Silverado 4500HD and Silverado 5500HD: those will be the official names of the upcoming Chevrolet Medium Duty trucks that GM is currently co-developing with Navistar, GM Authority confirmed with Chevrolet this week.
By contrast, an official Chevrolet announcement in September 2017 pegged the names of the vehicles as Silverado 4500 and Silverado 5500, without the HD moniker.
Here’s what we know so far about the upcoming Class 4 and Class 5 conventional trucks. Specifically, they will:
- Utilize a Duramax turbo-diesel engine
- Utilize an Allison transmission
- Launch in calendar year 2018
- Be co-developed with Navistar, which operates the International Trucks brand
- Not be related to the Chevrolet Low Cab Forward medium duty trucks sourced from Isuzu
- Be “powerful, highly maneuverable, and among the easiest trucks on the market to upfit with specialized bodies, such as dump bodies, rollbacks, freight boxes and more”
- Be available in Regular Cab and Crew Cab models with 4×2 and 4×4 capability
- Be available in a wide range of GVWRs and wheelbases
- Have a solid front axle
- Offer optional OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity that is being embraced by fleet management companies to help improve safety and productivity thanks to tools like OnStar Commercial Link
- “Stand out because [Chevrolet] designed the trucks around how customers work”
- Feature a design similar to the 2014-2015 Silverado 1500
- Be revealed at the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty at the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 6th
“The Silverado 4500HD/5500HD trucks are the flagship of our full-line commercial truck portfolio and we’ve designed them to be among the best in the industry in maneuverability, serviceability, visibility, quietness and comfort, diesel fuel economy and more”, says Ed Peper, Vice President of GM’s U.S. fleet department. “At GM Fleet, we are determined to deliver on our three pillars: Great Products, Innovative Business Solutions and an Exceptional Customer Experience, and I’m confident that with these new trucks, we’ll exceed the expectations of not only our fleet customers, but the drivers and upfitters as well.”
Comments
Great. It looks like they will have technology and stuff.
One can only hope 🙂
Is it normal for GM to co develop trucks aside from the global Isuzu deal?
I wonder how an electric Cadilliac co developed with Lucid Air would do given the beautiful design/bourse power?
It’s not normal, but due to GM’s extremely aggressive investments into autonomous vehicle technology and electric cars (neither of which is a profit center but rather huge money pits), it can no longer afford to do some vehicle programs on its own. Hence these “partnerships”.
Seems this is dangerous move to ignore your current business while you are struggling to maintain your market share with refreshed products. New technology offers rewards but there is risk. Has the Volt or Bolt put big cash rewards in the GM cash drawer?