Silverado Wins Truck of the Year

Chevrolet Silverado was named Truck of the Year for 2007. Said commendation is given by Motor Trend magazine, one of the oldest automotive magazines still in circulation. With said award, Chevrolet expects more brisk sales in the months.

The automaker is now using said commendation in their advertising campaigns. It can be recalled that Motor Trend also named Toyota Camry Car of the Year. Said car belongs to the hottest-selling car in the United States. Moreover, Chevrolet expects that Silverado will also get the hype and performance of Camry with regards sales records.

Chevrolet Silverado is the counterpart of GMC Sierra. Sophisticated parts for a Chevy truck are incorporated to Silverado to produce a powerful pickup. Silverado and Sierra are essentially identical. However, the redesigned version of Silverado is made tougher. In the past 2 years, the automaker has spent over $200 million on machinery and facilities to produce the pickups at its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant.

Silverado outshone 3 other GM contenders - Chevrolet Avalanche, Cadillac Escalade EXT and GMC Sierra. Another worthy truck for the title is the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Avalanche is a 4-door, 6-seat sport utility car truck. Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV introduced by Cadillac for the model year 1999. The third generation Cadillac Escalade parts boast performance and reliability. Ford truck performance parts, on the other hand, made up Explorer Sport Trac. It is a midsize SUV with a pickup truck bed. These pickup trucks create tight competition in the segment they are in and for Silverado to emerged as Truck of the Year over other credible vehicles is a great privilege.

Motor Trend said that reliability and fuel efficiency are the factors that made Silverado win. "The Silverado impressed us most of all because it is a great reworking of an iconic American vehicle," Motor Trend editor Angus MacKenzie said in a news release. "The Chevy pickup truck has been a part of the American automotive landscape for decades."

MacKenzie also cited several improvements in Silverado like the 5.3-liter V8 engine that can shift into V-4 mode for greater mileage per gallon. In choosing Silverado, Motor Trend also looked into the truck's value for its price. "Prices for most Silverado models have increased only about $300 from 2006 levels," MacKenzie said.

In choosing vehicles, Motor Trend evaluates handling and response, finish and materials, engineering, as well as safety and power.