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2016 Chevy Silverado puts on a better face

When Chevrolet introduced the redesigned Silverado pickup for 2014, you, our loyal readers, gave the new truck's front-end a lukewarm response. Aside from saying it was ugly, one commenter came to the far more damning conclusion that this brand-new vehicle already looked dated. For 2016, Chevy has attempted to address opinions like that, issuing a comprehensive facelift to its bread-and-butter pickup. Designers cut way back on the chrome for 2016, fitting a body-color strip across the middle of the grille and going to a single-headlight design. Combined with twin LED running lamps, the new look is much more modern while still harkening back to the retro-ish look introduced a few years back. The new truck also gets a much more muscular and aggressive hood, while the front bumper is significantly more modern, and features vertical housings for what look like LED foglights. The bad news, here, is that there's only one picture, shown above. We have no idea what changes Chevy has made to the rear of the pickup, nor do we know what other versions of the truck beyond the Z71 seen here may be available. The Bowtie brand did, however, confirm that we'd see a wider application of the eight-speed automatic transmission, as well as a new version of the MyLink infotainment system, which will play nice with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Look for much more on the freshened Silverado when it makes its official debut this fall. Until then, check out the press release and hop into Comments. We'd love to hear what you think about this facelift. 2016 Silverado: The New Face of Strong - Bolder, more sculpted look reflects Silverado strength, dependability - Available support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - Expanded use of 8-speed transmissions; additional safety technologies DETROIT – Chevy Trucks are on a roll, with Chevrolet pickup sales up 32 percent so far this year. Chevrolet intends to strengthen this momentum with significant updates for the 2016 Silverado 1500 full-size pickup. "The redesigned 2016 Silverado will build on Chevy Trucks' legacy of dependability. It will feature a more muscular appearance and offer new customer-focused technologies," said Sandor Piszar, marketing director for Chevy Trucks.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Quick Spin [w/video]

The Silverado 1500 gets what most would consider an early update for 2016. Just two years into this generation, the half-ton Chevy truck has been given a visual overhaul and a handful of feature upgrades. Chevy reps say they didn't wait the usual three years for a refresh because they knew the domestic competitors were planning updates of their own for 2015. We're told the fast refresh was always in the plans, and that it wasn't a response to critics (like us) saying "meh" to the new truck's design, which some felt hewed too close to the GMT900s that came before. If a Ford grille that reaches halfway into the headlights is good, a Chevy grille that cuts the units clean in two must be better. That's at least how we imagine the designers' thought process went. Those new split lights use HID projectors on lower models and full-LED tech on the upper trims, with all versions getting LED daytime running lights. LED taillights are also included on the fancier models. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Each of the eight trim levels has its own look, and the differentiation goes beyond the placement of chrome and the color of cladding. Look closely and you'll see that elements of the various grille treatments are repeated within the headlights. It's a neat touch, and proof that attention to detail is still a thing. Chevy also reshaped the hood, with sharp lines and pockets that look like they'll do a great job of collecting snow come winter. We get why a Corvette has troughs in its hood (you know where the wheels are and see through the valley to the road) but the surfacing on the Silverado's engine hat has only aesthetic benefits. On the feature front, almost all 2016 Silverado models get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support; the 7.0-inch screen includes both, while the available 8.0-inch screen will add Android Auto through an update in March of 2016. The top High Country trim gets new power-articulating side steps as an option. In addition to swinging down to help you hoist yourself in through the door, the steps have a button at the rear that, when pressed, motors them down and rearward to give you a foothold at the front of the bed. Chevy also catches up to the competition with an available remote-locking tailgate. Chevy also gets further into the competitive numbers game for 2016 with expanded use of its eight-speed truck transmission.

Sunday Drive: Subaru Ascends up to the hottest market segment in America

Utility vehicles – in other words, crossovers and SUVs – are so hot right now. Two of our top stories from last week revolve around the utilitarian vehicle, but besides their jacked-up, five-door bodystyles, they couldn't be more different. The 2019 Subaru Ascent is headed into an extremely crowded and competitive segment, where it'll have to go up against industry stalwarts like the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, not to mention upstart contenders like the Volkswagen Atlas. The Mercedes-AMG G63, on the other hand, has very little competition – there simply aren't very many ultra-luxurious, off-road-ready SUVs in the world vying to attract the dollars of the wellest-to-do customers across these United States. Moving on from crossovers and SUVs, our readers remain attracted to classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sportscars. The Toyota Supra's upcoming rebirth earns two places on our list of stories worth highlighting from the week that was; one with leaked information from a Japanese magazine, and another with rumors indicating that maybe we shouldn't be quite so excited. And finally, there's the strange case of the long-lost 2009 Chevy Corvette Z06 that one lucky individual happened to find squirreled away in a storage container with just 720 original miles. A high-horsepower head scratcher if we've ever seen one. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week for all the latest automotive news that's fit to print. 2019 Subaru Ascent vs Honda Pilot vs Toyota Highlander: How they compare on paper 2019 Mercedes-AMG G63 set to bare its 577-horsepower heart in Geneva Toyota Supra leaks in Japanese magazine ahead of Geneva debut Toyota Supra to be little more than a rebodied BMW Z4? Forgotten 720-mile 2009 Corvette Z06 emerges from storage Chevrolet Mercedes-Benz Subaru Toyota Coupe Crossover SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance barn find sunday drive subaru ascent mercedes-amg g63