For 2019, Chevy increased cargo volume across its lineup — from 53 cubic feet to 63 cubic feet in the short box, 62 cubic feet to 72 in the standard box, and from 75 cubic feet to 89 in the long box. Much of the increase is the result of widening the maximum width of the bed floor by nearly 10 percent across all three bed sizes. It also results in greater bed depth and length at the floor than its biggest rivals.
That makes its 63 cubic-foot short box bigger than both the 2019 F-150 (52.8 cubic feet) and 2019 Ram 1500 (53.9 cubic feet). Its 72 cubic-foot standard box also compares favorably (62.3 cubic feet and 61.5 cubic feet, respectively), as does the 89 cubic-foot long box, which is 77.4 cubic feet in the 2019 F-150 (the Ram doesn't offer a long box).
Chevrolet says it's using a higher-grade steel in its Durabed, rated at 500 megapascals, up from 340 MPa in previous models, which along with the use of some aluminum elsewhere makes it lighter. The F-150 in 2018 famously moved to an all-aluminum bed in order to shed weight. The Silverado also gets 12 fixed tie-down points, with the strength of each doubling from 250 pounds to 500 pounds of force before bending, and nine moveable tie-down points as an option. The step-up cutouts get larger on the Durabed as well to better accommodate steel-toed boots and big feet.
Other available features include in-bed LED lighting and a 110/120-volt power outlet, while a light at the top of the rear cab is standard on all models. Four tailgate variants are available: a standard manual lift gate; a standard gate with lift assist; a version with power lock and release; and a power up-down lift gate available on the LTZ and standard on the High Country trim.
The 2019 Silverado is offered with a dizzying six different engines mated to six-, eight- and 10-speed transmissions and a whopping eight trim levels, helpfully explained here. There's the new 2.7-liter turbo-four and 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management, plus the mostly carryover 4.3-liter V6, a 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management, a 6.2-liter V8 and a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel inline-six. It goes on sale this fall.