Chevrolet has offered the Silverado pickup for over two decades now, but the automaker has almost a century's experience in building them. The moniker was previously used for various versions of the Tahoe, Suburban, and C/K pickup trucks. Chevrolet sold almost 600,000 examples of the Silverado in 2018, which is quite impressive, but it is quite far from the pole position held by Ford. However, Ford is not the problem here. Ram has grown exponentially over the years and has stolen the Silverado's thunder. Ram sold marginally more trucks than the bowtie in 2018. But, it looks like Chevrolet came armed this time. The 2020 lineup of the Silverado has intrigued quite a few folks, including me. This trim - The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country - is the best the automaker has to offer. Does it have it in it to take on the Blue Oval or Ram?

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD High Country

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD High Country
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Pros
Cons

Overview

Whether you like it or not, the automotive industry is going through a paradigm shift. Autonomous and electric vehicles taking over the world, and sedans are slowly moving towards extinction. This has led to more sales of SUVs and has even given station wagons a new lease of life. However, there is one segment that is unfettered and undeterred by all the commotion - trucks. Every manufacturer that is present in this segment is not affected by the other changes happening within the stable. These trucks are still the biggest, baddest, and the meanest vehicles out there.

It offers better features and powerful engines under the hood. The Heavy Duty 2500 series is available in four trims - WT, LT, LTZ, and High Country. The WT is a work truck and comes with basic necessities, while the LT and LTZ are the volume-selling trims for the company. The High Country, on the other hand, comes with a plethora of convenience features and is loaded to the brim.

Exterior

- A unique, horizontal slat grille on this trim - Maintains a tall stance - Square wheel arches - Bowtie in the front, 'Chevrolet' at the back - LED Lights looks good - Smartest rear of the lot - Wing mirrors that can be extended out - MultiPro tailgate rumored to feature

Chevrolet has given every trim in the 2500HD series a different grille. My personal favorite is the one on the LT trim. It sits on a thick chrome strip that sits in between other sleek, horizontal chrome strips. The center one penetrates the headlamp section, thus splitting the vertically-stacked headlamp clusters. The headlights feature LED Daytime Running Lights that are found only on the High Country and the LTZ. This setup actually looks very nice.

Fortunately, the body-colored bumper is not a steel unit, unlike that of the lower trims. The center of the bumper houses the fog lights and two tow hooks. Moving to the hood, it features a huge scoop in a recessed area right in the middle. The scoop makes the Silverado look a lot more muscular than it actually is. A skid plate on the bottom completes the face.

Park it beside any Ram truck, and you'll know what I'm talking about. The flared, square wheel arches look very muscular. Because of its tall stance, even the 18-inch wheels look quite puny on the Silverado. The alloys are not the best out there, but they do suit the trim's personality. The huge wing mirrors do a great job of showing you all that's happening behind. Similar to the Ford's telescopic wing mirrors, the mirrors on the Silverado have a four-bar link system that extends out and retracts to give a larger field of view behind. These are very helpful when you have a trailer hitched to the truck. Chevy has installed side steps below and has also given a cut out to step on and access the bed from the side. Quite thoughtful.

Trucks are not generally associated with words like 'handsome,' or 'good-looking.' But I have no qualms in stating this one sure is handsome. The tailgate is embossed with 'CHEVROLET' bang in the middle, and 'Silverado' and "High Country' badges on either side. The bowtie has given similar steps to the side to climb up without opening the tailgate. There is a bigger step in the middle, as well. However, let this not distract you from the fact the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country does not feature the MultiPro tailgate that its sibling does.

The MultiPro tailgate is a six-mode tailgate can work as a standing desk or can be folded down to create a step into the bed. It is basically two tailgates - inception of sorts - wherein a fold-out stopper can be deployed from the inner tailgate. It can be operated at a push of a button or the key fob. The MultiPro tailgate can support up to 375 pounds and has two buttons for operation and the inner gate release. It did get to my nerves, but then I read about a 2020 Silverado prototype being spotted with the MultiPro tailgate. Chevy desperately needs features like this since Ram trucks have a Multifunction tailgate, and it has leapfrogged the former in terms of sales in 2018.

Length

250 inches

Width

81.9 inches

Height

79.8 inches

Wheelbase

158.9 inches


Interior

- Dark, tan theme looks nice overall - Does the cabin belong to the '90s? - Conventional buttons and knobs dominate the cabin - Engine Start/Stop Button - Eight-inch touchscreen system - Remote Keyless entry - Roomy, spacious cabin

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country features a black and tan interior. Although the cabin looks pretty basic, the tan saves some grace. I had previously mentioned that this the least impressive cabin I have seen in the segment and I'll reiterate the same here. If I'm spending over $60,000 on a truck, I will expect to get spoiled by the interior. The cabin feels pretty cluttered, especially because of all the controls on the driver's side. There more buttons and knobs here than touch-sensitive stuff. One can find all the basic creature comforts in here, but that's about it. Ergonomically, everything is well laid-out and falls into the hand perfectly. The steering is meaty to hold and is leather-wrapped, but it's missing out on thumb contours.

In terms of comfort and space, the Silverado lacks neither, and there is enough room in the back, as well as the front. We are yet to know what features the High Country trim would have, but it sure won't skip anything that was seen on the 2019 model. So, here's a list of features that are present on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country:

-* Eight-inch touchscreen system

-* Chevrolet MyLink Radio

-* HD Radio with Sirius XM Satellite Radio

-* Driver Information Center

-* Digital Steering Assist

-* Outside heated power-adjustable

-* EZ Lift & Lower tailgate

-* Remote locking tailgate

-* Leather-wrapped steering wheel

-* Remote Keyless Entry

Drivetrain

- 6.6-liter, V-8 gasoline engine - 401 horses - 464 pound-feet of torque - 6.6-liter, V-8, Duramax engine - 445 horses - 910 pound-feet of torque - Best-in-class towing capacity of 35,500 pounds - Payload rating of up to 7,466 pounds

Ram created a furor by breaching the holy four-digit horsepower figure that was unheard of in trucks. Although Ford and Ram have gotten close to the figure, they haven't dared to breach it. Chevrolet has launched the 2020 Silverado 2500HD High Country with two engine options - a 6.6-liter, V-8, gasoline mill that produces 401 horses and 464 pound-feet of torque. This mill sends power to the wheels via a six-speed auto transmission and can be had in either two-wheel or four-wheel drive configuration.

The corresponding engine in the Ram is a 6.4-liter, V-8 HEMI engine that churns out 410 ponies and 429 pound-feet of torque. The Chevy might be lower on power, but the higher torque figure makes up for it. The Ram HD, however, boasts better towing and payload capacities with ratings of 18,210 and 7,680 pounds, respectively.

Talking about the monster under the hood, Chevrolet has plonked a 6.6-liter, V-8 turbo-diesel Duramax engine that produces 445 horses and a monstrous 910 pound-feet of torque! Chevrolet did not go on a paper-war against Ram here, but it let the all-new 10-speed Allison automatic gearbox do the talking. This combination works very well as you have more power available at your disposal at lower speeds. It helps even more when you're towing heavy cargo and need a lot of power to move from a standstill or while climbing steep inclines.

The Silverado 2500HD High Country can tow up to 35,500 pounds, compared to Ram's 35,100 and Ford's 35,000 pounds. The payload capacity is rated at 7,466 pounds. Chevy has upgraded the driveline to make sure the truck can handle the increased towing capacity. The upgraded driveline includes new, larger 11.5-inch ring gear on the front and rear axles and 30-percent larger diameter prop shafts that help provide greater strength with the high torque output on the option bigger Duramax engine.



Warranty

Chevrolet provides a 5-year/100,000 miles Roadside Assistance and a 5-year/100,000 miles limited warranty on the diesel powertrain on its trucks. Ram also offers the exact same warranty and roadside assistance on its Heavy Duty trucks. Ford, on the other hand, provides a 5-year/60,000 miles Roadside Assistance and powertrain warranty on the super duty trucks. The 6.7-liter engine, however, comes with a 5-year/100,000 mile warranty.

Pricing

Pricing for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country has yet to be announced. The price for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country starts at $57,400 for the two-wheel-drive configuration and $60,495 for the four-wheel-drive configuration. The 2020 model comes with a few changes, so we speculate that prices probably won't change much. If you opt for the accessories and other add-ons, the price could go north of $70,000.

Competition

GMC Sierra 2500HD

We have compared it to Ram enough already, so let's talk about its cousin, the Sierra 2500HD. Why must you choose this over the bowtie even though they share the same DNA? In fact, it doesn't even sell half as well. Well, that's because GMC is finally coming out of Chevy's shadow. It has upped the game to make itself more relevant in the market. The GMC Sierra 2500HD has a bold face but does not feature as much chrome as the Ram. Although looks are subjective, I'd rate it the lowest in the looks department. On the inside, it is not as well-equipped as the Ford or the Ram, but all necessary creature comforts like a touchscreen infotainment system, heated and adjustable power seats, etc. are present. Pretty much the same story as the Silverado 2500HD; cousins, after all.

Under the hood is a 6.0-liter, V-8 engine. It produces 360 ponies and 380 pound-feet of twist. Power is sent to the wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The GMC Sierra 2500HD can tow up to 15,400 pounds and is offered with a maximum payload of 3,233 pounds. The Sierra 2500HD Denali will be pitted against the Silverado High Country. This is GMC Sierra HD's top-trim and comes with a starting sticker price of $58.100 for the two-wheel-drive configuration and $61,300 for the four-wheel drive.

Read our full review on the 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD

Ford F-250 Super Duty

The dominator, the market leader, the king of kings. That's how people describe this truck, and it is miles ahead of the Silverado in terms of sales volume. The Ford F-Series Super Duty King Ranch is priced almost in line with the Silverado High Country, and this is not even the top trim. It is not as well-equipped, but it is a practical, no non-sense truck. It does stand out in the crowd, and that means it does not have many haters for its looks. Almost every trim comes with features like an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, and power-adjustable pedals, to name a few.

The Ford F-250 Super Duty features a 6.2 liter, V-8 mill under the hood as standard. It churns out 385 horses and 430 pound-feet of torque. The optional 6.7-liter, turbodiesel V-8 engine develops 450 horses and 935 pound-feet of twist. Both the mills are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This F-250's towing and payload capacities are rated at 21,000 and 7,640 pounds, respectively. If you can wait for a little longer, you can lay your hands on the new 7.3-liter, V-8 engine that Ford plans to launch in the 2020 model. It will be available from the F-250 Super Duty trims and up. The Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch starts at $57,000.

Read our full review on the Ford F-250 Super Duty.

Conclusion

The Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country looks very impressive in its 2020 avatar. It sure has transformed into a handsome truck. Chevrolet has worked on the exterior the most, and it should be happy with the final results. The engine specs are impressive as well, but it the towing capability that will draw a lot of attraction. For people who haul luggage on a regular basis, the Silverado HD will be on the top of their list. With the said, it is disappointing to see an automaker offer a vintage cabin on such an expensive truck. The likes of Ram and Ford have set the bar so high that even a decent cabin like the Silverado's feels inadequate and unappealing now. It will appeal to job sites more than households, and that will result in the lower trims selling better. Forget about competition; Chevy should pull a page from GMC's playbook. The GMC Sierra's top-trim - Denali - makes for more than 50-percent of the Sierra's sales . I'm not sure whether these changes will help boost sales or not.

Further reading

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LT.

Read our full review on the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD.

2020 Chevy Silverado HD Debuts with New Engine, Massive Towing Rating

14 Things You Have to Know about the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado.