It’s not a next-generation model, but the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD brings key updates to General Motors’ hard-working truck range. There’s a redesigned headlight and grille combo, which is sure to spark a debate or two, and the interior is completely reworked. Now the cabin resembles the Silverado 1500’s—a good thing, to be sure—and the HD lineup is also gaining its own ZR2 trim. Combine all that with more power from the 6.6-liter Duramax diesel and you’ve got a revived competitor in the three-quarter-ton and one-ton space.
It’s hard to remember a time when there was more uproar over a truck’s design than when this generation of Silverado HD first launched in 2019. It’s quite a bit different now as the headlights are no longer bisected by a big bar across the grille. Instead, there’s a single lens with an angular, C-shaped brow that looks more cohesive at the very least. It’ll take some time to get used to, but I’ll go ahead and call it an improvement, especially with the LEDs we see here on the High Country model.
The 2024 Silverado HD takes its largest leaps in the interior department, where the LT trim trucks and above boast an immensely updated cabin. A 13.4-inch infotainment display is standard everywhere except for the WT and Custom models, as is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Adaptive cruise control with trailering capability is also available, which is a first for the truck. These are perhaps the most important updates of them all as truck buyers take premium appointments as seriously as work capabilities these days.
They also care about powertrains, and there’s good news if you’re wanting the Duramax diesel. It now makes 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque, which mark increases of 25 hp and 65 lb-ft, respectively. Chevy claims that up to 25 percent more power is available low down in the rev range, but without a dyno sheet, that’s hard to visualize. Those numbers are way more than enough for the everyday customer’s needs, even if they don’t quite match the Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke’s 475 hp or the Ram 6.7-liter Cummins’ 1,075 lb-ft of torque.
The 6.6-liter gas V8 still makes 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque, but now it gets the 10-speed Allison transmission as standard rather than the old six-speed automatic.
In terms of max payload and towing capacity, not much has changed there. The most capable 2024 Silverado HD can tow a 36,000-pound gooseneck trailer, and while that’s certainly impressive, it’s the same as before. Some specs’ payload ratings have even gone down a bit as they’ve added more content inside the trucks while maintaining the same gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), though the actual impact of decreases like those is mostly negligible. If you’re constantly maxing out your truck, you may want a bigger one instead. Nevertheless, a two-wheel-drive 3500HD DRW with the gas engine can still handle up to 7,290 pounds of payload.
Chevy officials remain tight-lipped about the ZR2 trim, but we’ve got a post on what to expect there. Regardless, the 2024 Silverado HD will launch sometime in the first half of next year with some models, including the ZR2, becoming available a little later on.
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