The white-hot battle for full-size pickup truck supremacy in America took a slightly unexpected turn when General Motors revealed the latest versions of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Sure, the new trucks had plenty of expected features — new tech, added cargo- and people-carrying capability, and bold new styling that might have been a little too bold in the case of the Chevy.
But if the exterior was wild, the interior was mild. GM left the insides almost unchanged when compared with the past generation, leaving the big rigs looking outdated compared with the likes of the Ram’s revolutionary interior. Correlation doesn’t equal causation, but it’s likely no coincidence that Ram sales edged past the Silverado for the first time in the same year both new trucks went head-to-head.
The fates of GM’s trucks might be about to change, though. According to GMC Trucks and SUVs senior marketing manager Stuart Pierce, the rigs will soon receive updated interiors much like those found in the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and the GMC Yukon.
“You’re gonna see some similarities” between the pickups and the SUVs, Pierce told Muscle Cars & Trucks. “Our customers are looking for very premium appointments in a very capable truck.”
While there are plenty of smaller differences between them, the Yukon/Suburban/Tahoe interiors’ biggest difference from the pickups is their infotainment layout — a vitally important piece of equipment for tech-obsessed new car buyers these days. The Silverado/Sierra’s small touchscreen looks even smaller than it is due to its awkward layout sandwiched between air vents; the SUVs’ screen, in contrast, stands tall and proud above the vents.
Above: The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban’s interior.
The Silverado’s somewhat controversial front end might see itself tweaked, as well. “We’re working on some projects that will grab exterior design on one, and grab interior design on the other,” Chevy Trucks marketing director Bob Krapes told MC&T.
What forms those projects may take, of course, remains to be seen — though MC&T speculates it could involve using the badass front end of the SUVs’ Z71 trim levels on the Silverado. One thing’s for certain, though: with the new Ram still grabbing accolades and an all-new Ford F-150 set to appear this year, the time is prime for GM to upgrade its big pickup trucks.