There are so many great trims that Chevy has introduced for the Silverado over the years. We have everything from basic work trucks and performance trucks all the way up to off-road trucks and luxury trucks. They’re all slight variations of a model designed to appeal to a specific kind of truck shopper, and the strategy has worked well enough to keep plenty of truck enthusiasts seeking a “truck dealership near me” to find the latest Silverado for decades. But what if Chevy got a little frisky and went for something big and bold, like in the old days?
Well, I’ve rounded up five different trims we need to see for upcoming Chevy Silverado models. I’m not just talking about the basic trim variations, where we get an exotic color and bold wheel choices. I’m thinking more along the lines of what Chevy has been doing to keep the Silverado competitive with the Ram 1500 and F-150. Enthusiast trims that set the Silverado apart the way the ZR2 and High Country have done in recent years. But let’s not procrastinate any further and get into the five enthusiast trims we need to see for newer Chevy Silverado models.
#1 – Silverado Cheyenne
Back in 2018, a few dealerships offered a cool retro-mod for the third-generation Chevy Silverado designed to pay homage to the 1972 Chevy C10 Cheyenne. It was a cool mod that played on the nostalgia of gearheads and truck fans who longed for the days of the old-school trucks from yesteryear. That concept has continued to resonate with truckers around the world. People love the old-school boxy bodies and confident stance of the 1970s and 1980s light-duty pickups.
Chevy reviving those days with a Silverado Cheyenne sporting the classic livery of the Cheyenne with old-school rims, all-terrain tires, and that all-chrome grille would be awesome. Toss in a 6.2-liter V8, and it’s all good to go. A nice mix of the old and the new has been all the rage these days, and giving truck shoppers a throwback with a Cheyenne trim would be a nice nod to fans of the old C/K Series trucks. Not only that, but retro has never been out of style, as is evident by the fact that Jeep has continually brought back Willys-themed Wranglers to pay homage to the off-road SUV’s roots. It would be pretty cool to see a trim for the Silverado every once in a while that does the same.
#2 – Silverado BLX
Chevy recently teamed with American Expedition Vehicles for a series of AEV-themed special editions, including the 2023 Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison. This shows that the automaker isn’t afraid to step outside its comfort zone and team with popular enthusiast brands to bring unique new iterations of its nameplates to life with specially designed trims. This shows a lot of promise from Chevy for the future of unique collaborations to build up mind-share among enthusiast drivers, and what better way to do that than to team with Blacklake Research & Development?
Blacklake has designed a custom Silverado featuring a widebody kit, custom multilink rear susipension, and 37-inch tires. The best part about it is that Blacklake has an awesome supercharged 6.2-liter V8 stuffed into their iteration of the Silverado. Now, this isn’t to say that Chevy needs to make an official version of the Blacklake XT1, but it would be awesome if we saw some of that DNA spill over into a Silverado BLX trim. Elements of the Blacklake XT1 widebody kit and the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 would go a long way in appealing to those who want a rugged, performance-heavy pickup with more off-road chops than even the ZR2. That’s not to mention that this would be a perfect competitor for the likes of the Ram 1500 TRX or the Ford F-150 Raptor R.
#3 – Silverado Hycade
The Silverado Hycade does not exist. In fact, popular virtual concept car YouTuber Hycade has never even made a concept for the Silverado. But Hycade has made various models for other popular Chevy nameplates, namely the Chevy Camaro and Corvette. This would be the one trim on this list that would have to be designed entirely from the ground up because there is nothing for a Silverado Hycade to be based on. Why exactly does this make the list? For the very reason that there is no truck in existence that embodies Hycade’s design principles…for now.
Much like Chevy teaming with other third-party vendors to create something unique for the Silverado, the same would have to apply to a Silverado Hycade trim. This would obviously be a special edition featuring Hycade’s signature widebody fenders, exotic flares, and those biting, contemporary lines and extravagant aerodynamic vents. It may be too much for the average truck enthusiast, but if it ever did come into existence, the number of people racing to a Chevy dealer to get their hands on one would be astronomical. Could you imagine how many people would want to show off a Hycade-designed Silverado to their friends? It would certainly be a popular truck among young car shoppers, but probably not so much with the kind of automotive enthusiast more inclined to yell at the clouds.
#4 – Silverado Premier
Bringing things back to reality for a bit, let’s talk about a trim that is well within the realm of existing for the Silverado in the near future: the Premier. You might recognize the Premier from various other Chevy nameplates, as it is the top-of-the-line offering for the Blazer, the Equinox, and previously for the Malibu. It represents the topmost luxury option for many of the company’s vehicles and is a good way to get the most out of a Chevy when it comes to comfort, convenience, luxury, and style. Of course, this may leave you wondering, “Why not just stick with a High Country?”
Well, the idea behind a Silverado Premier––and one way to get people interested in the model at their local Chevy dealer––would be to stylize it a bit more than the High Country. Perhaps the Silverado Premier could be positioned closer to the likes of a GMC Sierra Denali. More chrome trim, larger wheels with a smaller tire profile, a power sunroof, massage seats, and tri-coat color options of the dark and brooding variety. A moody luxury truck for the Silverado may lean a little into the GMC Sierra’s territory. However, it would still be an exciting option for those who may prefer the Silverado’s overall look and appeal compared to the Sierra but want something Denali-esque.
#5 – Silverado SS
If there is one trim that seems to be absolutely under-utilized in today’s marketplace by Chevy, it has got to be the SS trim. This was recently discussed here at CarLifeNation, outlining the history of the Chevy SS and how it has been sporadically used throughout the company’s history. I would venture to say that it’s been underused throughout Chevy’s history, and now more than ever, it would be the perfect time to bring back the Chevy Silverado SS.
Unlike some of the other suggestions on this list, the Silverado SS did exist at one point, way back in the early 2000s. Back then, the Silverado SS was positioned on the market as a performance street truck and looked awesome. A low profile stance, sports wheels, performance tires, and SS-inspired racing stripes and badging would go a long way to make the Chevy Silverado SS appeal to those who want a muscular, light-duty pickup that puts down some serious power on the tarmac. Given that Chevy has been all-in on the off-road theme these last few years, reorienting to the street-tuner market would be a nice nod to the company’s muscle car roots and the heyday of the Silverado SS.
It’s a long shot, sure, but can you imagine how many people would crowd a Chevy dealer to get in a pre-order for a performance-themed Silverado SS? Especially if it had the right turbocharged or supercharged powertrain setup and a rear-wheel drivetrain designed to give performance junkies and quarter-mile gearheads a truck designed to dominate the drag strip and burn rubber? That would be a real dream come true. How likely are we to see any of these trims make it onto the market in the coming years? Probably not very, but one can always dream.
