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Future GMC Medium Duty Truck
General Motors will launch Chevrolet conventional medium duty class 4 and class 5 trucks in the 2018 calendar year, likely as a 2019 model year vehicle. Whether a GMC variant will be available alongside the Chevy variant is currently unknown.
| Last redesigned model year: | 2003 (GMC TopKick) |
| Expected introduction model year: | unknown, possibly 2019 (first generation) |
| Expected name: | GMC Sierra 4500, GMC Sierra 4500 |
| Predecessor: | GMC TopKick |
| Expected platform: | unknown, co-developed with Navistar |
| Layout: | FR (front-engined, rear-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive) |
| Expected models: | regular cab and crew cab with various wheelbases and GVWRs |
| Segment: | Class 4, Class 5 |
| Gasoline engines: | none |
| Diesel engines: | GM Duramax Turbo-Diesel V-8 L5P |
| Transmission: | Automatic transmission by Allison Transmission |
| Production: | U.S. Navistar factory (possibly Garland, Texas plant) |
Following is speculative and unconfirmed information about the 2019 GMC Medium Duty Conventional Truck. This page is a continuous work-in-progress and will be updated on a regular basis as we await official details from General Motors.
If you notice any inaccuracies about the information provided, have recommendations, or suggestions to share, please let us know here.
Overview
In March 2017, General Motors announced that it plans to introduce a “flagship, medium duty truck” for the Chevrolet brand. The announcement confirmed that the upcoming Medium Duty truck will:
- Utilize a Duramax turbo-diesel engine and an Allison transmission
- Launch in calendar year 2018
- Be co-developed with Navistar, which markets the International Trucks brand
- Be unrelated to the Chevrolet Low Cab Forward medium duty trucks sourced from Isuzu
At the time, no name was assigned for the vehicle.
The announcement also confirmed that GM would supply commercial components and engines while Navistar would provide its “expertise in rolling chassis configurations and manufacturing capabilities”. Based on the statement, it would appear that the upcoming Chevrolet Medium Duty truck will use a GM-sourced powertrain and other components, while Navistar will be responsible for developing other parts of the vehicle as well as manufacturing it.
In September 2017, Chevrolet announced more information about the Medium Duty truck, including that the vehicle will:
- Actually consist of two vehicles
- Slot in the Class 4 and Class 5 medium duty segments and be called Silverado 4500 and Silverado 5500
- 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
- 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
Chevrolet also announced that all Silverado 4500 and 5500 models will be powered by a Duramax diesel engine and Allison transmission and that the trucks will “stand out because we’ve designed the trucks around how customers work.”
Naming
It is currently unknown whether GMC will receive a variant of the Chevrolet Medium Duty truck and, if it does, what name it will be assigned. However, we believe that the official name will be one of the following:
- GMC Topkick
- GMC Sierra HD 5500/6500
- GMC Sierra 5500/6500
Introduction Date & Model Year
General Motors has confirmed that the upcoming Chevrolet Medium Duty conventional truck will “launch in 2018”. It is currently unclear whether GMC will get a variant of the truck. If a GMC variant of the GM Medium Duty truck does come to market, then we expect it to be designated model year 2019 or 2020.
Body Styles
If a GMC Medium Duty truck does come to market, we expect it to be offered as a conventional-style truck with an engine/hood-forward design and be available in various cab configurations (such as single, double, and crew cabs) and wheelbase lengths. In addition, we also expect that the truck will offer a regular pickup truck bed as well as a Chassis Cab (CC) model for upfitment (see Uses section below).
Pricing
If a GMC Medium Duty truck does come to market, we expect it to have starting price in the $60,000 range for the work truck configuration and reach as much as $130,000 for the range-topping model.
Navistar Variant
Given that GM is co-developing its upcoming 2019 Medium Duty truck with Navistar, we expect that Navistar will also sell a version of the truck. The final variant for Navistar could become the next-generation International Trucks DuraStar.
Manufacturing
If a GMC Medium Duty truck does come to market, then it will be manufactured by Navistar in the United States of America. One of the more likely facilities to make the truck is Navistar’s Garland, Texas factory.
Uses
Conventional Medium Duty trucks serve as platforms for a wide variety of commercial applications, such as traditional pickup trucks, emergency services, towing, dump truck, flatbed truck and cargo box truck. Some medium duty trucks are commonly used as a platform for both school buses and commercial buses.
Discussion
Discuss the next GMC Medium Duty truck in our GMC forum.
News
Follow our coverage of:
More Information & Reporting
- Future GM Vehicles
- Future Chevy Vehicles
- Future GMC Vehicles
- Future GMC Trucks
- Future GMC Medium Duty Truck (this page)
- Future GMC TopKick
- Future GMC Trucks
