The new heavy-duty king of Chevrolet trucks now wears the crown of towing champ among crosstown rivals.
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD pickups reported for duty Tuesday in Flint, Michigan. The big Chevy's reveal followed Ram and GMC's unveiling of their new heavy-duty trucks earlier this year and Ford's redesigned Super Duty, which was also unveiled Tuesday.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
It hauls
More than two months after Chevy released the first images of its latest heavy-duty pickup, the automaker detailed its new workhorse, complete with a 35,500-pound max tow rating.
That instantly takes the crown from the upcoming 2019 Ram Heavy Duty and makes the 2020 Silverado Heavy Duty the new king of towing with the ability to tow up to 400 pounds more while having 90 pound-feet less torque.
The available 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 engine with its 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque provide the grunt to tug all that weight, and Chevy said its new Allison-built 10-speed automatic transmission should help for long hauls.
A new, standard gas-powered 6.6-liter V-8 engine with 401 hp and 464 lb-ft is hooked to a 6-speed automatic transmission and can tow more than 16,000 pounds and haul more than 7,400 pounds in the bed, when properly equipped.
To handle the massive loads, the driveline features larger front and rear axles, tougher ring gear, and beefier prop shafts that are 30-percent larger, compared to the 2019 trucks.
Regardless of what's under the hood, rear-wheel drive is standard and four-wheel drive is available. (Yes, 910 lb-ft and rear-wheel drive is an option, though only one set of rear tires comes on the truck.)
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
Big and brash
Everything on the 2020 Silverado HD is massive.
The lineup makes a visual statement with its stacked headlights. Five trim levels will be offered including Work Truck, Custom, LT, LTZ, and High Country. Each features its own front end look ranging from a plain black grille with "CHEVROLET" stamped across it to a massive chrome grille with vertical slats. The High Country goes high-class with two-tone metallic trim on the grille.
For those who desire an even taller front end can opt for active aero shutters that add a taller hood. Ticking the box for the turbodiesel also adds a larger hood scoop for better cooling.
Inside, the massive cab looks like the light-duty Silverado's twin and four-door trucks offer more space, compared to the outgoing truck. Regular, Double Cab, and Crew Cab models with standard (6-foot-9) and long (8-foot) cargo boxes will be offered.
Cargo boxes are no longer shared with light-duty Silverados, and the usable width of the standard box has been increased by 6.7 inches, according to Chevrolet. The standard box length is now 3 inches longer than before, while the long box can hold 83.5 cubic feet of cargo, which is 7 cubic feet more than last year.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
All the features
The 2020 Silverado Heavy Duty aims to make towing a breeze with up to 15 different available camera views.
A transparent view can make a trailer virtually disappear, though it requires an accessory camera to be mounted on the rear of the trailer. Other features such as a trailering app lets owners check lights and connections alone and outside the truck.
The bed features 12 tie-down rings and a 120-volt power outlet is available to power tools. All beds feature steps just ahead of the rear wheel opening to complement the bumper-mounted corner steps while an available power tailgate can be raised or lowered via the key fob, interior button, or touchpad.
Chevrolet hasn't said how much the 2020 Silverado Heavy Duty will cost when it goes on sale this summer.
