Five Unique Features That Set the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 Apart From the Crowd

The Chevy Silverado 1500 has long been one of America’s best-selling pickups, but it didn’t get there by resting on its laurels. While this truck’s unique combination of performance, convenience, and reliability has been the foundation on which the Silverado legend was built, it’s Chevy’s commitment to continually reinventing the wheel (and the rest of the truck) that’s led to such long-term success.

This is nothing new for the Chevy brand, which has been pushing the envelope in the pickup segment since the late 1920s when it designed the industry’s first six-cylinder truck. The Silverado has also seen its fair share of firsts, from being one of the first full-size hybrid pickups to offering the first power-up/down tailgate in the segment. As you start browsing for a new Chevy Silverado 1500 for sale you’ll realize that this spirit of innovation continues to this day as Chevy works to integrate some cutting-edge automation into its beloved flagship pickup.

GM’s Super Cruise technology is probably the most notable example, allowing drivers to enjoy the industry’s first real hands-free driving systems, but it’s far from the only trick the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 has up its sleeve. While this pickup is packed with surprises, we’ve compiled a short list of some of our favorite features: from Super Cruise and Transparent Trailer View to the brawny Durabed and a fanciful fob, read on as we see how the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 continues its long history of innovative design…

1) Super Cruise

Super Cruise represents one of the most exciting advancements in driving automation technology to date. Built around a system of cameras, sensors, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) map data, this hands-free driving system can be used on more than 220,000 miles of compatible highways across North America.

Super Cruise was first introduced in 2022 and can currently be found on the Silverado’s range-topping High Country trim, allowing drivers to sit back, relax, and let their truck handle some of the more mundane aspects of the driving experience. Super Cruise not only allows your pickup to maintain a steady speed, stay centered within a lane, and automatically brake when it detects an obstacle, but it can also be used in stop-and-go traffic and even change lanes to overtake slower vehicles. Best of all, Super Cruise can even be used while pulling a trailer, making it perfectly suited for the hard-working Silverado 1500.

The march toward full automation hasn’t been without its issues. While certain auto brands keep ending up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Chevy has learned from their mistakes and made a couple of important tweaks when designing Super Cruise. Unlike some other driving automation systems, Super Cruise comes with a built-in safety feature: the drivers themselves. This system uses an eye-tracking camera to ensure that the driver keeps their attention on the road while Super Cruise is engaged, providing an important form of backup that should go a long way toward reducing potential accidents.

2) Key Fob Tricks

From remotely starting your truck and lowering the tailgate to controlling the windows and passively locking and unlocking the doors, your Silverado’s key fob has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. While most drivers think of a key fob as nothing more than a way to lock and unlock their vehicle, Chevy has packed this tiny gadget chock-full of technology that can help to make for a convenient and safe drive.

We’ll start with the Passive Door Lock/Unlock feature, which allows drivers to open their doors simply by walking toward their trucks. This feature can also be used in reverse, locking the Silverado as soon as the driver walks a certain distance away from the vehicle. If you’re the type of driver who always double- or triple-taps their lock button, just to be sure, you’ll be happy to learn that the Passive Unlock system can be customized to beep the horn when the door is locked.

The key fob can also be used to control various features throughout the pickup, including the power windows and side mirrors. Want to roll down the windows from a distance? Just press and hold the unlock button on the key fob and watch as they slide down to allow for a little fresh air. The side mirrors can also be folded in and out at the touch of a button, which could be handy if you’re trying to prevent any damage from nearby vehicles, buildings, or other obstacles.

The Silverado’s power-up/down tailgate can also be manipulated using the key fob or activated by pressing a button directly on the tailgate. Finally, there’s the remote start feature: this system can be accessed either through the key fob or the myChevrolet smartphone app and is a godsend on those cold winter mornings. Chevy has actually improved this function in recent years, integrating a new Remote Start Auto Cooled/Heated Seats feature that allows drivers to prime the cabin for whatever sort of weather they might be facing. It might be a small touch, but it can certainly help improve the overall driving experience.

3) Trailering Tech

Chevy has loaded the 2024 Silverado 1500 with a full network of cameras that provide drivers with fifteen unique viewpoints. These cameras unquestionably come in handy when trying to back up, squeeze into a tight parking spot, or keep an eye on the cargo in the bed, but it’s the Transparent Trailer View (TTV) that marks one of this pickup’s most unique features.

While the Silverado 1500 can tow up to 13,300 lbs when properly equipped, larger trailers or campers can present something of a visibility issue as drivers struggle to get a clear view of the road. The TTV feature addresses this issue by combining the feed from multiple camera angles and stitching it into a live feed that essentially allows the driver to see the road behind the truck as if the trailer isn’t there.

But TTV isn’t the only next-generation towing-related tech that can be found on the Silverado 1500. The pickup is also offered with Adaptive Cruise Control w/ Trailer, a towing-specific version of Chevy’s advanced cruise control technology. Adaptive Cruise Control w/ Trailer can factor in the increased braking distances and drag associated with towing, creating a newer, safer version of cruise control. This system can also alert drivers when the truck’s Combined Gross Weight Rating has been exceeded, which should come in handy when you know you’re close to testing the Silverado’s limits.

4) New Appearance Options

While the innovative new tech features might get all the headlines, the Silverado 1500 has also been graced with some stylish new color options and appearance packages for 2024. Lakeshore Blue and Slate Gray represent the pickup’s two new metallic paint choices, but it’s the moody Midnight Edition and Blackout appearance packages that are really sure to turn some heads. They say black goes well with everything, and Chevy is certainly putting that theory to the test with these two appearance packages.

We’ll start with the Midnight Edition, which is exclusively offered as a $1,985 addition to the luxurious High Country trim equipped with the Z71 Off-Road package. This treatment gives your full-size pickup a darker, more menacing look, starting with some black paint. Black grille bars, badges, exhaust tips, and grille inserts tie the aesthetic together, while a black skid plate, hood vent surround, and front bumper complete the look. Drivers will also enjoy black beltline moldings, painted door handles, and gloss black mirror caps. Even the power-retractable assist steps are given an inky new look, not to mention the 20-inch black painted wheels.

If you’re looking to achieve a similarly sinister look without investing in the High Country trim, the Blackout appearance package might be your pick. Available on the Custom, Custom Trail Boss, RST, and LT Trail Boss trims equipped with the turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four engine, the Blackout package might not be as comprehensive as the Midnight Edition, but it’s just as eye-catching. From black nameplates, custom badges, and 20-inch high gloss black painted wheels to a unique black bowtie emblem, black tailgate lettering, and four-inch black assist steps, the Blackout appearance package is a great way to set your ride apart from the crowd.

5) Durabed Cargo Bed

Introduced in 2019, Chevy’s Durabed is here to prove that not all truck beds are created equal. With up to 89.1 cu.ft. of standard cargo volume, the Silverado’s Durabed is 20% larger than the rest of the cargo beds in the full-size truck segment, offering best-in-class cargo volume, box depth, and box length when measured at the floor. It’s also stronger than the competition thanks to its high-strength steel construction, which marks a major improvement over the aluminum construction favored by much of the industry. Strength might sound like a pretty nebulous concept for a cargo bed, but in this case, it’s backed by science.

The Silverado’s Durabed is rated at 500 megapascals (MPa), a metric that describes how much pressure a surface can be put under before it starts to get bent out of shape. Compare that number to the Ram 1500’s 340 MPa, and it’s easy to see why contractors, tradesmen, and other professionals keep gravitating to Chevy’s full-size offering. Best of all, that strength doesn’t come at the cost of additional poundage as the Durabed manages to offer one of the strongest cargo beds around without weighing down the truck.

The Durabed also excels at accommodating bulky cargo. With twelve standard fixed tie-downs and an available nine moveable tie-downs, securing your load has never been easier. Each of the fixed tie-downs is rated at 500 lbs per corner, allowing drivers to enjoy the ride while knowing everything is safe and secure. Aside from the Durabed, the Silverado’s cargo box boasts a few other innovative features, including the Multi-Flex tailgate with six separate functions, a convenient corner step, an inner gate load strap, LED cargo lighting, and an available 120-volt outlet.

The Exceptional 2024 Silverado 1500

Once upon a time, a pickup could get away with a spartan cab, a decent four-wheel drive system, and a tow hitch. As the market has matured, that’s all changed, with today’s pickups representing some of the most sophisticated, feature-packed models on the market. This evolution has been a boon to drivers, who can now enjoy a truck that has all the bells and whistles while still being able to put in a hard day’s work. The 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 is a prime example of this trend.

From safety-enhancing tech like Super Cruise and Transparent Trailer View to convenience features like the multifunction key fob, Chevy has stayed well ahead of the curve when it comes to designing its flagship pickup. The robust Durabed allows drivers to load up the truck without having to worry about incurring damage, while the new Midnight Edition and Blackout appearance packages help to keep the Silverado fresh as it marches through its fourth generation. 2024 is another strong showing from this popular pickup, which seems to only be getting better with age.