passenger room, cargo capacity, and towing power.

1999 Silverado 1500 Extended-Cab Pickup

Chevrolet's 1999 full-size pickups were the first to carry the Silverado nameplate. They were the result of the most intensive vehicle development initiative the American auto industry had yet seen.

The styling of the new Silverado pickups gave more definition to the tautness of line that so successfully characterized the preceding 1988-1999 Chevrolet C/K trucks. Inside, all the comfort and luxury features demanded by a growing personal-use market were available. The biggest innovations were under the skin. Beneath the evolutionary styling was revolutionary construction--a new, super-strong, hydro-formed, multi-section modular frame.

Tahoe and Suburban full-size SUVs based on the new pickup architecture followed as 2000 models. For 2001, the first Silverado HD models established new heavy-duty three-quarter- and one-ton truck benchmarks for trailer tow ratings.

At the end of 2006, the second-generation 2007 Silverado pickups launched. Their platform was tuned to provide a smoother ride and responsive, confident handling.

Powerful "Gen IV" small-block V-8 engines helped these Silverados deliver higher towing and payload capacity. Advanced engine management technologies, improved aerodynamics, and even details such as tighter panel gaps aided the trucks' fuel economy.

In 2011, as Chevrolet celebrated *its centennial year, the Silverado HD was named Motor Trend Magazine's "Truck of Year." It was the eighth