful) to keep the rear from bouncing. Even running above speed limits on the Interstate, it just planted itself without much rebound coming off of bridges and undulating pavement. It swallows farm roads and pastures too.
Driving a couple of hours on the Interstate was easy given GM’s Super Cruise system that allows hands-off driving on approved roads. Set the cruise, press a button, wait for green lights across the steering wheel top and release grip. It will even change lanes and return automatically in slower traffic. There’s a sensor watching drivers look ahead, but it’s nice to relax and drink a cup of coffee while watching the world roll by.
If we’re being honest, my rear seat companions fussed about a rough ride and the high step to get inside. Winy babies, I say. Any pickup with a separate bed will never ride like an integrated SUV. It will never park like a compact car either. If you want to step down into something, buy a Corvette.
Loaded with luxury, technology and power, the Silverado High Country seemingly does it all. And, the price reflects that. Base Silverados start at $36,900 with High Country rising from $62,900 to our truck’s lofty $78,475. Competitors include the Ford F-150 King Ranch, Ram 1500 Limited, and Toyota Tundra 1794.
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