Spotting pick-up trucks on the roads of the UAE is as common as finding sand in the desert. Since the past couple of decades, these body-on-frame behemoths have been attracting more and more folks to the showrooms. Just like in places such as the USA, pick-up trucks in the region have been used to haul stuff around -- trailers, boats, jet skis, quad bikes and motorcycles etc., can all be found hitched behind, for the most part, an American-made pick-up truck.
For this piece, we will look at two of the most popular (and long-time rivals) trucks around - the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and 2020 Ford F-150. While the Silverado has been around in form or the other since the mid 1970s, the F-150 is older still - dating all the way back to the late 1940s to early 1950s. The latter is presently in its thirteenth generation (released initially in 2015), whilst the Chevy Silverado is in its fourth avatar (on sale since last year).
Exterior
In their latest iterations, both these full-size pick-up trucks look imposing and macho enough to clear the path for you without even breaking a sweat. The Ford F-150 gets these stacked headlamps that are absolutely massive along with a huge double-bar chrome grille and the blue oval logo in the middle. You also get large alloy wheels with deep wheel wells, stacked tail lamps, and a mildly-sculpted tailgate.
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado is flashier still. It comes with even more pronounced fender flares and wheel arches, loads more chrome, a higher hood line, crisper character lines along the sides, split-grille design with upper & lower lamps, and an overall more brutish front end when compared to the F-150.
At the rear as well, the new Silverado comes with a thicker bumper (laden with chrome, of course), stylish dual exhausts, vertically-arranged LED tail lamps, and a beefy tailgate to add some more testosterone to the mix. As for size, the 2020 Silverado measures 6.128 meters in length, 2.063 meters in width, 1.945 meters in height, and has a wheelbase of 3.987 meters.
The 2020 Ford F-150 comes in at 5.890 meters in length, 2.463 meters in width and 1.948 meters in height. Meanwhile, its wheelbase measures in at 3.670 meters.
Interior
Inside, it is obvious that there’s tons of space on offer - whether you are sitting up front or in the back. The expansive greenhouse also affords occupants a nice view out, while the seats in both these pickups feel well-cushioned and supportive even on long journeys. There are several soft touch-points and decent quality materials in these cabins as well, though admittedly, neither of these vehicles is actually “posh” by any means.
However, thanks to their high riding positions, you get a commanding view of the road ahead. This also comes in handy when you are trying to convince smaller vehicles ahead of you to move out of the way. And while the F-150 gets a traditional gear lever ahead of the center armrest, the Silverado has its placed on the steering column.
Performance
On this front, none of these two pickups are lacking outright grunt thanks to their eight-cylinder powerplants. Also, both of these get engine auto stop/start as standard to save on fuel. However, the 2020 Ford F-150’s 5.0-liter V8 produces 360 hp with 515 Nm of torque; while the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado’s 5.3-liter motor turns up with 355 hp and 518 Nm of torque.
The F-150 utilizes a 10-speed automatic transmission, whilst the Silverado gets a more traditional 8-speed gearbox. Of course, both these trucks are fitted, as standard, with a four-wheel drive system and locking differentials as well. However, it’s the Silverado that is quicker on paved surfaces -- clocking 100 km/h in less than 8 seconds and boasting a top speed of 180 km/h.
Verdict
While both these American trucks are pretty evenly matched on some counts, they also couldn’t be more different even if they tried harder. For instance, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado feels more sprightly on its feet and its responses also have a sense of urgency.
The Silverado’s exterior design is arguably more aggressive and bolder, while also offering more room in the back row. And starting from under AED 200,000 for the well-equipped LTZ trim, this is a pretty good pick-up truck for the money.
