It would appear that Chevy’s upcoming 2019 Silverado Medium Duty Trucks – comprised of the Silverado 4500HD and Silverado 5500HD – will feature a full tilt front end.
Closely examining the most recent spy shots published by GM Authority, we can clearly see a rubber hold-down at the halfway point of the front fender, suggesting that the truck’s hood, grille and part of the front fenders will tilt forward as a single piece for optimized engine access.
The feature will be a class exclusive, given that the offerings from Ford and Ram don’t offer the feature on their F-450/4500 and F-550/5500 trucks.
Notably, the Chevrolet Kodiak, which is the spiritual predecessor to the upcoming Silverado 4500HD and 5500HD, also had a front-tilting front end that was accessed via a clamp positioned horizontally on each front fender.
About The 2019 Silverado 4500HD and 5500HD
Chevrolet first announced plans to introduce a “flagship” conventional medium duty truck in March 2017. In the announcement, the brand stated that the upcoming Medium Duty truck will not be related to the Chevrolet Low Cab Forward medium duty trucks sourced from Isuzu. Instead, they will be co-developed with Navistar, powered by a Duramax turbo-diesel engine mated to an Allison transmission, and go on sale in calendar year 2018.
Chevy did not provide a name for the vehicle at the time of the announcement but did explain that GM would supply commercial components and engines while Navistar would provide its “expertise in rolling chassis configurations and manufacturing capabilities”.
In September 2017, Chevy made a second announcements regarding the upcoming GM Medium Duty Truck. It clarified that its Medium Duty truck plans will entail bringing two trucks to market: one in Class 4 medium duty segment called Silverado 4500 and the other in Class 5 medium duty segment called Silverado 5500. The Bow tie brand also stated that the vehicles will:
- Be “powerful, highly maneuverable, and among the easiest trucks on the market to up-fit 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
- 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 has] designed the trucks around how customers work”
In the months that followed, the automaker clarified that the name for the vehicles will actually be Silverado 4500HD for the Class 4 truck and Silverado 5500HD for the Class 5 truck. In January 2018, Chevy released a teaser image (above) of the truck showing its front end, which GM Authority optimized (below) for greater detail. Chevy also announced that the truck will be unveiled on at the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 6th.
The 2019 Silverado 4500 and 5500 medium duty trucks will team up with the all-new 2019 Silverado 1500 to make a banner year for the Silverado family. Meanwhile, GM’s GMC brand has yet to confirm or deny plans for a GMC version of the GM Medium Dutys, though we wouldn’t hold our breath on Big Red getting a variant for itself.
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Comments
Holly grab handles!!!! I also see rearward lights in the mirrors. The tilt hood will be a big selling point for this truck as it will provide superior engine access and save a lot of time in maintenance and repair. Ford…cough … cab removal.. cough.. cough.
What was the big giveaway the large latches on the side of the one piece hood?
Tongue in cheek sarcasm aside, pointing out this feature is important to note as we approach the trucks’ official unveiling next week, especially given its competitive advatange.
I was kidding but it was not really a surprise.
GM and Navistar have had a long history of using them. Also today key to remove weight.
The only real issue is durability. I used to do a lot of fleet service work when I was in school on medium duty trucks. I loved the tilt nose to work on but they would get beat up In use.
So there is a trade off on advantages. As long as the consumer can deal with the possibility of damage the rest is all positive for GM going this way.p
It looks like there is a double hinge just above the center of the front bumper. Look right above the front license plate.
Kind of says something about what GM has become, at one time GM built trucks as big as class 7 & 8 sold both under Chevrolet and GMC. They also built heavy equipment under Euclid and locomotives under Electromotive. Now GM can not even build a small medium duty truck without the help of Navistar. Even the Duramax Diesel GM deeded Isuzu’s help. Ford was able to figure out how to build their own diesel engine and build a medium duty truck on their own.
Pretty sad for GM engineering
Actually it is telling of the market.
Navistar has been on the verge of folding as the can no longer fo it on their own due to high development cost and cheaper products from a China.
Fords engine was done with help from Navistar for years. Even then they had meant head stud issues.
Don it is far as simplistic as you make it anymore.
Many truck companies are partnerships or mergers with one or more mfg. many tractors and construction machines are imported.
Ford is going down hill fast when you buy a Ford truck you need to go out get baler twine just to keep the doors from flying open while you drive..
Alex, did the reveal occur today as mentioned in the original posting?