Feast your eyes on the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty Trucks – the 2019 Silverado 4500HD, Silverado 5500HD, and Silverado 6500HD. Unveiled today at the NTEA The Work Truck Show, the three commercial trucks slot in the chassis cab Class 4, 5, and 6 medium duty conventional cab segments, respectively and represent GVWRs (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings) from 15,000 for the Class 4 truck and 22,900 pounds for the Class 6 truck.
The new Silverado Medium Duty line slots above the Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD which, despite having Heavy Duty in their name, slot in the light duty category GVWR and associated capability. Notably, the Silverado Medium Duty also serve as the spiritual successor to the Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick that were discontinued in 2009. Since then, Chevrolet hasn’t offered a medium-duty chassis cab truck.
Chevrolet says that the new Silverado Medium Duty trucks are supremely capable, while also being the most customer-focused trucks of any major competitor.
“Chevy’s designers and engineers were obsessed with making this Silverado the most customer-focused medium duty truck of any major competitor,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet. “By customer-focused, I mean work-ready trucks that are easy to upfit, easy to drive, easy to service and easy to own.”
Customer-Focused Development
The three Silverado Medium Duty trucks will be available exclusively as chassis cab models – meaning that they will ship without a bed, thereby being ready for up-fitters to customize as per customers’ requirements. Chevrolet says that the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty trucks were developed with input from fleet managers, truck drivers, upfitters, technicians, and Chevrolet dealers.
“It’s not just numbers on a spec sheet that make us different and better,” said John Schwegman, director of Commercial Product and Medium Duty at GM Fleet. “These new Silverados are designed to solve the most common upfit and ownership challenges fleets have with many of today’s medium duty trucks.”
For instance, in order to reduce cost and complexity of upfits – such as frames that rust as well as rivets, brackets and fluid lines that interfere with body mounting, the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty feature a factory-painted frame with one-piece frame rails as well as smooth, unobstructed top sections and through-the-frame fuel fill lines. To accommodate longer cargo boxes without extensions and reinforcements, the Silverado Medium Duty will be available in seven cab-to-axle (CA) options ranging from 60 to 162 inches in length, as well as five unique axle-to-back-of-frame (AF) lengths in 8-inch increments.
In order to remove service obstacles that force technicians to use ladders or remove vehicle components to access under-hood components for maintenance and repair, the 2019 Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD uses a lightweight, front-hinged “clamshell” hood that, when combined with a 50-degree wheel cut, allows easy “walk up” access to under-hood components. To address the common dissatisfier of conventional medium duty trucks in that they are difficult to drive, with a poor downward perspective for the driver as well as poor low-speed maneuverability due to narrow wheel cuts, and wide turning radiuses, the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty trucks feature 50-degree wheel cuts and a precisely-crafted and contoured hood that optimizes the driver’s perspective of the road.
Noise, vibration and harshness issues are also common in this segment. So much so that many owners and operators resort to retrofitting aftermarket air suspensions to improve the ride, while having to live with loud and uncomfortable cabins. The new Silverado Medium Duty addresses this with an available, factory-installed rear air suspension that’s not offered by Ford and Ram. What’s more, the Silverado Medium Duty also offers triple-sealed, inset doors to help reduce wind and road noise while using huck bolts throughout the frame for superior clamping force.
Lastly, many Medium Duty suffer from poor diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank placement, which can lead to refueling errors. In the 2019 Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD, the DEF tank is located on the passenger side of the truck, which is the opposite side of the fuel fill. The placement seeks to minimize putting diesel fuel in the DEF tank, and vice-versa.
Chevrolet developed the Silverado Medium Duty in conjunction with Navistar, which will sell its own version of this truck under the International Trucks brand.
Powertrain
The 2019 Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD will be powered by a 6.6L Duramax diesel engine making 350 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque mated to a choice of Allison transmissions with a Power Take Off (PTO option). We have confirmed with Chevy that the Duramax engine is a variant of the Duramax L5P called L5D.
The trucks will be available in 2WD and 4WD drivetrains.
“When you consider all of the flexibility, capability and durability we have engineered into the Silverado, along with the proven power of Allison transmissions and the Duramax diesel engine, we have a medium duty truck line that will appeal to both Chevrolet loyalists and competitive owners alike,” said Schwegman.
Technology
Chevrolet has labeled the 2019 Silverado Medium Duty as “the most-connected Medium Duty Truck”. That’s for good measure, since the trucks will be the most connected commercial truck available – thanks to options that include OnStar and Commercial Link, a built-in OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot (which requires a paid data plan), as well as wireless cellphone charging and Bluetooth.
The trucks also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Production & Ordering
Production of the new 2019 Silverado Medium Duty trucks begin in late 2018 and order guides will be available this spring. Pricing will be announced in the summer of 2018.
GM Authority has confirmed with Chevrolet that the vehicles will be produced by Navistar at its plant in Springfield, Ohio.
Dealer Sales
GM expects that over 400 commercially-focused Chevrolet dealers will carry the new 2019 Silverado Medium Duty line.
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Comments
Great design. The one-piece frame will have upfitters loving this truck. Nothing more frustrating than having to modify things on the frames to allow for boxes, etc. Having a clean and level top of frame is great. The Dmax provides great power for this class of truck. But not having a gas option will cost them some sales as many power/communication companies prefer gas engines since they end up running them on site all day to run mounted equipment, which is not that great for diesels. The 6.0L gas just wouldn’t work as it wouldn’t be enough for this class of GVWR. But I’m sure they will be watching and perhaps work a deal with Navistar on using their industrial gas engine. Using the current generation cab is a great idea since it will still be modern for a medium duty truck and not being the next gen (2019) new cab won’t create availability issues and limitations with the LD trucks. Overall, good job.
Yup, good observations. I have a feeling we’ll see something to address the unavailability of the gasoline engine sooner rather than later… which might coincide with the launch of the next-gen 2500HD and 3500HD to replace the archaic L96/LC8 motor.
I’m guessing a 8 or 10 speed auto for the medium duty 6.0 gas, though I much rather see the 8100 Allison combo brought back!
When exactly can we expect a new 25/3500? Will Chevy still sell the current model alongside the new model like they are doing with the 1500? I sure hope so.
12-18 months after the launch of the 2019 Silverado 1500. Not sure if they will keep the current K2 HD trucks in production alongside the next-gen T1 HD trucks. Will have to see about that.
I’m impressed with the design. This should be popular.
Meet your next U-Haul box truck!
This is a bit too extreme for the U-Haul box truck application. Those will stay with the Chevy Express/GMC Savana, Ford Transit, and Ram ProMaster.
I’m sure that was one of the markets that GM is aiming for with a max GVW of 22900 lbs. This truck would be perfect for the home mover with a 16′ to 20′ foot box that is lower to the ground than the traditional heavy medium duty truck.
That could very well be. But I doubt these will be sold to the rental/moving firms in as high volumes as the Savana and Express cutaways.
You know those aren’t the biggest vans they rent, the biggest ones are based on something like this.
You know the biggest vans available, beyond Savannas, are based on trucks like these. Do some research.
Oh please.
Spare me the suggestion to do “some research” (I live this industry every day of my life both personally and professionally). Instead, why don’t you do some reading? Or rather, re-reading of my comments.
At no point did I say that the Savana/Express are the biggest vans rented by rental moving fleets. What I did say was that box trucks based on full-size vans are far and away the most popular in those fleets… significantly more popular than anything larger than box trucks based on full-size vans. Let me break that down for you, and spare you the research.
The new Silverado Medium Duty might end up in the fleets of rental equipment movers like Uhaul… but they will be few and far between. What’s more, rental moving firms like uHaul are shying away from filling their fleets with diesel-powered vehicles due to customers fueling them with gasoline… and the obvious issues associated with that.
I suggest reading carefully before telling someone that they don’t know what they’re talking about.
Spare me your arrogance
Per your original post
“This is a bit too extreme for the U-Haul box truck application. Those will stay with the Chevy Express/GMC Savana, Ford Transit, and Ram ProMaster.”
Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/03/2019-silverado-medium-duty-trucks-revealed/#ixzz596SDrDSt
Your own comment reads that this is “too extreme”(whatever the hell that means) for Uhaul, as if they wouldn’t buy any, because its “too extreme”, again, whatever the hell that means.
Oooo, you’re in “the industry” whoopee, have a cookie……..and policing post here an acting like a know it all is the best you can manage, I’d be embarrassed to admit that……..
Your comment suggesting that I “do some research” was what kicked off the arrogance in the first place. But as soon as I replied to it with an equal amount of arrogance, you tried to paint my reply as “arrogant”. Seems like you can’t take the heat… so perhaps you should stay out of the kitchen… or not be arrogant in the first place.
Had your omitted your unnecessary comment about “doing research”, we would have been having a perfectly decent conversation, wouldn’t you say?
As it relates to my earlier comment you quoted: you’re reading it way too literally. Relax for a second and use that thing between your ears for what it’s meant to do.
Currently, the rental moving vehicle fleets are mostly made up of box trucks based on full-size vans from the big three. Anything with significantly greater GVWR than those models is bought in extremely lesser volumes. That’s a fact supported by actual channel and commercial sales numbers, whether you like the wording of my comment or not.
As for this…
“Oooo, you’re in “the industry” whoopee, have a cookie……..and policing post here an acting like a know it all is the best you can manage, I’d be embarrassed to admit that….”
Being in the industry is way too vague to describe my experience, so may I suggest heading on over to the about page of this very website and having a look at my bio. I’ll provide the link below for your convenience. I’ll leave it at that 🙂
http://gmauthority.com/blog/about/
I’m taking it too literally, the guy who is going all “uh actually….” and bragging about “industry experience” in a reply to 6 word post about UHaul trucks……
In a post that was mostly intended to be mostly humor in the first place…….
So according to you, presenting the facts about one’s career (in light of a pompous comment) is the equivalent of “bragging”.
I’ll try to wrap my mind around that, somehow. Will get back to you when I do.
Don’t hurt yourself, know your limits……
Will do my best. Thanks for caring 🙂
PS: it’s really too bad you felt the need to take what was supposedly meant to be “mostly humor” and drag it through the dirt.
Its too bad your pedantry had to ruin it as well…..
I thought U-Hauls always had gassers because they don’t trust people to put the right fuel in them.
I’ve rented at least one diesel Ford UHaul E350 before, but they seem to be 90% or more gas.
Looks like they did a great job with the new medium duty trucks. A few things that I think should be different, def tank should be on the same side as fuel fill(driver side). Many places with diesel fuel are adding pumps for def and the hose will not reach opposite side of the truck and carrying jugs is just a hassle. GVW’s should go to 30K, the market is there for GM. Too bad they can’t bring back the big block 8100, this engine would be great for this application.
Thank you Mr. Reese. It was exactly what I was thinking DEF Tank on the wrong side. Fill up the diesel. pull away from the pump turn around around and go back to fill the DEF tank.
Epic fail. Also no power shut off? Replacing the batteries should be fun in that tight location
Thanks, I’m trying to make sense of the thumbs down on my comment. If you work your diesel pickup, your going to use DEF. I have a driveway full of GM vehicles, but putting DEF fill under the hood or opposite side of the fuel fill is just wrong! It should be convenient to fill the fuel tank and DEF tank at the same time. Gas stations that are adding DEF pumps are going to have them with the diesel fuel pumps, so both fills should be on the same side.
Disclaimer, I do not own a newer GM diesel truck but I do currently have a 6.5 and a 8100 Allison combo
I have zero problems with DEF tank on the opposite side of fuel tank. The DEF tank gets filled once every 3 months or so. You fill the fuel tank once a week some times twice.
Your making a big deal out of this. It takes 5 extra mins to walk around the truck to service the DEF tank.
I am convinced that people are not happy unless they have something to complain about.
It’s a very nice truck!
Well I drive for a living and yes I’m in a heavier truck class and I use about 10 gallons of def a week because I work the truck. I also know someone who can go once a month on a fill, I’m just talking about what’s easier. Ford puts both fills in one place, do you really think under hood or opposite side is better or more convenient? I once owned a 85 K1500 with saddle tanks and I would fuel late at night to straddle fuel islands to fill from two pumps. I wii tell you I really appreciated when GM went to one 34 gallon tank.
It wasn’t moved out of convienience, it was moved because of fleet operators having issues with people putting def in the diesel tanks. The diesel nozzle won’t fit in the def tank, but the def nozzle does in the diesel. I know guys with some of the construction companies around here who have made that mistake, and it’s a real pain in the rear when it happens.
This is the definition of white people problems! You know those problems people say they have but in reality it’s not a problem that they can’t deal with.
I have to take 5 extra mins to service my truck! Is that really a innconveince to complain about?
This is why companies have such a hard time building cars and trucks, nobody will ever be happy with the product you develop. There will always be somebody who doesn’t like something and those people are the ones that scream the loudest at the mags, ratings organisations, that give their awards at the end of the year.
Where the DEF tank is located has zero to do with the capability of this truck!
5 extra mins!
Very good job educating me son, now I know the definition of a white person problem!
They did that because both Kodiak and Terrastsr customers asked for it to be on the opposite side. Apparently they are worried that end users would accidentally fill up the DEF tank with diesel.
The nozzles for each pump are different sizes much like it used to be with regular and unleaded pumps years ago. Kind of hard to screw up, though I guess it could be done.
6500HD?
6500HD good to 22900lbs
Where is the 22,900 lbs figure coming from?
GM announcement on truckinginfo.com
“We see a great opportunity for us with this truck,” Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet, told Work Truck. “In the six years I’ve been with General Motors Fleet, this is the single biggest launch we’ve had happen in our space. This has been a hole in our commercial portfolio, and we are excited to re-enter the market moving all the way up to Class 6.”
The trucks will now represent GVWs from 15,000 pounds in Class 4 to 22,900 pounds in Class 6. Chevrolet hasn’t offered a medium-duty chassis cab truck since 2009.
So gonna have multiple Allison transmissions to choose from?
I love it. A full size Chevy truck with a properly Painted frame and you can even get a SFA. I never thought I’d live to see the day they finally got their act together. Now if they’d just do this for their other full size trucks too.
Being a GMC truck dealer since 1938 I am very sad that GMC is not getting a version.
Don’t seem right does it? I guess the people calling the shots have know idea what GMC once was. Nothing like those old V6 Jimmies that could pull a house down and still run forever. I’d like to get my hands on 69 GMC pickup with a 305 V6.
I am so glad GM is back in the big truck market. I wish the automotive would just add up all trucks built by a manufacture.
All of GM trucks should be put into one catagory to see who is really the truck leader.
Odd you should mention that. General Motors has been the world’s largest truck maker for at least a few years now. That’s General Motors – not Chevrolet.
It’s actually amazing how big Ford Motor Co. and General Motors are in the truck market. No one else even comes close.
I wonder what’s the payload with thev4500hd, and I
Think that gwvr should be 26000 with 6500hd.
15000 lb gvw for the 4500
Thats Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, I wonder whats the payload.
How can a 1 ton truck tow 30,000 but a truck this big is rated at 26,000?
Difference between GVWR and GCWR. GVWR does not include towing capacity. GCWR does.
Brian, because 3500 series chassis are greatly exaggerated in their capabilities. The 4500 series with 20k behind it feels far more stable than a 3500 dually. It’s another example of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
I read somewhere that GM was cutting the power back a little for longevity in the heavier medium duty truck.
It’s cut back to meet emissions. HD vehicles use a different EPA test cycle that runs longer at peak power.
That’s probably a cycle that 3/4 and 1 ton trucks should also use.
Either way, Chevrolet has more standard horsepower and torque than Ford’s F650 does, even though the two are not direct competitors given the GVR of the Ford is higher.
Ford and Chevrolet now compete on every level of trucks except small/mid sized and Class 7. And I suspect within a few years, they will both have entries in those segments too.
The 350 horsepower, 700 lb ft output of the Duramax diesel in the Silverado 4500, 5500, and 6500 in line with the output of the 6.7L Diesel F550, which I believe produces around 330 horsepower/750 lb ft. It’s significantly more powerful than the Hino 238’s standard diesel output of about 230 horsepower/520 lb ft.
There are some key differences between the F550 and this Silverado 5500HD – particularly in the straight frame and combinations of wheel bases. I think the advantage is with the Silverado unless you have a height restriction over the cab like some wreckers and bucket trucks have. Looking forward to seeing those dimensions, because the straight frame appears to make the Chevrolet truck a few inches taller than the pickup-based F550, but shorter than the Freightliner M2 and Hino 238.
Chevrolet Trucks and Navistar appears to have built something that could have very wide appeal in this segment. It’s a straight frame with a lot of different wheel bases, but it also isn’t using a very tall cab either. I think the Chevrolet offers some competitive advantages on paper should have broad appeal in that segment. Maybe they can really challenge Freightliner, Ford, and Hino in this segment after a couple of years.
I bet Navistar is very pleased to gain access to the 6.6L OTR Duramax to replace their problematic Maxforce lineup (or whatever they call that motor now).
This truck will be popular and chip away sales from Freightliner, Ford, Hino, and Ram.
Now I’d like to see Chevrolet work on an Express redesign. It’s long past due.