Oops, The Patent Office Just Revealed Chevy’s Most Important New Truck

The vast majority of patents I sift through every week are incredibly uninteresting, but every so often, there’s one that has the opportunity to upend a company’s entire product planning cycle. Automakers plan out vehicle launches and reveals months ahead of time, making sure the timing is just right to make the biggest splash and attract the most eyeballs. Then, a patent drawing will spoil it all, revealing designs, products, or new features to the world before the manufacturer can.

That’s exactly what seems to be happening here. A patent filed on December 9th and uncovered by Car and Driver seems to show the upcoming 2027 Chevrolet Silverado’s design totally undisguised. While there are no actual pictures, drawings of the truck show the fascias, the proportions, and the rest of the body.

The nice thing about this specific patent is that it has a drawing looking at every angle of the truck. So even though the car hasn’t technically been leaked, everyone now pretty much knows what it’ll look like.

How Legit Is This?

The patent was filed by General Motors, which confirms this is at least an official Chevy design. The patent describes the drawings as “a vehicle, toy replica, and/or other replica” showing a “new design,” but doesn’t name the year, make, or model.

I reached out to Chevy to see if it would confirm whether this is, in fact, the new Silverado or not, and a representative sent me the following statement:

GM regularly files with the US Patent Office to protect our IP, trademark, and technologies. Filings are not always indicative of future product. We cannot comment on speculation on future product.

Obviously, Chevy was never going to outright confirm this is the new, yet-to-be-revealed version of its most important truck. But designs that are this production-intent usually don’t make it into patents unless they’re going to be marketed and sold, so if I had to guess, this is very likely next year’s Silverado before you’re supposed to see it.

You Want Lights? You Got ‘Em

Huge headlights on American pickup trucks seem to be all the rage right now, with the current Ford F-150 sporting headlight assemblies that each look as big as my entire torso. Chevy’s gotten in on the fun, too, with its current Silverado HD’s headlights, which are literally over two feet all. You don’t realize how big these things are until they’re off the car, because proportionally, they make sense with the massive grille and bumper.

Going by these drawings, it looks like Chevy is leaning into the big headlight style for its standard Silverado 1500 as well for 2027. Like many new cars from Chevrolet right now, there are thin light strips at the top of the bumper area on either side of the grille, with a bigger cluster below, presumably for the main lamps. Though it’s tough to tell for sure, it looks like there’s also a central light strip running between the assemblies, bisected by a gigantic Chevy logo.

The rest of the front end carries its general shape from the outgoing Silverado, albeit with a few more design elements in the lower section to break apart the massive frontal area. There’s space for all the active safety tech, and what might even be a set of fog lights. The hood, meanwhile, features a more prominent version of the two-hump shape found on the current truck.

As for the rest of the design, it’s shaped very much like every other pickup truck in this segment. That’s to be expected—Chevy isn’t going to take a huge risk by pulling a massive departure from what its customers know and love. The bed and four doors make up a classic pickup shape that should be familiar to everyone.

The biggest question mark that remains is with the cabin. Spy shots published by Car and Driver earlier this year show an absolutely massive screen occupying most of the dashboard, which is a pretty big departure from the current truck’s setup. Big screens are a mainstay of every vehicle in this segment these days, so I can’t say I’m surprised.

So When Will This Thing Actually Come Out?

The current Silverado has been around since 2019, which means it’s very much due for a big update. Combined with the fact that prototypes have been driving around throughout the year and the timing of this patent submission, I suspect Chevy will unveil the truck by the springtime.

There shouldn’t be any big news in the powertrain department, according to Car and Driver. Currently, you can choose between two gas-powered V8s, an entry-level four-cylinder, and a Duramax turbo-diesel straight-six.

As for price, the current Silverado starts at $38,145 for the most basic, stripped-out, four-cylinder Work Truck trim. As with any model year changeover where there’s been a heavy update or when a totally new vehicle arrives, expect the price to jump by at least a couple of thousand dollars.

Top graphic images: General Motors / USPTO