Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty – Chevrolet have upgraded their Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty dual cab pickup truck.
Pickups from America are converted into right hand drive and are a size above the traditional ute. In the Australian market they are categorised as pickups above $100,000.
Our more traditional utes outsell Pickups by a ratio of 20 to 1 but the Pickup numbers are increasing and for 2023 it was the larger versions of these very large utes that showed the most percentage growth.
The Silverado 2500 HD comes with a muscular powertrain and a wide range of operational features especially if you are going to haul a trailer. As Shawn Norwood, the lead engineer from Detroit for the Silverado Line, who came to Australia for the launch said, “These vehicles are for people who are towing the thing they love the most be it a caravan, boat, horse float or race car”.
Silverado 2500 Exterior
The upgrade model has a new front fascia and grille design. The image is clear with a very tall, square front in the style of a modern truck. It is not good for seeing pedestrians, especially if they’re small such as children, which emphasises that these vehicles have limitations for operating in an urban area.
The external dimensions are:
- Overall Length: 6387 mm
- Wheel Base: 4036
- Body Width: 2263 mm
- Height: 2039 mm
- Front Wheel Track: 1731 mm
A big truck has good carrying capacity, but with the sides getting taller and taller it can be hard to access the cargo area. Shawn, who loves using these vehicles for practical purposes, admits that things in the back of the tray always seem to roll forward to the becoming hard to get to without climbing over the rear tailgate.
To overcome this the Silverado has a small winglet on the outside of each side of the vehicle at the front of the tray and just behind the cabin. They are made to stand on and reach into the back cargo area.
The Durabed cargo area has 12 standard tie downs and LED cargo area lighting.
Silverado 2500 Interior
The interior has clear attention to comfort and space.
With a new design there is now jet-black leather appointments; a Bose premium sound system; power sunroof; and a power rear window out onto the tray.
There are two very large information screens. Directly in front of the driver is a 12.3-inch screen while there is a 13.4-inch infotainment touch screen in the centre.
In both cases they’re not overpopulated with information nor are they overcomplicated. The Silverado uses the centre infotainment screen very affectively. Not only for the traditional controls but for images and information to do with towing.
There is also a head up display which is clear and you can vary the information on it. The clever feature is to include the time gap to the vehicle ahead of you (up to three seconds). This is an excellent feature. Keeping the right distance behind the vehicle is best measured by time rather than guessing the physical distance. The time factor is also directly related to the speed.
The internal dimensions for the front passengers are:
- Front Head Room: 1093mm
- Front Leg Room: 1131mm
- Front Shoulder Room: 1677mm
Space for second row passengers is certainly much better than traditional utes that typically have a very upright back of the seat.
Silverado 2500 Powertrain
If you think a Pickup is large you should see the size of the engine!
The Silverado has a 6.6 litre turbocharged V8 diesel engine with 350 kilowatts of power and a massive 1322 Newton metres of torque. It has a four-wheel drive, on demand system, a two-speed transfer case, driving through a 10 speed automatic gearbox.
There is a switch to enhance engine braking although without a trailer the difference did not appear to be all that significant.
Australian rules limit the towing capacity to a 4.5 tonne but in America the limit is over 8 tonnes. So the Silverado is well within its capability in our market, making it easy to drive and you won’t become a slow roadblock for the vehicles behind you.
Towing Aids
Chevrolet has made a big effort to provide aids for towing. It gives you a strong feeling of ease and security.
There’s a revised the final drive ratio to enhance low-end performance by as much as 25%.
Part of the camera options include a view of your hitching area so you can accurately match the tow ball with the trailer arm.
You can set up a range of parameters for the regular trailers you tow, and save those, to call up when necessary.
There is a trailer tyre pressure/temperature monitoring system. And a pre departure checklist that you can call up on your infotainment screen.
There is also a trailer lighting diagnostic tool which goes through a sequence of all the lights. Brakes, indicators and parking lights, on your trailer so that you can get out and check if they’re working, even when you’re on your own.
The adaptive cruise control function can now be used while towing.
You can option up to get 14 different camera angles showing not only the sides of the vehicle and trailer, but also your cargo such as a horse in a float, and the view of traffic behind.
A few missing features
There are a couple of items that are missing.
The vehicle doesn’t come with its own satellite navigation system, and it does not have lane keep assist. If you are going to travel long distances and perhaps into areas that are not covered by mobile phones, these two items would be particularly helpful.
Driving impressions
The initial feeling of climbing into this big vehicle and getting use to the driving, is one of being very aware of its large size. However, after driving for some time on the open highway. You’re feelings are soon dominated by ones of comfort and security, particularly with the driver aids.
We drove the vehicle on some graded dirt roads and there is no doubt it was very competent in this situation. We asked Shawn Norwood how much of a rugged off-road vehicle it has been designed to be.
He noted the inclusion of an automatic locking rear differential and the Z71 off road suspension with twin tube shock absorbers. The departure angles are 28.5° front and 23.6° rear and the ground clearance is 251 millimetres. But Shawn admits that it is not intended for the most extreme off-roading situations. Which in reality is a very limited market. Most people think rough off-roading is going down a well graded dirt road.
The important point is that even if you are going to a rural location that is off the bitumen. To maximise your enjoyment it is important to arrive without being too stressed and tired. For camping and family holidaying then, this is a vehicle that copes particularly well.
Fuel economy
Such a large vehicle with such good power will have a high fuel consumption rate. Chevrolet tell us that the vehicle has not been rated yet and one wonders if they would rush to promote the official figure.
With a mixture of general driving and towing, we saw a figure of over 22 litres per 100 kilometres. And there had been reports from overseas of higher figures when towing all the time.
The vehicle has 136 litre fuel tank which at $2.00 a litre means $272 to fill. And if the price reaches $2.20, as it has recently, then that’s just a smidgen under $300.
Conclusions
The Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty is undoubtedly a vehicle that provides a big image. It might well be owned by tradespeople who want to make a statement about their seniority or the success of their business.
But Chevrolet hasn’t as yet gone into giving the giving their vehicles hyper macho names. Like Pro 4X, Rouge or Raptor as is the case with some more traditional Utes.
So it carves a niche in the market as a large, comfortable, and competent four-wheel drive utility. That would make touring a comfortable experience, if you can afford to buy and operate one of these vehicles.
The 2500 Silverado heavy duty has a list price of $163,000 plus on road costs.
Alternatives
Other vehicles to look at:
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty LTZ Fact Sheet
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LTZ Premium feature highlights
- More Power and Torque
- 6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8 engine with 350 kW horsepower and 1,322 Nm torque paired to a
- 10-speed automatic transmission
- Enhanced Safety and Towing Technology
- Adaptive Cruise Control, available when using a trailer
- Technology Pack including
- Rear Camera Mirror,
- Multi-colour Head-Up Display and
- 360-degree HD camera with up to 14 available unique camera views
- Redesigned and more refined interior
- Jet Black leather-appointed interior
- Bose Premium Sound System
- Power sunroof, windows and rear sliding window
- New Exterior
- New Front Fascia and Grille design
More Power and Torque
The 6.6-litre Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8 delivers more power and torque. Now 350kW and 1332Nm, up from 332kW and 1234Nm in the previous model.
Paired with the powerful, torque-laden engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission. Revised final drive ratios enhance low-end performance by as much as 25%, which is particularly useful when towing, at low speeds, or ascending steep grades.
The transmission optimises grade braking with closer gear ratios, allowing for greater engine[1]braking control.
It is also tuned for quicker downshifts to enhance the feeling of on-demand power, precision, and refinement.
Venturing off-the-beaten-track, is made easier thanks to the inclusion of an Automatic Locking Rear Differential and Z71 Off-Road suspension with Rancho™ twin tube shocks.
The inclusion of a Two-Speed Transfer Case with Push Button Controls means switching from two-wheel drive to Auto and 4WD-HI can be done on the fly and transitioning to 4WD-LO can be done when the vehicle is stationary, while Hill Descent Control assists getting back down safely.
Approach and departure angles are 28.5 and 23.6 degrees respectively and ground clearance is 251mm.
Enhanced Safety and Towing Technology
A new feature on the MY24 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD is Adaptive Cruise Control with Camera (ACC). Not only can this feature be used for day-to-day driving, but also while towing your load.
The latter, being an extra function of ACC. A key capability of the ACC is that it accounts for additional drag and extra weight behind the vehicle, meaning that braking distances are increased when the system is in operation. 1
Additional new safety features include Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert (TSBZA) and Gross Combined Mass Alert (GCMA). The TSBZA extends the blind zone area of interest to help enhance safety and situational awareness when towing, while the GCMA warns the driver if the vehicle and trailer weight exceed the vehicle’s Gross Combined Weight Rating. 2
New Safety Features
These new safety features bolster the suite of active safety and driver assistance features found as standard, some of which are:
- Six airbags
- 360 Degree HD Camera with up to 14 Camera views
- Head-Up Display
- Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Alert
- Lane Departure Warning
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Forward Collision Alert with Low Speed AEB
- IntelliBeam High Beam Assist
- Front and Rear Park Assist
- Rear Camera Mirror
- StabiliTrak™ Electronic Stability Control System with Traction Control
But what really differentiates the HD from its Silverado stablemates its enhanced ability to tow 4.5-tonnes. 3
To provide towing confidence, the HD is available with integrated towing technologies that help make towing big loads easier.
Advanced Trailering Features include:
- Hitch Guidance with Hitch View
- Electric Parking Brake hook-up assist
- Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
- Trailer Theft Alert Standard Trailering App offers:
- Customized trailer profiles
- Pre-departure checklists
- Trailer lighting diagnostics
- Trailer tyre pressure/temperature monitoring4
Standard trailering features include:
- StabiliTrak® with Trailer Sway Control
- Hill Start Assist
- Tow/Haul mode
- Auto Grade Braking
- 12 Pin Wiring Harness
- Trailering Information Label
- Diesel Exhaust Brake Available camera technology features include:
- Jack-Knife Alert
- Bed View with Cargo Bed Zoom
- Bed Hitch Guidance
- Transparent Trailer View5
Another supportive feature to aid towing ability is the addition of a Diesel Exhaust Brake, a device used to slow down the engine by closing off the exhaust path.
This causes compression of exhaust gasses which, in turn, slows the vehicle. This is especially helpful when driving down hill with a heavy load, as it negates the constant need to apply pressure to the brake pedal.
Advanced camera technologies
The MY24 Silverado 2500 HD also offers advanced camera technologies that are designed to help make general manoeuvring and towing jobs easier.
Enhanced levels of visibility are delivered via a 360 degree HD camera with up to 14 available unique camera views5
Four available Hitch Views:
- Hitch View
- HD Surround View
- Rear Top-Down View
- Bed View
Six available Driving Views:
- Front Camera View
- Rear Camera Mirror
- Transparent Trailer View5
- Rear Trailer View5
- Pic-In-Pic Side View5
- Inside Trailer View5
Four available Parking Views:
- Rear Camera View
- Rear Side View
- Front Side View
- Front Top-Down View
When it comes to towing in Australia and New Zealand, it is important to know your local rules. It is recommended that customers check with their respective roading authority for information regarding towing regulations.
Redesigned and more refined interior.
One of the most striking features of the redesigned and more refined interior is the inclusion of two large driver information and entertainment screens.
The first is a 13.4-inch diagonal colour touch screen, the largest infotainment screen in the segment, and the second is a 12.3-inch multi-colour configurable Driver Information Centre.
The new screens are complemented by a configurable colour head-up display. Jet black leather appointed seats are found throughout the vehicle, with all offering heating functionality, while the two front positioned pews feature ventilation capability as well as 10- way power adjustment.
A Bose Premium seven-speaker sound system with Richbass™ helps keep the driver and passengers entertained from an aural perspective.
Also, on offer and available as standard fitment is wireless phone charging plus Apple Car Play and Android Auto, front and rear USB ports, dual zone automatic climate control and a 60/40 split folding rear seat with storage package.
A column mounted gear shift mechanism allows for significantly more storage area in the centre console when compared with a centre-mounted alternative, while power windows, power sunroof and power sliding rear window complete the overall package.
New Exterior
The MY24 Silverado 2500 HD has a commanding presence, driven by a freshened front-end appearance that features a new fascia, headlights, body colour front and rear bumpers, body colour grille, and more.
The striking aesthetic is enhanced with black highlights around the vehicle, including hood vent, skid plate, door handles, and beltline mouldings.
The C-shaped LED lamps and new headlight dual projector technology frame the new fascia. The main and high beams of these new lights are now split into dual functions, and as owners’ approach or depart their MY24 Silverado 2500 HD, an animated lighting sequence welcomes or bids them farewell from the truck. The LED fog lamps have been retained for MY24 HD.
One of the standout attributes of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD is the sheer size of the cargo area. The length of the cargo box floor is 2089mm, it is 1814mm wide and offers 1968- litres of volume.
Popular exterior features such as
- tow hooks,
- four-inch black tubular side steps,
- side bed step,
- rear bumper corner step,
- a Durabed cargo tub with power tailgate and
- tie down points
all add to the practicality and functionality of the new full size pickup truck.
Z71 badging adorns the front, rear and both sides of the new truck, which rides on 20-inch High Gloss Black Painted Wheels with Black Centre Caps shod with Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner All-Terrain tyres.
The new MY24 will be available in four colours, consisting of a NEW Slate Grey Metallic, Summit White, Red Hot and Black.
Most accessories currently on offer for HD will continue to be available for the new MY24 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD model, including four different tonneau cover options – soft, hard rolling, trifold and electric-retractable.
Pricing in Australia
The recommended retail price for the MY24 Chevrolet Silverado is carryover from the model it replaces, which is $163,000 (including GST, before application of any statutory charges and dealer delivery fees).
Australia recommended retail price:
- The RRP below is exclusive of on-road costs, statutory charges and dealer delivery fees
- Recommended retail prices include GST MODEL
NEW ZEALAND: The recommended retail price for the MY24 Chevrolet Silverado is $175,000 (including GST, before application of any statutory charges and dealer delivery fees).
New Zealand recommended retail price: The RRP below is exclusive of on-road costs, statutory charges and dealer delivery fees Recommended retail prices include GST
Notes
- Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. The driver should remain attentive to traffic, surroundings and road conditions at all times. Visibility, weather and road conditions may affect feature performance. Read the vehicle Owner’s Manual for more important feature limitations and information.
- To achieve max Gross Combined Mass, third party tow bar hardware, braking system and certification is required.
- Maximum braked towing capacity when using a 70mm tow ball.
- Requires available Trailer Tyre Pressure Monitor Sensors.
- Requires available Accessory Trailer and installation, not compatible with all trailers
