The Chevrolet Silverado 4500-6500 are the first medium duty trucks to wear the name. (Chevrolet)
Chevrolet has a surprise for commercial truck customers.
After teasing the introduction of the first Silverado-branded Class 4 and 5 medium duty chassis cab trucks a couple of months ago, Chevy showed up at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis on Wednesday with a Class 6 version in tow. That puts the automaker head-to-head with Ford in every truck segment under Class 7.
Chevy is touting the Silverado's flat-top frame, which it says makes it easier to attach bodies and equipment. (Chevrolet)
The all-new Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 were developed in partnership with Navistar, and mark Chevrolet's return to the medium-duty segment with an in-house designed model after a 10-year absence. It's been filling the gap in recent years with rebranded low cab forward-style trucks from Isuzu.
The medium duty Silverado features a lightweight clamshell hood for easy access to the engine bay. (Chevrolet)
The Silverados are powered by a version of Chevy’s existing 6.6-liter Duramax V8 that’s been engineered to produce 350 hp and 700 pound feet of torque in this application. That’s 50 more horsepower than the F-Series trucks have and the same amount of torque, but the Silverado 6500 maxes out with a 22,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) while the F-650 is available in a version with a top GVWR of 29,000 pounds.
A 6.6-liter diesel V8 provides 350 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. (Chevrolet)
Chevy is touting other design features that it hopes will help its trucks stand apart, including a factory painted flat-top frame with the wiring tucked inside of it to simplify upfits, an available rear air suspension system and a lightweight composite tilt-front hood. Interior amenities include Chevy’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-equipped infotainment system and a built-in 4G Wi-Fi hotspot.
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The Silverados will be built by Navistar in Springfield, Ohio, starting later this year. Pricing has not been announced, but will likely start in the $40,000 range. Automotive News reports that GMC will not be getting a Sierra version of the trucks, but Navistar will unveil its own model based on the platform that it will reveal before production begins.
