Chevy Rolls Out Cowboy-Themed Luxury Silverado PickUp

Chevrolet Silverado High Country comes as automakers race to create more high-end, high-profit pickups.

General Motors is saddling up to become a player in the market for cowboy-themed high-end pick up trucks.

Sunday night at an event in (where else?) Texas, its Chevrolet division rolled out new high-end version of its redesigned 2014 Silverado pickup called the High Country. The new luxury truck takes dead aim at the Ford F-150 King Ranch, Chrysler's Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn and a new ranch-inspired Toyota Tundra 1792 Edition.

To set itself apart from city slickers, the big crew-cab truck pours on the chrome -- from a unique grille to side mouldings, door handles, mirrors and its own 20-inch wheels. The interior is done in saddle-brown leather and features touches meant to conjure images of a life of ropin' and brandin'.

Pickup truck sales are soaring, up 27% alone in April, about three times the overall industry growth. And the high end of the pickup truck business is hot. Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson says 30% of the pickup market is for trucks selling in excess of $40,000. And these buyers are an opportunity to poach sales from rivals -- buyer of these 'luxe trucks aren't as brand loyal as mainstream pickup shoppers.

These high-end trucks are among automakers' most profitable vehicles. A Ford King Ranch lists at $43,805 before destination charges are added, almost twice as much as a base-level F-150. And they aren't as complex to manufacture as cars.

Ford led the charge into high-end cowboy pickups. Ram has been right behind. But other than the near-luxury Denali trim of the GMC Sierra pickup -- a new version will debut in about a month -- GM hasn't attacked the sector as aggressively. The High Country is meant to change that.

"High Country will be the top model in the Silverado lineup, with a higher level of premium features and materials with a rich, Western themed appearance," says Maria Rohrer, Silverado marketing director, in a statement.

Unlike more than a decade ago, when deluxe trucks like the Lincoln Blackwood got off to a poor start, makers are stressing that the fancy trucks are as capable as any of their pickups. They'll haul bales of hay and sacks of concrete mix as easily as golf clubs and weekend luggage.

"High Country is 100% Chevy truck, with the capability and dependability customers have relied on for more than 95 years," Rohrer adds.

The High Country will come with a standard 355-liter 5.3-liter V-8 engine that has a system that saves gas by shutting off four-cylinders when they aren't needed. And it will have so many features built in that, Chevrolet says, there won't be many options. It arrives in showrooms in the fourth quarter at a price to be announced.

High-end truck leader Ford says it's ready for the new competition. "While others are just starting to understand the appeal of Texas innovation and luxury, we're proud to bring twelve years of authenticity and leadership to the segment with our partners at King Ranch," said Ford truck marketing chief Doug Scott.

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