new look of silverado

simple · November 21, 2003

I started the thread of GMC vs Chevy and from a lot of you including myself, we don't like the front end of the silverado. Maybe the Chevy people will take this into consideration and re-design the silverado. However, I doubt it since the design is fairly new to begin with.

LogixRat · November 21, 2003

Hard to say what the Chevy design team will do, but I'm sure they have to visit this site (along with others) occassionally to see what people say about their products. But in all honesty they only stuck with my body design from 99-02, so that is only a 4 year production run. Currently this is the 2nd year for the new design, so at worst case hopefully we'll only have to wait 2 more years.

chevy4x4trucks · November 21, 2003

Throw the SS bumper on there and you've got one great looking truck.

It's all subjective though. I mean, I like the look of it.

99-2door · November 21, 2003

Hard to say what the Chevy design team will do, but I'm sure they have to visit this site (along with others) occassionally to see what people say about their products. But in all honesty they only stuck with my body design from 99-02, so that is only a 4 year production run. Currently this is the 2nd year for the new design, so at worst case hopefully we'll only have to wait 2 more years.

I'm not really inclined to believe that the design will ever revert back to resemble older models. GM fleet has been moving toward the design you now see in the trucks for quite some time. Cadillac's Art & Science influence is being seen in the other lines. I'm inclined to believe that the current (03-up) body style was planned from the start of NBS style production and that the 99-02 trucks were a transitional period. The design was probably viewed as too radical for introduction in 99. The Avalanche tested the waters and then the 03s came. In fact the rumor in 99 was that in 03 Chevy's would have composite front fenders which signaled a front-end redesign. The increasing trend over the past few years has been to move toward styles that people don't just like, but something they either hate or love. Dodge showed this to be a much better way to build customer loyalty with the Ram in 93. That design saved that company and Ford did the same thing in 97. It was only a matter of Time before the general did the same thing with our trucks. The market is increasingly dificult to keep a piece of, and unique designs help keep it. GM kinda has the best of both worlds. People who like the new look can buy a Chevy while the more conservative buyers can opt for a GMC. That's a chioce the other companies don't offer.

I wouldn't expect this front treatment to go away until a complete re-design. Even then I think the style will be carried over in some form. (Have you seen the Cheyenne ?) Maybe a few little tweaks but nothing as big as the 02-03 change.

MCourson · November 21, 2003

Throw the SS bumper on there and you've got one great looking truck.

It's all subjective though. I mean, I like the look of it.

carguru · November 22, 2003

Hard to say what the Chevy design team will do, but I'm sure they have to visit this site (along with others) occassionally to see what people say about their products. But in all honesty they only stuck with my body design from 99-02, so that is only a 4 year production run. Currently this is the 2nd year for the new design, so at worst case hopefully we'll only have to wait 2 more years.

I'm not really inclined to believe that the design will ever revert back to resemble older models. GM fleet has been moving toward the design you now see in the trucks for quite some time. Cadillac's Art & Science influence is being seen in the other lines. I'm inclined to believe that the current (03-up) body style was planned from the start of NBS style production and that the 99-02 trucks were a transitional period. The design was probably viewed as too radical for introduction in 99. The Avalanche tested the waters and then the 03s came. In fact the rumor in 99 was that in 03 Chevy's would have composite front fenders which signaled a front-end redesign. The increasing trend over the past few years has been to move toward styles that people don't just like, but something they either hate or love. Dodge showed this to be a much better way to build customer loyalty with the Ram in 93. That design saved that company and Ford did the same thing in 97. It was only a matter of Time before the general did the same thing with our trucks. The market is increasingly dificult to keep a piece of, and unique designs help keep it. GM kinda has the best of both worlds. People who like the new look can buy a Chevy while the more conservative buyers can opt for a GMC. That's a chioce the other companies don't offer.

I wouldn't expect this front treatment to go away until a complete re-design. Even then I think the style will be carried over in some form. (Have you seen the Cheyenne ?) Maybe a few little tweaks but nothing as big as the 02-03 change.

Yep, GM has gone to more of a specific design for a specific nameplate approach. Notice some of the new models sporting the corporate design (i.e. new Malibu, SSR, etc). It might get small facelifts in a couple of years, but the styling will not go away that easily.

tom f · November 22, 2003

I hated the front when i first saw them,but the y have grew on me now.the ones fixed up with a billet grille look real sharp,but if i was buying a brand new one it would be the gmc.

Bruce03Silverado · November 22, 2003

I thought the same thing, but the new front grew on me. I saw an 03 with a billet grille and man what a difference it made so I went out and got one for mine! I've had so many compliments on it since I've added the grille and a lot of people think if chevy did that from the factory more people would like it. I LOVE mine now and I had two dodges before!

Cpl Punishment · November 22, 2003

Personally, I like the new front ends. My previous was a '98 1500, and it looked like they got design cues from a shoebox. As someone already said, it's a love-it or hate-it thing. I love it because it adds unique styling to the truck.

LogixRat · November 22, 2003

Yeah I hear what some of ya'll are say'n about the new body style bein around for a long time. Fine, if they want to keep the sharp edged nose, then change the rest of the body to match it. My biggest gripe with the new body style has been that it looks like they changed the nose & tailights but left pretty much everything else the same and said "hey look at us and our new body style - ain't it cool?". Ugghh. Do it right or don't do it at all!

Take F*rd for instance, even though I don't really care for the bed of the truck, I do like the front nose. It's more "square" than my 02, but the rest of the body looks like it was made for the nose and it seems to flow better to me. Of course, it's still got the wrong name plate so I won't buy it or drive it. In their corner, at least they didn't "chop" a truck and call it a re-design. Oh well, they can't make everyone happy.

Glad the next vehicle I'm looking at is a Hoe or Yukon, where I can still get a body style I truly appreciate. If things go right I'll have one after the first of the year, and I am excited.

MCourson · November 22, 2003

Yeah I hear what some of ya'll are say'n about the new body style bein around for a long time. Fine, if they want to keep the sharp edged nose, then change the rest of the body to match it. My biggest gripe with the new body style has been that it looks like they changed the nose & tailights but left pretty much everything else the same and said "hey look at us and our new body style - ain't it cool?". Ugghh. Do it right or don't do it at all!

I think you are missing the entire point. Chevy knew what they wanted to do to the Silverado all along. The 03 IS the complete redsign. But If they released it like that in 99 people would have freaked out. The 99-02 was mearly a steping stone in transition to what we now have. The Ford is just plain fugly. IMHO

LogixRat · November 23, 2003

Well whatever Chevy had in mind, I disagree with because I don't feel the 03+ models flow nearly as nice as the 99-02 models. I think it's a bad design because the nose is sharp and real aggressive, but the body doesn't match that nose. If their final design was to be mean & aggressive, why not make the entire truck match?

If the rest of the body matched, then I might have a different opinion of it. And by the way, no offense to any of the 03+ owners. I'm glad someone is buying it, and liking it. But I do hope they change to a more "uniformed" flow in a couple of years when I will be in the market for another truck (along with correction of the piston slap ).

RyanZ71 · November 23, 2003

I dislike the Taillights and the front design on the 2003+ silverados. I liked the smooth looking style of tailights on the 99-2002 better. I am begining to believe that Chevy just can't leave well enough alone. I hate to say this but I think the Dodge Ram and the new F-150 look better then the 2003/2004 Silverado. I'm big on looks, I don't like driving ugly looking vehicles. Don't like driving behind them either

k1500chevy97 · November 23, 2003

Im thankful that i back the 03 in the driveway because i couldnt look out my window if i didnt

tom f · November 23, 2003

gm is bad about changing the front end only,look how they did from 88 to 98 and now they are doing it wtih the new body style.I think the trick is they keep making it alittle different so everyone wants the newest model.In 95 the only thing they changed was the mirrors and the interior,and then in 96 the vortec came out.