Supplier sources revealed to Reuters on Monday that GM is now planning to launch its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup truck models in the fall of 2018, or about nine months ahead of schedule. Revised version of the company’s full-size SUVs will follow about a year later.
The lightweight truck program has been given the internal codename “T1XX.”
Despite the expedited overhaul, GM will still trail the market launch of Ford’s aluminum-bodied F-150 by about four years. Ford’s new F-150 is roughly 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor, allowing for better fuel economy and greater payload capacity.
In order to make up lost ground, the 2018 Silverado and Sierra are expected to launch with a new line of powertrains that will feature direct-injection, turbocharging and auto stop/start technologies. The trucks will also use a new 10-speed automatic transmission being co-develop with Ford to further boost fuel economy.
GM has delivered a combined 333,870 units of its Silverado and Sierra truck models through the first six months of the year, trailing the F-150′s 365,825 year-to-date sales.
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