SEMA | Silverado 1500 High Desert

SEMA Show truck based on production 2017 Silverado High Desert package

With premium leather interior accents and unique appearance enhancements, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Desert SEMA Show vehicle is the ultimate expression of Chevy Trucks’ functional style and performance.

It is based on the production High Desert package offered on 2017 Silverado 1500 LT, LTZ and High Country models, featuring an all-new, lockable and water-resistant cargo system and available Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

The storage system creates a unique profile for the truck, with sail panels inspired by the Chevrolet Avalanche.

“The new High Desert package blends the capability and utility of Silverado with even greater refinement,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet truck marketing. “It’s ideal for those customers who want the security of a lockable cargo area as well as the flexibility of a pickup truck bed.”

The flexible, lockable storage system is mounted over the roll-formed, high-strength steel bed to add dual side storage bins and a three-piece hard tonneau cover. Inside, a cargo divider can be raised to secure smaller items or lowered to access the full length of the bed floor. As with all Silverado LT, LTZ, and High Country models, the tailgate locks with the key fob, enabling users to secure their cargo with the push of a button.

The High Desert package on the LT trim level features 20-inch wheels with all-season tires, while 22-inch wheels and all-terrain tires are available on LTZ and High Country trim levels.

The High Desert is also the first Silverado offered with Magnetic Ride Control suspension, which delivers more precise body motion control. Its sensors “read” the road every millisecond, triggering damping changes in as few as 5 milliseconds in electronically controlled shock absorbers that replace the conventional mechanical-valve shocks.

Silverado’s 6.2L V-8 is available on LTZ and High Country models and is backed by the new Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine is SAE-certified at 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful engine offered in a light-duty truck.

SEMA Show truck

For the SEMA Show, Chevrolet designers distinguished the new High Desert with accessories and performance parts offered through Chevrolet dealers, including:

• Illuminated black bowtie grille emblem
• All-weather floor liners
• Performance brake kit
• Performance exhaust kit

The new performance exhaust kit adds 7 horsepower and a throatier note to the available 6.2L V-8 engine. Chevrolet also offers a performance exhaust kit for models equipped with the 5.3L V-8 engine that adds 10 horsepower.

The show vehicle also includes several concept accessories and performance parts, such as 22-inch wheels with anodized bronze finish, a bold CHEVROLET grille insert, a performance air intake and a painted engine cover.

The truck’s Slate Blue exterior is accented with bronze-tinted trim, while the interior features a unique High Desert theme with Cocoa leather seat inserts, brown accent stitching and embroidered headrests. Additional features include heated and vented front seats, wireless charging, heated steering wheel, Bose® audio system and Chevrolet MyLink with an 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen and navigation.

“This Silverado High Desert is dressed to impress, inspired by the successful legacy of premium, special-edition models Chevrolet has introduced recently,” said Piszar. “As our customers continue to integrate their trucks in more personal ways, we’ll continue to offer more unique choices that speak to their lifestyles and interests.”