2008 CHEVROLET NEW TRUCK MODEL GUIDE

Trucks bearing the bow-tie badge of Chevrolet appear in conventional formats of mid-size, full-size and super-size dimensions with the Colorado, Silverado LD (light-duty) and Silverado HD (heavy-duty). Yet Chevy also promotes unconventional concepts, like the Avalanche, which is built with the abbreviated bed of a pickup and the cabin of a SUV.

Silverado 1500
Chevy's full-size Silverado truck scored a remake in 2007 based on a new platform with best-in-class power, trailer tow ratings and fuel scores. For 2008, the Silverado 1500 LD (half-ton) shows three cab configurations and bed lengths, multiple suspension setups and a slew of powertrains. The base engine is a 4.3-liter V6 pumping 195 horsepower or 4.8-liter V8 with 295 horsepower. A flex-fuel, 5.3-liter V8 with 315 horsepower comes in iron or aluminum with GM's Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology on tap to conserve fuel. The Silverado's tow capacity climbs to 10,500 pounds.

Silverado 2500/3500
Chevrolet's heavy-duty work trucks under the Silverado banner ripple with strength from revamped gas and diesel engines teamed with six-speed automatic transmissions. The series includes the 2500 HD (three-quarter-ton) and 3500 HD (one-ton) trucks with cabs of regular and extended lengths, plus the Crew Cab, two traction systems, two truck box lengths and choices for a gasoline-driven V8 or 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel. The turbo-diesel hitches with a remarkable Allison 1000 six-speed electronic automatic. Maximum conventional trailer tow weight for the Silverado HD trucks rises to 13,000 pounds.

Colorado
Chevrolet's mid-size pickup offers many variations. Cab options include a two-door regular cab, the extended cab with two rear-hinged doors and a four-door crew cab. The truck box for the Colorado regular and extended cab versions stretches 73 inches, while the box on the crew cab is 12 inches shorter, keeping the wheelbase at a reasonable length. Two engines with in-line arrangement work for the 2008 Colorado. The base 2.9-liter, four-cylinder plant with VVT delivers 185 horsepower, while an optional 3.7-liter, five-cylinder VVT plant climbs to 242 horsepower.

Avalanche
Equipped with a five-seat cabin like the Tahoe SUV, the Avalanche discards the Tahoe's cargo bay in favor of the shortened pickup bed. There's a big V8 aboard, a four-wheeling traction mechanism and a heavy-duty automatic transmission. The back wall of the cabin — called a Midgate — folds flat after the back seat tumbles forward, forming a generously extended truck box. The Avalanche totes a 5.3-liter V8 with AFM, but also offers a flex-fuel (E85-compatible) version or a big 6.0-liter AFM V8 rated at 366 horsepower. Curtain-style air bags are aboard all 2008 models.

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