2009 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HYBRID 4WD CREW CAB
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PRICE - $47,305
AS-TESTED PRICE - $49,275
ENGINE - 6.0-LITER V-8
TRANSMISSION - 2-MODE CONTINUOUS ELECTRIC HYBRID
HORSEPOWER - 332 @ 5100 RPM
TORQUE - 367 @ 4100 RPM
BATTERY - 300 VOLT
TOWING CAPACITY - 6,100 POUNDS (RWD); 5,900 POUNDS (4WD)
BRAKES - REGENERATIVE, ANTILOCK
ANTISKID SYSTEM - YES
MILEAGE - 20 MPG (HWY); 20 MPG (CITY)
OTHER KEY FEATURES - BLUETOOTH; FRONT, SIDE & HEAD CURTAIN AIRBAGS; 1 YEAR ONSTAR; HARD TONNEAU COVER; ULTRASONIC REAR PARKING ASSISTANCE; NAVIGATION AUDIO SYSTEM, BOSE SPEAKERS; SATELLITE RADIO; POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDALS
I'm throwing out a few numbers to help tell the story of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid.
Here they are: 30, 40, 25, 6,100 and 8. BINGO!
Here’s what they mean:
• 30: Thanks to what General Motors calls 2Mode Hybrid technology — a 6.0-liter V-8 gasoline engine with Active Fuel Management, paired with a 300-volt battery and an electrically variable transmission —the half-ton Silverado Hybrid can take off and accelerate to 30 mph on electricity alone. The hybrid system enables the engine to operate in a more economical 4-cylinder mode, too, when cruising at highway speeds. The V-8 mode kicks in when brute power is needed.
• 40 and 25: The Silverado Hybrid achieves 40-percent greater city fuel economy and a 25-percent improvement in overall fuel economy.
• 6,100: Don’t think that it’s any lightweight when it comes to hauling or towing. The Silverado Hybrid, equipped with a locking rear axle and a trailering package, can tow up to 6,100 pounds if it’s the rear-wheel-drive model or 5,900 if 4WD.
• 8: The energy storage system — the hybrid battery — is warranted for eight years/100,000 miles.
Another number: 20/20. That’s the EPA estimate my 4WD tester carried for city/highway mileages. Two-wheel-drive Silverado Hybrids are a bit thriftier, with EPA estimates of 21 mpg/city and 22 mpg/hwy.
Let’s stop to ponder the significance of what GM and Chevrolet have achieved. Until mid-2008, light trucks were the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. If each of them had 25 percent better fuel economy, think about how much gasoline and emissions would be saved. It boggles the mind.
My tester wasn’t easy to overlook, with H-Y-B-R-I-D emblazoned along the side, and a badge indicating it was a 2Mode Hybrid, too. Inside the crew cab, the only body style offered, were all the creature comforts top-of-the-pack Silverados offer.
The Hybrid version’s leatherclad front bucket and rear bench seats were complemented by a navigation audio system, satellite radio, dual-zone climate controls and a rear backup camera.
Safety features included front, side and curtain side airbags; daytime running lights; stability control; a year of OnStar’s Safe and Sound service; tire pressure monitor; navigation traffic; and 24-hour roadside assistance.
One had best be prepared to pony up a pile ’o cash for this premium technology: the base retail price for my 4WD Silverado Hybrid tester was $47,305. With a sunroof ($995) as the only option and a destination charge of $975, my 4WD tester’s grand total came to $49,275.
That’s not small change. But the Silverado Hybrid, like its design cousins, the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Sierra Hybrid, is a first, and it’s a good thing to see.
Amy Rollins is Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News. Reach her at arollins@coxohiomedia.com.
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