Who says GM doesn't build great vehicles?

That's the only conclusion possible after a weekend driving the hybrid Silverado pickup.

My first reaction upon seeing the truck in the driveway was, "Oh, no, it's a truck to drive this week!" (As you may gather, I am just not a truck guy). But then I noticed it was the hybrid version of the 1500 model, which aroused my curiosity as an engineer.

Climbing into the front of the crew cab, I found the front seat armrest/consol folds up to form a seatback, giving room for six! ("Very, practical," was the word from the wife.)

On the road there are even more pleasant surprises. Once the gasoline engine is warmed up, the hybrid system allows running around town (at speeds up to 30 mph) on only the electric drive motor. Cruising the Interstate, when there is no need for increased power, the engine control system deactivates four of the V8 engine's cylinders. A display in the center instrument cluster gives instantaneous mileage and whether the engine is in V8 or V4 mode. I found with setting the cruise control just above 70 mph, on flat stretches with V4 operation, mileage goes into the high 20s mpg with the air conditioning on. And at highway speeds, the cabin is surprisingly quiet—all the better to enjoy the satellite radio (check out Soul Town and Siriusly Sinatra).

Another technical goodie in the Silverado hybrid is an efficiency gauge—keep it centered when accelerating and cruising for the most fuel efficiency. It will also tell you if you're regeneratively braking when stopping (to charge the battery) or dipping into the disc brakes, turning energy into heat instead.

In only 80 miles of mixed driving, my overall mileage was 20 mpg. EPA numbers are 21 mpg (city)/22 (hwy). The hybrid Silverado has a 6.0 liter V8, providing a net 332 hp and 367 lb-ft of torque. Towing capacity is 6,100 lb, and payload is 1,459 lb. The four-wheel drive equipped version has an MSRP of $42,165. (It's not easy to directly compare the hybrid with other versions of the Silverado 1500 because they don't come with the 6.0 liter engine—and the site is not that user friendly as well.)

GM says the hybrid powertrain is geared for towing, because it is downsized from the company's hybrid bus technology, rather than being upgraded from a smaller automobile hybrid system. And there is an eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty on select hybrid components.

After a weekend in the hybrid Silverado, I'm yearning for a little John Mellencamp!