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2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Drive: Big displays meet big V8s
Chevy's new Silverado needs a few updates before it's ready for prime time.
Global fuel prices are spiraling out of control and smaller, more efficient engines are powering more and more cars, but don't tell that to Chevrolet. The new 2027 Silverado 1500 features a pair of new, bigger V8 engines that make more power and torque, delivering better towing and hauling, but sucking down more fuel in the process.
The bigger story, though, is what's going on in the cabin. A wholly new, Android-based infotainment experience with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay runs across the entire dashboard, powering up to three displays plus a heads-up display above. Add on a fold-out workspace plus integrated 5G connectivity in a cabin bigger than most Manhattan apartments, and you have a potentially excellent mobile workspace.
It even has hands-off driving and a suite of new features and cameras that make towing a cinch. It's a compelling truck in the making, but as I learned after spending a few days wheeling several different trucks across and around Tucson, Arizona, things aren't quite fully baked.
We'll get the numbers out of the way first, since performance figures sell trucks. For 2027, Chevrolet offers four different engines in the Silverado 1500. The smallest and most efficient of the bunch is a 2.7-liter turbocharged engine, which may sound underwhelming in a truck this size. But, with 350 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque, it's only lightweight compared with the rest of the lineup.
That now includes a new 5.7-liter V8, replacing the previously available 5.3. Power and torque step up to 402 horsepower and 428 pound-feet. The last gasoline-powered option is also new: a 6.6-liter V8 that delivers 481 horsepower and 501 pound-feet. That's the most powerful, but it's actually the 5.7 that enables the 1500's maximum tow rating of 13,700 pounds.
The fourth option is Chevrolet's Duramax diesel, with a 3.0-liter displacement, 305 horsepower and a whopping 495 pound-feet of torque. This is the most fuel-efficient of the bunch, with Chevrolet promising 900 miles out of the 34-gallon tank. This was formerly the economical choice, but the soaring prices of the stuff at the pump these days make this a little less appealing.
Chevrolet has seven trims available for the 1500, with the cheapest, the basic Work Truck trim starting at $41,395. From there, as you add on features like locking differentials, uprated suspension and luxurious interior touches, prices quickly climb. The base price on a top-trim, off-road-focused ZR2 is $79,995 after the $2,795 destination charge.
The new 1500 doesn't look radically different from last year's model, but it has seen some substantial design changes that make it look a little less busy and a little more sophisticated than in years past. It's perhaps not the most exciting-looking truck, but it is at least good-looking, something you couldn't necessarily say about the past few years' worth of Silverado.
Much more substantial changes are inside. For 2027, a 16.3-inch central touchscreen is standard, taking up much of the middle of the dashboard and is conjoined to a second display: a 12.2-inch unit that makes up the digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel.