Manoli Katakis 
Pickup trucks are some of the most personalized vehicles on the road today, along with muscle cars. With that in mind, it makes sense that just about every square inch of available floor space in the Las Vegas convention center is occupied by some kind of pickup truck or a varying muscle car during the SEMA Show. It also makes sense that Chevrolet Performance would focus its accessory offerings towards vehicles like the Corvette, Camaro, Silverado and Colorado. One could easily get dizzy with the sheer amount of dealer-installed, warranty-backed add-ons available in the Chevy Performance Catalog, from roadside safety kits, to fuel caps, to exhaust kits. Of which, we recently sampled a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST with a 6.2L L87 V8, and a cat-back exhaust kit.
The Chevrolet Performance cat-back exhaust system is a bolt-on performance accessory, increasing exhaust exit flow, engine noise, and features a different exit tip design. The rounded, quad-tip aesthetic is notably different from the rectangular dual-exit system found on standard 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup trucks. We personally prefer the square look, but everybody perceives design a little differently, and the rounded quad tips of the unit may be more of the style some customers are looking for.
You may notice the “Borla” branding on the exhaust tips in the photos. And while Chevy does offer a Borla branded system, this one is completely different and bespoke to Chevrolet Performance. You can’t get this specific cat-back exhaust system for the Chevrolet Silverado anywhere else.
Of course the fitment, quality and looks of the exhaust kit would be for nothing if it didn’t bring the noise. Thankfully, all it takes is one simple cold start to know that the cat-back exhaust kit offered by Chevrolet Performance Accessories for the 2020 Silverado means business. That signature small block roar which Camaro and Corvette customers are very accustomed to. Below is a video demonstrating exactly what we mean:
This top-of-the-line cat-back Chevrolet Performance exhaust kit for the 2020 Silverado can also be paired with a cold air intake, which stickers at $625 USD, for maximum airflow. Together, the Chevrolet Performance cold air intake and cat-back exhaust kit add another 15 horsepower and 9 foot-pounds of torque to the 6.2L L87 V8, totaling 435 hp and 469 lb-ft of power.
At speed, this 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST hadn’t the slightest of drones. In fact, it might as well have been OEM quality. Which makes sense, considering the standards an accessory must meet for Chevrolet Performance to approve of them. Each part goes through the high-standard gauntlet of testing as OEM components.
As the Borla bellows behind the back end of the big bakkie, the cabin maintained a modern manifestation of muted music. In other words, onlookers will hear that piped-out V8 coming and going much clearer than you will from the cabin. Probably because there’s no fake exhaust notes being pumped through the speakers, and we can appreciate that. Run with the windows down if you really want to hear this thing yell at the top of its lungs with clarity.
We’d go as far as to say that this rumble pack should come with the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST out of the box. But for $1,645 USD, it’s a perfectly accessible option to be added on by the local Chevrolet dealer.
Hey I missed or didn’t see any mention of how the exhaust improved over stock. Was the diameter increased providing more flow? Or just a muffler resonator change? I mean something had to change right? Why not mention it in the article?