If you’re a diesel enthusiast like me, you may have seen some shots of Chevrolet’s Silverado HD prior to their official debut. They’re vastly different than any truck Chevrolet has made so far. The 2020 Silverado HD features a redesigned exterior that is taller, wider, and longer. Compared to the 2019 Silverado HD crew cab SRW standard box, the new 2020 counterparts have a 5.2″ longer wheelbase, they’re 10″ longer, 1.6″ Taller, and 1.4″ wider. When I said they’re taller and bigger overall, I meant it.

It’s also the most capable Chevy to date, featuring a max towing capability of 35,500 lbs. A myriad of new features inside and out make using the truck and towing easier, including new integrated bed steps and the DuraBed cargo box. Five trims are available for Chevrolet’s new HD: the Work Truck (WT), LT, LTZ, Custom, and High Country Editions. While there are differences in features across the trim spectrum, it’s crystal clear that Chevrolet built all of these trucks with one thing in mind. Functionality.

How do we know all this? Chevrolet actually invited us out their event where we, along with some other media members, had exclusive access to these trucks. Here is what you need to know about the all new 2020 Silverado HD.

2020 Silverado HD New Exterior

The 2020 Silverado HD is Chevrolet’s third new Silverado in 18 months. The Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD were released last year, as well as Chevrolet’s new Silverado 1500. While all these trucks are coming out around the same time, they don’t share any similarities when it comes to their exteriors. In fact, the only metal the Silverado 1500 and the Heavy duty shares is the roof. The new generation 2020 Silverado HD received a major overhaul from their previous L5P too.

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A massive new grille paired with a hood that contains a larger hood scoop gives the new Chevy HD’s cooling system a boost. New headlights were added, as well as optional fog lights, and clearance lamps. For the first time ever, Chevrolet’s heavy duty trucks also have LED strips built into the headlights of certain models. While it’s a small detail, I believe it adds significantly to the luxury aspect of these trucks.

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New tow mirrors are standard on all new 2020 Chevrolet HD trucks. These new tow mirrors extend and retract, and have an available power extension feature to make adjusting the mirrors while driving easy. A larger surface area gives Chevy HD owners a larger view of what’s behind their trucks. New spot lamps that face forward at 45-degree angles provide better illumination at night and the mirror housings actually contain side-view cameras that can also be paired with puddle lights and rear spot lamps.

In addition to their existing bed step feature, they added steps to the side panels of the truck bed, to give customers an easier access point to the front of the bed.

Compared to the 2019 Silverado HD crew cab SRW standard box, the new 2020 counterparts have a 5.2″ longer wheelbase, they’re 10″ longer, 1.6″ Taller, and 1.4″ wider. When I said they’re taller and bigger overall, I meant it.

Chevrolet’s New DuraBed

As someone who uses their truck daily for work, a truck’s bed is critical to me. Chevrolet really outdid themselves with their new DuraBed cargo box. For the first time ever, Chevy HD’s won’t share a bed with their lighter-duty relatives. These beds add 6.7 inches of width of useable space to standard box models. The standard box receives an added 3 inches of length too. This results in an added 14% increase in total cargo box volume for regular bed trucks, and a 9.5% increase for long bed application.

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Chevrolet managed to add in a variety of other useful features as well. Chevrolet’s EZ-Lift/Lower tailgate was so impressive to me the first time I saw it. They were so impressive I purchased an aftermarket part, the Dee Zee Tailgate Assist to have these features on my own truck. The new tailgates for these trucks takes innovation a bit farther. They have an exclusive power up/down feature to raise and lower the tailgate. Gone are the days of the slamming tailgate or struggling to lift a heavy tailgate! Gone are the days where you need to lift or lower your tailgate yourself too. Twelve fixed tie-down rings and an available 120V power outlet also add to the functionality of Chevrolet’s new DuraBed.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD Performance

While the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD equipped with the L5P Duramax didn’t post any noticeable gains in the Horsepower and Torque departments, Chevrolet once again added to the functionality aspects of these trucks. Increasing towing capacity by 52% was a tall task. In order to accomplish this feat, a new 10-speed Allison Transmission was partnered with the 6.6L L5P Duramax engine. This will allow the truck to deliver 910 lb/ft of torque in lower gears. A new, variable speed, 28 inch cooling fan was added, along with the addition of several blades to the existing oil cooler. Engine braking capacity was also increased by 14%.

“4 Auto Mode” is electronically controlled by Chevy’s new Autotrac active two-speed transfer case, allowing the truck to shift between 4WD and 2WD in varying road conditions. An enhanced version of their existing ladder-frame was created to support the new GCWR of up to 43,500 lbs. Larger, more durable front and rear axles, as well as beefed-up prop-shafts were used to achieve “best-in-class-so-far” tow capacity.

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Interior & Trailering Technology

Chevrolet made just as many drastic changes regarding their interiors and their new trailering technology. Similar to GMC’s Sierra HD, the 2020 Chevy HD trucks received the addition of numerous trailering technologies. So many, in fact, that we will write a separate article altogether to cover it all in detail. Fifteen unique camera views give drivers unparalleled visibility. I’m the most excited for their transparent trailer view, which gives you a view as if the trailer wasn’t there. The 2020 Chevrolet HD trucks also gained auto park brake assist and park grade hold assist features.

Drivers and front-seat passengers enjoy class-leading head and leg room. Crew Cabs gained three inches of leg room. The trucks also received a new infotainment system and an available head-up display. Higher trim models also gained a digital gauge display.

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Don’t Miss Out, Theres More

Check out our live walk-around of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD. There is so much information we have yet to share! Don’t Miss out! Make sure you subscribe below.