Chevrolet Reveals Stronger, More Powerful HD Pickups

Chevrolet gave us a quick look at their new HD pickup last month. Now, in the middle of a flurry of HD pickup launches including Ram, Ford, and GMC, Chevy has taken the curtain off of the whole truck. You want to tow? It'll tow more. You want a great big gas engine? They've got you. Want a 10-speed on your diesel? No problem.

Start under the hood, where the Silverado HD gets a new standard gas engine. 6.6L and direct injection, making 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. That puts the beefy V8 41 hp up on last year, and 84 lb-ft of torque ahead of the old 6.0. It's paired with a six-speed automatic. Towing capacity is up 18 percent for the gas engine.

It's the diesel that gets the glory in the HD truck, though. And Chevrolet has stuck with last year's engine. The 6.6L Duramax diesel, and having two 6.6L V8s with two fuels might get confusing.It makes 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque, or a rather nice looking 1234 Nm. It does get a gearbox upgrade,though, with a new 10-speed auto. Thanks to an upgraded 12.0-inch ring gear in the rear diff on 3500HD diesels, Chevrolet says it can deliver all 910 lb-ft in every gear. That puts max towing capacity up by 52 percent, to 16,102 kg. A factory PTO is also available.

4x4 trucks get a new Autotrac two-speed transfer case. It has a 4 Auto mode that lets the truck's computers pick and shift into four-wheel drive when conditions need it.



Like the 1500 truck, the Silverado HD gets GM's new Durabed that pushes the inner bed walls as far out as possible. It adds 242L of space to the standard box and 202 on the long bed. Standard box buyers will also likely appreciate that the usable length has grown 86 mm making it 2,089 mm long from tip to tail. Helping you reach all the stuff that gets put in there is a new step moulded into the fender ahead of the rear wheel. Chevrolet says it's designed to fit two steel-toed boots and loads up to 227 kg. When you're loading things the normal way, it has an available power up and down tailgate.

Chevrolet says that more than 90 percent of HD truck owners tow, which is why we're focusing on cargo and towing features. Like up to 15 camera views including surround view, bed view, and the ability to see through the trailer using an accessory camera that mounts to the rear of the trailer.

Like the non-HD trucks, the Silverado HD gets a VIN-specific trailering info label that gives info like GVWR, max payload and max tongue weight for each individual truck. GM's trailering app lets the operator run a walk-around light check and monitor tire pressures even on the trailer. It can also store brake gain settings for multiple trailers.

If you've been working the truck hard, a new after-run feature on the diesel can keep the engine running up to 15 minutes after you shut the truck down. That lets it cool off if temperatures are too high. The truck will alert you that it needs to stay running and if you turn it off anyway, remote start will turn it back on to cool off.

Other HD features include a block heater moved to the driver's side front bumper. So no cord hanging out of the grille. The front air dam and skid plate are designed for easy removal to help fit a snow plow.

The HD models get a larger cabin with up to 76mm more rear legroom, a higher seating position, and available head-up display. There will be five trim levels, WT, Custom, LT, LTZ, and High Country, with 22 possible cab, bed, chassis, and driveline combos.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD goes on sale this summer with pricing closer to the on-sale date.



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