Chevrolet loyalists know that "SS" means "Super Sport," and when the SS badge was applied to Camaros, Chevelles and Impalas of the 1960s and very early 1970s, it carried great significance — serious amounts of horsepower and torque, and tighter handling (compared to other models), sheathed in unassuming bodywork and sold for a price middle-class buyers could afford. After getting lost in the '70s and '80s, the SS name was revived by the short-lived 1994-1996 Impala SS and the Camaro SS, sold from 1996 right up until the nameplate's retirement last year. Current-day SS versions of the Impala and Monte Carlo have since diluted it, however, as they break with the tradition of rumbling V8s and rear-wheel drive, instead offering V6 power and front-wheel drive. Yes, they're affordable, but are they appealing to a driver who wants a high-performance car? Probably not.
Up until this year, only one pickup had ever worn the SS badge, the 1990-1993 C1500 454 SS. The "454" of course stood for cubic inches of displacement and indicated that this half-ton 2WD regular cab was equipped with the big-block 7.4-liter V8 ordinarily found only in the three-quarter-ton and one-ton work trucks. Output was rated at 230 hp and 385 pound-feet of torque the first year and increased to 255 horses and 405 lb-ft in 1991. A four-speed automatic was standard. A "performance handling" package with Bilstein shocks helped the 454 SS take corners with more grace, as did a set of 275/60R15 tires. Inside, the 454 SS was as luxurious as any highline pickup of its day, and outside, it wore a monochromatic coat of Black Onyx paint.
The SS name returns to Chevrolet's full-size pickup line for 2003, and you can bet this has something to do with the success of Ford's SVT F-150 Lightning, as well as the impending release of Dodge's Viper-fed SRT-10 Ram. Taken on its own, the Silverado SS is not unappealing. But alongside the SVT and SRT efforts, it compromises a lot on performance. Not enough to give it the emasculated feel of an Impala or Monte Carlo, but enough to cast doubt on Chevrolet's desire to compete in the performance truck segment.
For starters, the Silverado SS is essentially a reskinned version of the top-line GMC Sierra Denali (the truck went by the name Sierra C3 in 2001). This means that we're talking about a light-duty 1500 extended cab with GM's 6.0-liter Vortec V8 under its hood. Right away, this makes the SS the powerful pickup of the Silverado lineup, and the Chevy did manage to score itself higher horsepower and torque ratings — 345 hp at 5,200 rpm and 380 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm (versus the GMC's 325 and 370) — identical to those of the Cadillac Escalade family.
But these numbers seem inadequate next to the 380 horses and 450 pound-feet the '03 Lightning gets out of its supercharged 5.4-liter V8 or the 500 hp and 525 lb-ft pumped forth from the SRT-10's V10. Beyond that, the F-150 Harley-Davidson SuperCrew, which received a detuned version of the Lightning's motor for 2002, holds a tangible advantage over the SS in terms of acceleration made possible by its 425 lb-ft of torque. And even the old 454 SS had massive displacement on its side, allowing it to get at the full load of torque at a lower rpm.
Weight is another factor that isn't on the Silverado's side. By virtue of the fact that it's an extended cab — with a backseat that's fully usable for children — it weighs more. Compared to the Lightning, for example, it packs on 600 extra pounds. Part of the difference is due to the added bulk of the Chevy's all-wheel-drive system. From a safety standpoint, AWD isn't a bad idea, as it improves handling on slippery roads. Where dry-road performance is concerned, rear-drive (2WD) remains the most efficient means of putting large amounts of power to the pavement.
With all that in mind, the Silverado SS is still almost impossible to dislike when it's time to go fast on public roads. Jam the gas pedal to the floor from a stop, and the 6.0-liter Vortec accelerates smartly all the way up to its max speed of 6,500 rpm, at which point GM's heavy-duty four-speed automatic upshifts crisply to second gear. Need a downshift to blow past a cell phone user on the freeway? The transmission is ready to go when you are, never hesitating the way some Ford and Dodge units do. A 4.10 rear axle ratio helps the SS to a 7,500-pound tow rating — less than other GM pickups but considerably more than a Lightning or Harley-Davidson could pull.
Although we weren't able to do our usual instrumented testing, we timed a 2001 Sierra C3 at 7.3 seconds for the 0-to-60-mph run and expect that an SS would come in right around 7. This would be a terrific acceleration time for an ordinary pickup, but still far off the 5.6-second pace set by the last Lightning we tested.
Fortunately, Chevrolet has already shown us that it could do better than this — we're referring to the SS concept truck on display at the 2002 Specialty Equipment Marketers' Association (SEMA) show. This SS was a 2WD regular cab Silverado with a massaged version of the 6.0-liter, rated for 395 hp and 409 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission (topped off by a Hurst shifter ball). Of course, the concept truck was also a real stripper, and we doubt that many performance truck buyers would want to do without an air conditioner just to save a few pounds. Nevertheless, this is the kind of power the SS would need just to hang with the '03 Lightning (the next Lightning will allegedly put out 500 hp to do battle with the SRT Ram).
Handling is another area in which the Silverado SS must improve before we can count it as a serious sport truck. While the Lightning manages a deft combination of ride comfort and sharp handling around corners (sharp to the point that it merits comparison with cars, not trucks), the SS handles like any other pickup — this in spite of its firmer Z60 suspension and 20-inch alloys wrapped in 275/55R20 Goodyear Eagles. Highway cruising is pretty comfortable, but over grooved and rutted pavement, the ride is downright choppy. Similarly, the SS gets around corners easily enough for a pickup, but not in a manner that will encourage you to seek out twisty roads — the body doesn't settle easily and the lower-profile tires do little to reduce body roll. We happened to have a four-wheel-drive '03 Ram 1500 (with the Hemi V8) around the offices the same week, and the Dodge proved to be the more pleasant companion for a brisk run up a curvy road.
More sophisticated hardware would certainly help the SS, specifically something along the lines of the Chevy Tahoe's five-link rear suspension (as shown on the SS concept truck) in lieu of the current leaf-spring setup. Also on our wish list are the concept truck's Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs and bigger front stabilizer bar, along with a rear stabilizer bar (add one), rack-and-pinion steering, bigger brakes and stickier tires. It all seems like a lot to ask, but remember that Chevrolet is asking a lot, too — $39,995 to start. Compare that to $33,010 for a Lightning (or $37,770 for a Harley-Davidson) and then tell us which one you'd buy.
Although we contend that it needs a more aggressive set of wheels, the SS mostly looks the part of a performance truck, albeit an extended cab version. The monochromatic paint (available in Onyx Black, Arrival Blue or, as on our test truck, Victory Red) makes the most of the Silverado styling cues.
Inside, the SS cab looks no different from the LT model, save for a set of white-faced gauges, "SS" embroidery on the dull gray seats and a plastic SS badge on the center stack. We weren't expecting any styling revelations in a pickup, but special two-tone upholstery and/or some faux metal trim on the dash and doors would have gone a long way toward giving the cab a distinctive SS identity. Also of note: the gauges use a font that is both boldface and italicized, making the speedometer a little difficult to read.
Overall, the '03 Silverado SS leaves us cold. There's no denying that it's a fast, comfortable, well-equipped pickup, but far from offering an exclusive level of performance, it's basically another one of GM's badge engineering jobs. As a performance truck, it's only worth a look if you won't buy one of the Fords and/or Dodge's SRT-10 proves to be too expensive. As a luxury pickup, it could satisfy, since it costs several thousand dollars less than the Sierra Denali (mainly because it lacks Quadrasteer). In either case, you'll want to think it over carefully, because this SS is more about marketing than substance.
Up until this year, only one pickup had ever worn the SS badge, the 1990-1993 C1500 454 SS. The "454" of course stood for cubic inches of displacement and indicated that this half-ton 2WD regular cab was equipped with the big-block 7.4-liter V8 ordinarily found only in the three-quarter-ton and one-ton work trucks. Output was rated at 230 hp and 385 pound-feet of torque the first year and increased to 255 horses and 405 lb-ft in 1991. A four-speed automatic was standard. A "performance handling" package with Bilstein shocks helped the 454 SS take corners with more grace, as did a set of 275/60R15 tires. Inside, the 454 SS was as luxurious as any highline pickup of its day, and outside, it wore a monochromatic coat of Black Onyx paint.
The SS name returns to Chevrolet's full-size pickup line for 2003, and you can bet this has something to do with the success of Ford's SVT F-150 Lightning, as well as the impending release of Dodge's Viper-fed SRT-10 Ram. Taken on its own, the Silverado SS is not unappealing. But alongside the SVT and SRT efforts, it compromises a lot on performance. Not enough to give it the emasculated feel of an Impala or Monte Carlo, but enough to cast doubt on Chevrolet's desire to compete in the performance truck segment.
For starters, the Silverado SS is essentially a reskinned version of the top-line GMC Sierra Denali (the truck went by the name Sierra C3 in 2001). This means that we're talking about a light-duty 1500 extended cab with GM's 6.0-liter Vortec V8 under its hood. Right away, this makes the SS the powerful pickup of the Silverado lineup, and the Chevy did manage to score itself higher horsepower and torque ratings — 345 hp at 5,200 rpm and 380 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm (versus the GMC's 325 and 370) — identical to those of the Cadillac Escalade family.
But these numbers seem inadequate next to the 380 horses and 450 pound-feet the '03 Lightning gets out of its supercharged 5.4-liter V8 or the 500 hp and 525 lb-ft pumped forth from the SRT-10's V10. Beyond that, the F-150 Harley-Davidson SuperCrew, which received a detuned version of the Lightning's motor for 2002, holds a tangible advantage over the SS in terms of acceleration made possible by its 425 lb-ft of torque. And even the old 454 SS had massive displacement on its side, allowing it to get at the full load of torque at a lower rpm.
Weight is another factor that isn't on the Silverado's side. By virtue of the fact that it's an extended cab — with a backseat that's fully usable for children — it weighs more. Compared to the Lightning, for example, it packs on 600 extra pounds. Part of the difference is due to the added bulk of the Chevy's all-wheel-drive system. From a safety standpoint, AWD isn't a bad idea, as it improves handling on slippery roads. Where dry-road performance is concerned, rear-drive (2WD) remains the most efficient means of putting large amounts of power to the pavement.
With all that in mind, the Silverado SS is still almost impossible to dislike when it's time to go fast on public roads. Jam the gas pedal to the floor from a stop, and the 6.0-liter Vortec accelerates smartly all the way up to its max speed of 6,500 rpm, at which point GM's heavy-duty four-speed automatic upshifts crisply to second gear. Need a downshift to blow past a cell phone user on the freeway? The transmission is ready to go when you are, never hesitating the way some Ford and Dodge units do. A 4.10 rear axle ratio helps the SS to a 7,500-pound tow rating — less than other GM pickups but considerably more than a Lightning or Harley-Davidson could pull.
Although we weren't able to do our usual instrumented testing, we timed a 2001 Sierra C3 at 7.3 seconds for the 0-to-60-mph run and expect that an SS would come in right around 7. This would be a terrific acceleration time for an ordinary pickup, but still far off the 5.6-second pace set by the last Lightning we tested.
Fortunately, Chevrolet has already shown us that it could do better than this — we're referring to the SS concept truck on display at the 2002 Specialty Equipment Marketers' Association (SEMA) show. This SS was a 2WD regular cab Silverado with a massaged version of the 6.0-liter, rated for 395 hp and 409 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission (topped off by a Hurst shifter ball). Of course, the concept truck was also a real stripper, and we doubt that many performance truck buyers would want to do without an air conditioner just to save a few pounds. Nevertheless, this is the kind of power the SS would need just to hang with the '03 Lightning (the next Lightning will allegedly put out 500 hp to do battle with the SRT Ram).
Handling is another area in which the Silverado SS must improve before we can count it as a serious sport truck. While the Lightning manages a deft combination of ride comfort and sharp handling around corners (sharp to the point that it merits comparison with cars, not trucks), the SS handles like any other pickup — this in spite of its firmer Z60 suspension and 20-inch alloys wrapped in 275/55R20 Goodyear Eagles. Highway cruising is pretty comfortable, but over grooved and rutted pavement, the ride is downright choppy. Similarly, the SS gets around corners easily enough for a pickup, but not in a manner that will encourage you to seek out twisty roads — the body doesn't settle easily and the lower-profile tires do little to reduce body roll. We happened to have a four-wheel-drive '03 Ram 1500 (with the Hemi V8) around the offices the same week, and the Dodge proved to be the more pleasant companion for a brisk run up a curvy road.
More sophisticated hardware would certainly help the SS, specifically something along the lines of the Chevy Tahoe's five-link rear suspension (as shown on the SS concept truck) in lieu of the current leaf-spring setup. Also on our wish list are the concept truck's Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs and bigger front stabilizer bar, along with a rear stabilizer bar (add one), rack-and-pinion steering, bigger brakes and stickier tires. It all seems like a lot to ask, but remember that Chevrolet is asking a lot, too — $39,995 to start. Compare that to $33,010 for a Lightning (or $37,770 for a Harley-Davidson) and then tell us which one you'd buy.
Although we contend that it needs a more aggressive set of wheels, the SS mostly looks the part of a performance truck, albeit an extended cab version. The monochromatic paint (available in Onyx Black, Arrival Blue or, as on our test truck, Victory Red) makes the most of the Silverado styling cues.
Inside, the SS cab looks no different from the LT model, save for a set of white-faced gauges, "SS" embroidery on the dull gray seats and a plastic SS badge on the center stack. We weren't expecting any styling revelations in a pickup, but special two-tone upholstery and/or some faux metal trim on the dash and doors would have gone a long way toward giving the cab a distinctive SS identity. Also of note: the gauges use a font that is both boldface and italicized, making the speedometer a little difficult to read.
Overall, the '03 Silverado SS leaves us cold. There's no denying that it's a fast, comfortable, well-equipped pickup, but far from offering an exclusive level of performance, it's basically another one of GM's badge engineering jobs. As a performance truck, it's only worth a look if you won't buy one of the Fords and/or Dodge's SRT-10 proves to be too expensive. As a luxury pickup, it could satisfy, since it costs several thousand dollars less than the Sierra Denali (mainly because it lacks Quadrasteer). In either case, you'll want to think it over carefully, because this SS is more about marketing than substance.
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