Chevrolet is preparing to release a new Silverado 1500 pickup for 2027, but it will have to be pretty good to surpass the current vintage of its High Country luxury trim. Equal parts farmhand, family cradle and luxury limo, the big pickup seemingly does it all. Even as the big truck will be redesigned for 2027, it’s a vintage worth savoring.

I prefer luxury without pretension, and the High Country delivers. Sure, there’s a big chrome grille with squinty LED headlamps, but optional black logos and 22-inch wheels give it a sporting flair. I prefer the chrome fixed step bars instead of the optional power-retracting steps. Keep it simple.

On the working end of the truck, the bed is protected by spray-in bed liner, while tie-down hooks and an outlet add convenience. One press of the key fob deploys the tailgate with built-in step that folds down. LED lights aid loading at night. This truck looks handsome, but it’s willing to work.

Details matter, evidenced by the High Country’s interior, such as sparks of umber brown where the leather is perforated and open pore wood that looks and feels authentic. Drivers will appreciate the flatscreen gauges and a wide head-up display, while passengers share the intuitive 13.4-inch touchscreen that wirelessly connects phones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Charge wirelessly too.

Luxuries keep rolling with heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a warmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel. A full-length sunroof would be better, but the single panel lets in some light and air. Absolutely not a luxury is safety, fortified by automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. A rear camera mirror lets drivers peer out the back no matter what’s in the bed.

The truck comes standard with a 5.3-liter V-8 or optional diesel, but we went with the available 6.2-liter V-8 that delivers 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s quiet at speed but bellows sweetly when throttled. Electronic all-wheel-drive keeps it moving, but the 10-speed automatic transmission optimizes power and fuel economy, rated 15/20 mpg city/highway.

It’s a big truck, but an adaptive suspension tames the big wheels to keep the rear from bouncing. It just planted itself coming off of bridges and on undulating pavement. It swallows farm roads and pastures too. Driving a couple of hours on the interstate was easy, given GM’s Super Cruise system that allows hands-off driving on approved roads.

My rear seat companions fussed about a rough ride and the high step to get inside. OK, but pickups are not crossovers and will never park like a compact car, either. If you want to step down into something, buy a Corvette.

The Silverado High Country seemingly does it all. And the price reflects that. Base Silverados start at $36,900 with High Country rising from $62,900 to our truck’s lofty $78,475. Competitors include the Ford F-150 King Ranch, Ram 1500 Limited, and Toyota Tundra 1794.

Likes: refined luxury, ample power, controlled ride

Dislikes: small sunroof, high step-in, luxury price

2026 Chevrolet Silverado High Country

Five-passenger, 4WD pickup

Powertrain: 6.2-liter V-8, 10-speed transmission

Output: 420hp/460 pound-feet torque

Suspension f/r: Adapt. Ind/Solid axle

Wheels f/r: 22-inch/22-inch alloy

Brakes f/r: disc/disc

Fuel economy: 15/20 mpg city/hwy

Assembly: Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Base/As-tested price: $40,800/$53,240

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