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2018 Chevy pickup celebrates 100 years of heritage, with special badges and programs. Popular item is vintage bowtie logo for pickup. Inside, cab is big, quiet and comfortable. First truck was introduced in 1918.
Photos by CHEVROLET

Chevy celebrates truck centennial with special edition

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the first production Chevrolet truck. A century and more than 85 million trucks later, Chevrolet has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. To celebrate the Chevy Trucks Centennial, the brand is honoring the owners who have made Chevy Trucks a part of their lives for the past century with a celebration featuring two new Special Edition trucks, the national rollout of the Truck Legends customer loyalty program and more.

To see how far the trucks have come over the years, this week road-tested a new Silverado High Country 4WD crew-cab pickup. It is the best-driving pickup from Chevy that I’ve ever tested. With double-cab pricing that starts at $28,085 and MPG estimates ranging from 18-mpg to 24-mpg, it gets high marks for towing and hauling. This truck even offers WiFi and GPS navigation – features that were the stuff of science fiction when the first Chevy trucks hit the road 100 years ago.

The 1918 Chevrolet One-Ton truck was powered by a four-cylinder engine rated at 36 horsepower. Its top speed was 25 mph. Today, there are three engine choices and a range of models, cab sizes, and bed choices.

“The Chevy Trucks Centennial is a huge milestone for us, and is equally important to our customers,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks Advertising and Marketing director. “That’s why we are celebrating 100 years of Chevy Trucks. It’s important that we share this celebration with our loyal customers who have helped us achieve this accomplishment.”

From the beginning, Chevrolet Trucks has focused on making the best possible vehicle to meet every customer’s needs. After building specialized trucks to serve its factory, Chevrolet introduced its first trucks to customers in 1918. They included the half-ton Light Delivery and the 1918 One-Ton truck. Both were offered with an open chassis behind the windshield that allowed customers to choose between purchasing or building a specialized body for their vocation.

A century later, customer choice continues to drive Chevy Trucks. Chevrolet is still the only manufacturer to offer customers a three-truck portfolio — featuring the Colorado, Silverado and Silverado HD — and a full line of special editions, giving customers more options for the perfect truck to fit their needs and personal style.

The latest additions to the Chevrolet Trucks portfolio of special editions, the 2018 Silverado and Colorado Centennial Editions feature design elements inspired by Chevy Trucks throughout history, including a distinctive Centennial Blue paint color and exclusive heritage bowtie emblems and 100 year badges inspired by colors and design cues found on early Chevrolet Trucks.

“The Silverado and Colorado Centennial Editions are a result of collaboration between Chevrolet Design, Engineering and Marketing, to commemorate the history of Chevy Trucks,” said Rich Scheer, Chevrolet Trucks director of Exterior Design. “Both vehicles offer our most enthusiastic fans a way to demonstrate their love for Chevy Trucks and celebrate the Chevy Trucks Centennial with us.”

For more information, see your local Chevrolet dealer or visit Chevrolet.com

Test Drive by Vince Bodiford

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is noticeably longer than prior model, inside easily accommodates third row passengers. Chevrolet Photo.

Newly styled and longer model ‘hits the sweet spot’

Introduced earlier this year and arriving at dealer showrooms now, the all-new Chevrolet Traverse fits nicely between the smaller Equinox and the full-size Tahoe. It’s in that medium-sized “sweet spot” for many SUVs, and this one offers great fuel economy and an available third row seat – all in a package that starts at $30,975.

Wrapped in bold and refined styling, the redesigned Traverse offers technologies to help keep passengers of all ages and lifestyles comfortable and connected. For our test drive this week, the Traverse spoiled us with comfort and content. Traverse delivered nicely with great third-row legroom, maximum cargo room and passenger volume.

“The all-new Traverse offers the ultimate in style and convenience for the segment, with the versatility customers need and a thoughtful, spacious design they’ll love,” said Alan Batey, president of GM North America and brand chief, Global Chevrolet. “It’s the midsize SUV designed to help keep you safe, comfortable and connected.”

The 2018 Traverse is the fourth updated crossover or SUV from Chevrolet within a year, joining the Trax, Bolt EV and 2018 Equinox, further strengthening the brand’s crossover and SUV lineup. Traverse estimated fuel economy ranges from 18-mpg to 27-mpg.

“Nobody in the industry offers a broader, fresher lineup of SUVs and crossovers than Chevrolet,” said Batey. “From the all-electric Bolt EV to America’s longest-running nameplate, Suburban, we’ve got something for every customer and lifestyle.”

The 2018 Traverse has a new look inspired by Chevrolet’s full-size SUVs, with purposeful proportions complemented by premium cues such as chrome accents, LED signature lighting and available D-Optic LED headlamps.
Chevrolet is adding two new trim levels for the 2018 Traverse — the sporty RS and luxurious High Country — to offer customers more choices for a personalized appearance.

The new RS package includes unique, blacked-out exterior cues with a black chrome grille, black bowtie, 20-inch wheels and more.

The High Country trim features premium content and technology, including a unique interior trim featuring Loft Brown leather appointments with suede accents, 20-inch polished wheels, High Country badging, D-Optic headlamps, standard twin-clutch AWD and power-fold third row seats.

“The all-new Traverse blends Chevrolet’s characteristic SUV cues with capability and refinement,” said John Cafaro, executive director, Global Chevrolet Design. “Inside and out, it offers style with a purpose.”

With available seating for up to eight and a longer wheelbase than the prior model, the Traverse has few peers when it comes to capacity and roominess. In fact, the new Traverse offer best-in-class passenger volume as well as max cargo room, while greater storage options and larger bins throughout the ergonomically optimized cabin are designed to enhance convenience and versatility.

We found that loading the Traverse is a breeze with a new Chevrolet bowtie logo lamp feature illuminating the ground to show where drivers need to place a foot to activate the available hands-free power liftgate. This is super cool.

A new 3.6L V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission (tested) form the standard propulsion system, expected to offer nearly 10 percent more horsepower than the current model and a GM-estimated 25 mpg highway (FWD). The combination also supports an estimated 5,000-pound trailering capacity when properly equipped.

Sporting the new RS trim, the Traverse will exclusively feature a 2.0L turbocharged engine that provides a unique driving experience, with more maximum torque than the V-6. It is also paired with the nine-speed automatic transmission.

Both engines feature new intelligent stop/start technology that determines the best times for fuel-saving engine-stop events, based on a variety of driving factors. New Traction Mode Select is standard on all models and allows the driver to make real-time adjustments to the vehicle’s driving mode to account for varying road conditions.

Overall, this test drive revealed a strong contender in the mid-size SUV segment, and there is clear distinction between this and the Equinox and the Tahoe.

For more information, see your local Chevrolet dealer or visit Chevrolet.com