2027 Chevy Silverado High Country First Look: Bronze Accents, a 481-HP V8, and a Cabin That Finally Feels Luxe
Chevrolet is betting big on 2027 with the launch of the next-generation Silverado 1500, the best-selling vehicle in its lineup. At the State Fair of Texas, I spent time with the 2027 Silverado High Country, the luxury flagship of the new truck family.
The High Country starts at $71,700, or $74,495 with destination, according to our 2027 Silverado pricing breakdown. That makes it $8,700 more than the 2026 model, which is the biggest jump of any trim. I have not driven it yet, and the display truck was powered down to save its battery. So think of this as a detailed walkaround of what that extra money buys.
Two New V8s Headline the 2027 Silverado High Country
Beyond the pretty package, the biggest news for 2027 is under the hood. Chevy offers four engines. One is significantly improved, one is essentially a carryover, and two are brand new V8s.
The improved engine is the base 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder. Thanks to a new turbocharger, it now makes 350 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. The 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel carries over at 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft.
The headliners are two clean-sheet V8s, part of an $888 million investment by General Motors in eight-cylinder technology. The V8 is far from dead. Buyers can choose a 5.7-liter V8 (350 cubic inches) or a 6.6-liter V8 (400 cubic inches), and both pair with a 10-speed automatic. The High Country comes standard with the 5.7 and offers the 6.6 or the Duramax as upgrades, as our 2027 Silverado engines by trim guide shows.
Why the 5.7-Liter Is the Workhorse and the 6.6-Liter Is the Muscle
To learn more, I talked with Scott Garver of GM Chevrolet. He called the 5.7-liter the “workhorse” and said GM expects it to sell in much higher volume than the 6.6. You will find it everywhere from the Work Truck up through the High Country.
The 5.7 makes 402 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. When I asked why 428 and not a rounder 425, Garver said engineers wanted to squeeze every bit out of it and show customers what it could do. It is also the towing champion, rated at up to 13,700 pounds when properly equipped.
The 6.6-liter makes 481 horsepower and 501 lb-ft, which makes it the most powerful engine in the lineup. However, it is not the best tower. It tops out at 9,700 pounds across the Silverado lineup, because of the chassis it is paired with, not a lack of muscle. Chevy offers it only on the High Country and the ZR2, and it requires 4WD. Garver described it as the choice for off-road enthusiasts and for luxury buyers who do not want any compromise in performance. In other words, if towing is not your priority, there is still no replacement for displacement.
Goodbye, Dipstick
Pop the hood and you will notice something missing: the yellow dipstick handle. All of GM’s Gen 6 V8s use an electronic oil level sensor that shows your oil level in real time on the center screen or driver display. As Garver put it, you cannot check a dipstick while driving, but you can check the sensor. That means no more realizing halfway into a four-hour road trip that you forgot to check the oil. We cover the tech in more depth in our breakdown of GM’s sixth-generation Small Block V8s.
When I asked what he was most proud of, Garver did not hesitate: “The torque.” GM increased the stroke and fitted new crankshafts to get it. Engineers also nodded to history by stamping “350” on the 5.7-liter block and “400” on the 6.6-liter. As a Camaro guy, that 350 speaks to me.
A Familiar Face With Bronze, Gloss Black, and 22-Inch Wheels
Everything on this truck is new, but the face evolves the look Chevy has used since the 2019 update. Up close, the High Country has plenty of premium details. The grille uses satin bronze accents instead of chrome, and new High Country badging sits between the headlights and running lamps. It is a subtle touch you will probably miss when you pass one on the road.
The wheel arches are where Chevrolet sets itself apart from GMC. Even the luxury Sierra Denali gets black plastic wheel arches, but the Silverado High Country gets gloss black. The arches also follow a graceful curve instead of the GMC’s more linear lines. The multi-spoke, multi-tone wheels wear Bridgestone Alenza tires sized 275/50R22, which gives the truck a lot of premium presence.
Chevy also created a new High Country badge that runs across its lineup, including the 2027 Traverse. A diamond insignia with a mountain range sits between “High” and “Country.” My one question is placement. The badge sits very high on the door. All that black accenting works well on a black truck, but let me know in the comments what you think.
Smart Touches Around Back and at Every Door
The back of the truck has plenty of small upgrades that most buyers may never notice. The taillights are redesigned, and this truck had the standard one-piece tailgate rather than the available Multi-Flex tailgate. The High Country badge and Chevrolet lettering both use dark graphics, and the corner step bumpers make it easy to climb into the bed.
The exhaust improves too. The High Country gets quad outlets that are still square but no longer look like HDMI ports you would buy at Best Buy.
Two features stood out to me as a parent. First, all four doors have proximity lock and unlock buttons. After a remote start, I can unlock the rear door and buckle my son in without fiddling with the front door first. Second, the power running boards have a clever trick. A button lets the running board extend back toward the bed, so you can step up and grab gear sitting near the front of the bed. Press it again, and the board slides back into place.
No Leather, but the High Country Cabin Still Feels Premium
Inside, the High Country has soft-touch materials all around. The door handle has a small lip underneath for storage, and the door pockets hold two bottles plus an umbrella. The front windows get express up and down, but the rear windows do not. The new window switches are also very small.
The biggest interior news is that leather is gone. GM dropped it from every 2027 Silverado, including this luxury trim, as we explained in our story on why the 2027 Silverado and Sierra have no leather seats. The High Country uses premium EvoTex Ultra instead, with the new diamond badge embossed in the headrests. EvoTex Ultra has no leather-like grain, but it feels very soft, which is a welcome change from the hard leather GM used in its trucks for years. Design lines and contrasting materials also give the seats more character than a plain bench.
The front seats are heated and ventilated and have two-driver memory. They also adjust in many ways, with bolsters, four-way lumbar, and massage. The steering wheel has power tilt and telescoping, and a gloss black panel near your knee holds the exterior lighting and auto stop/start buttons. Climbing in is easy thanks to an A-pillar grab handle and the running board.
Big Screens, a Better Home Screen, and CarPlay That Stays
Because the display truck was powered down, I could not show everything the new operating system does. Chevy has reworked the head-up display layout, which is now very large. A suede-like insert trims the dash, and the redesigned steering wheel has illuminated buttons, with Super Cruise controls on one side and entertainment on the other. Super Cruise comes standard on the High Country.
Every 2027 Silverado, including the base Work Truck, gets a 16.3-inch center touchscreen and a 12.2-inch digital driver display. Physical gauges are gone from the lineup. The new interface uses high-contrast whites and blacks that are easy to read. Many physical buttons have been replaced with digital quick-access buttons for things like the garage door opener and the headlights.
The feature Chevy is most proud of is the new dual-pane home screen, and for good reason. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain, and phone projection fills the large main panel. A narrower side panel can show CarPlay audio controls, trailering information, or vehicle status. You get all of that without giving up the full CarPlay view.
Dual-zone climate keeps physical controls below the screen. The heated and ventilated seats use an on-screen pop-up that remembers your last setting. Below those are physical controls for the two-speed transfer case (2Hi, 4Hi, 4Lo, and 4WD Auto), drive modes, and the trailer brake.
A Console Full of Family-Friendly Touches
The console is full of family-friendly touches. It has two magnetic wireless chargers, two USB-C ports, and a household-style outlet. Because the shifter moved to the steering column, a sliding cover can hide the two cupholders and the big storage well. The console is fully pass-through underneath, with room to hide a laptop. The suede lid with a High Country logo also folds out into a mobile workstation with two more USB-C ports.
The passenger side has an 11.5-inch screen that is heavily polarized, so a passenger can stream video through onboard apps or an HDMI port without distracting the driver. Overhead, you get a sunglass holder and a massive panoramic glass roof, the first on a GM pickup.
A Rear Seat Built for Families
Open the rear doors, and the running boards deploy there too. The door panels have three storage trays plus additional pockets. However, Chevrolet removed the built-in seatback storage from every 2027 Silverado trim, and I do not understand why.
The outboard seats get the same colored seatbelts as the front, although the center belt does not. The two-tone seats look clean and premium. The seat bottoms lift one-handed with no latches or levers, which reveals under-seat storage. As with past GM trucks, the floor is not completely flat.
Rear passengers get map pockets on both front seatbacks, heated outboard seats, air vents, low storage, and two USB-C ports. That brings the total to seven USB-C ports in the truck. A fold-down armrest holds two cupholders and a milk carton holder. The redesigned sliding rear window also has built-in defrost. Even with the panoramic roof, I had plenty of headroom back there at 5 feet, 10 inches tall.
Is the 2027 Silverado High Country Worth the Jump?
The 2027 Silverado High Country makes a strong case for its higher price. The available 6.6-liter V8 gives it the muscle luxury buyers want, while the standard 5.7 still makes 402 horsepower. Inside, the cabin finally feels worthy of a $70k truck. The EvoTex Ultra seats are soft and comfortable, the dual-pane screen keeps CarPlay front and center, and details like the four-door keyless buttons and bed-access running boards make family life easier.
There are open questions, though. Chevy has not released EPA fuel-economy numbers, and I still need to drive the truck to see how the 6.6 delivers its power and cruises on the highway. I also expect some buyers to miss leather and the seatback storage areas that last generation truck owners came to love.
If the High Country is more truck than you need, check out our 2027 Silverado Trail Boss first look and our 2027 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 first look. If you are cross-shopping the Denali, see our 2027 GMC Sierra 1500 specs and pricing. And subscribe to the GT: Garage Talk® newsletter to get the latest automotive news in your inbox every week.