The civil war in the truck segment seems to be getting more and more intense every day. Ford, with the F-Series, has been at the zenith for as long as one can remember. It looked like Chevy was the one that could stop the Blue Oval with its offering called the Silverado. But over the years, the Bowtie lost steam and has capitulated to not just Ford, but also the underdog known as Ram. Call it hard luck or complacency on part of Chevrolet, but Ram actually trumped Chevrolet by a small margin to take the second spot on the sales chart for 2018. However, Chevrolet seems to have gotten back on track with the 2020 Silverado, and it expects to sell more than the 585,581 examples it sold in 2018.

Overview

The Silverado has been in the market for over two decades now. Chevrolet has consistently improved the truck, but it has not been able to capture the market as per its potential. Although the 'Silverado' as we know it came into existence in 1998 as a 1999 model, Chevrolet has been manufacturing trucks since 1930. The Silverado name was used as a trim moniker for Tahoes, Suburbans, and C/K pickup trucks. The reason for the half-a-million sales figure could also be because of the brand split. The GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado are mechanically the same and the difference is only in the add-on options and accessories. Nevertheless, Chevrolet has taken upon itself to bridge the gap between itself and Ford, the latter of which sold 909,330 examples of the F-Series last year.

It looks much smarter now, comes with better features, and has powerful engines under the hood as well. The Heavy Duty 2500 series is available in four trims - WT, LT, LTZ, and High Country. The WT is a work truck that just about does its job of hauling stuff. LT is second from the bottom and comes with all the basic creature comforts. The LTZ and the High Country are the top trims that are offered with a lot of technology and convenience features.

Exterior

It sure as hell looks overdone but will garner more positive feedback than rejections. To make High Country owners feel exclusive, Chevrolet has assigned the bowtie only to the top-trim. The rest of them come with 'CHEVROLET' embossed on a chrome strip that runs from one corner to the other, passing through the grille and the headlights. The vertically stacked headlamp clusters feature headlights below the split and indicators above it. It looks swell when all the lights are in action.

The hood features an almighty big scoop in a recessed area bang in the middle. This causes the hood to look a lot more muscular than the ones on the competition. There is an overdose of chrome, not as much as the Ram trucks, fortunately. Even though I hate chrome, the treatment on the LT trim actually looks quite tasteful. Small square elements fill up the wide mouth. This trim features a chrome bumper as well that houses the fog light and two tow hooks in beside them. It's a little weird that Chevrolet would place the tow hooks so close to the fog lamps. There are high chances of people unknowingly knocking off the fog lamps while trying to hook the truck.

The square wheel arches suggest how high the truck rides. Chevrolet has equipped the truck with 17-inch alloys that look a tad too small . We have seen larger wheels on some reasonably-priced hatches and sedans. The automaker should have at least equipped it with 18-inch wheels. The alloy design is quite funky but looks quite good from a distance. The XL-sized wing mirrors give a great view of the action behind, and they extend and retract using a four-bar-link system; something similar to Ford's telescopic wing mirrors. The struts they are housed on can be extended out to get a clearer view behind. Immensely helpful when you have a trailer hitched to the truck. With that said, the profile of the Silverado 2500HD is the best out there. Ram has the most unproportionate profile, and there's to write about the Ford's. This truck's profile features a step on side of the truck bed, cuts and creases near the end, and taillights that stick out on the side. Equipping accessories like the side steps adds a lot of character.

The designers of the 2020 Silverado 2500HD need to be patted on the back for their attention-to-detail. The sole sore point here is the exhaust pipe that sticks out from the right-hand side. It could have been concealed neatly under the body. 'CHEVROLET' has been embossed on the tailgate, while 'Silverado HD' and 'LT' badges are pasted. Now, let's talk about the biggest disappointment on this truck - the tailgate. All Chevrolet has managed to do is offer a power tailgate that just opens and closes. Nothing else. This is major drawback as the Ram comes with a MultiFunction tailgate, and the Silverado's cousin, the Sierra, is offered with a MultiPro tailgate.

But before we jump to conclusions, a prototype of the 2020 Silverado was spotted with a camouflaged derriere that featured cut lines on the tailgate. This could only mean one thing - the Silverado will feature GMC Sierra's MultiPro tailgate! It is only a matter of time before GM announces this great news. To brief you about the GMC MultiPro Tailgate, the 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 haul up to 375 pounds, and uses two buttons for operation and the inner gate release. But it is highly unlikely that the LT trim would come with the MultiPro tailgate.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD Exterior Dimensions

Interior

While it makes sense practically, the cabin is not a pleasant one by any means. I would go as far as to say that the cabin is the least impressive one of the lot. The old-school cabin feels a lot cluttered and features more buttons and knobs than touch-sensitive stuff. It would be a sin to expect technology on a lower-end trim, but this is just too basic. One can find all the basic creature comforts in here, but that's about it. The steering mounted controls are placed logically and are within reach. Although the steering is meaty to hold, thumb contours are missing.

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 LT 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 LT:

-* Digital Steering Assist

-* Outside heated power-adjustable

-* EZ Lift & Lower tailgate

-* Remote locking tailgate

-* Eight-inch touchscreen system

-* Chevrolet MyLink Radio

-* HD Radio with Sirius XM Satellite Radio

-* Driver Information Center with 4.2-in. multi-color display

-* Leather-wrapped steering wheel

-* Remote Keyless Entry

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD Interior Dimensions

Drivetrain

A lot has been spoken about the Ram's engine that generates 1,000 pound-feet of torque. But the Chevy Silverado is no less. The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT features two engine options - a 6.6-liter, V-8, gasoline mill that produces 401 horses and 464 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a six-speed auto transmission, and can be had in either two-wheel, or four-wheel drive configuration. This engine can tow 17,400 pounds and comes with a payload capacity of 7,466 pounds. When compared to the Ram's 6.4-liter, V-8 HEMI mill, it is slightly low on power and high on torque. Ram's mill churns out 410 horses and 429 pound-feet of torque, and has a towing and payload capacity of 18,210 and 7,680 pounds respectively.

But here's the engine that we are interested in and want to talk about - Chevrolet's 6.6-liter, V-8 turbo-diesel Duramax engine. This mill produces 445 horses and a monstrous 910 pound-feet of torque! It does not trump Ram's 1,000 pound-foot figure, but this mill is mated to an all-new 10-speed Allison automatic gearbox. This combination works fantastically 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, and also while climbing steep inclines.

Automakers have been sending their trucks to the gym to make them the strongest vehicles out there. Although all of them stand shoulder-to-shoulder, Chevrolet takes the pole position in terms of towing capacity here. The Silverado HD proudly comes with a segment-leading towing capacity of 35,500 pounds and a payload capacity of 7,466 pounds. The corresponding Ram and Ford models can tow up to 35,100 and 35,000 pounds respectively. To handle the increased towing capability, the upgraded driveline includes new, larger 11.5-inch ring gear on the front and rear axles. Chevrolet has also used 30-percent larger diameter prop shafts that help provide greater strength with the high torque output on the option Duramax mill.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD Drivetrain Specifications

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

The prices for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT are yet to be announced. The same variant in the 2019 line up starts at $45,500. But given the amount of changes Chevy has made to the 2020 model, we speculate the prices to increase by $2,000 - $3,000. So, the 2020 Silverado 2500HD LT could begin somewhere in the ballpark of $48,000. If you opt for the accessories and other add-ons, the price could go north of $55,000. The bigger engine, obviously, will see your pockets get even more lighter.

Competition

Ford F-250 Super Duty

For anyone looking to buy a truck, the Ford truck will always be on his list. It comes with sedate looks that will please and offend none. The cabin is not that fancy or sophisticated as the Ram's, but it is utilitarian. 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 features a 6.2 liter, V-8 mill as standard, that develops 385 horses and 430 pound-feet of torque. The bigger 6.7-liter, turbodiesel V-8 engine churns out 450 horsepower and 935 pound-feet of twist. Both the mills are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission system. This F-250's towing and payload capacities are rated at 21,000 and 7,640 pounds respectively. Ford has also announced a new 7.3-liter, V-8 engine that will make its debut in the 2020 model and will be available from the F-250 Super Duty trims. The Lariat trim falls directly in line with the Silverado LT. It comes with a starting price of $46,200.

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

GMC Sierra 2500HD

Let's pit this truck against its own cousin to see why the Sierra 2500HD deserves to be a different truck altogether despite sharing the same genes. GMC has finally come out of Chevrolet's shadows and is selling over 200,000 examples annually. It has upped the game to make itself more relevant in the market. The GMC Sierra 2500HD does not look as chrome-drunk as the Ram, but is not a smart-looking truck by any means. On the inside, it is not as well-equipped as the Ford or the Ram, but all necessary creature comforts like touchscreen infotainment system, heated and power adjustable seats, etc. are present. Pretty much the same story as the Silverado 2500HD.

The automaker has plonked a 6.0-liter, V-8 engine under the hood of the Sierra 2500HD. 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 3,276 pounds. The Sierra 2500HD SLT, the mid-trim, seems to be a strong contender to the Silverado's LT trim. It wears a sticker price of $51,000.

Read our full review on the 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD

Conclusion

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD has transformed itself into a handsome truck. The majority of changes have been affected on the outside and the results are surely satisfying. It looks like Chevrolet has decided to focus on the aesthetics and the engine prowess, and has completely neglected the interior. The cabin is nowhere close to the ones on Ford or Ram trucks. The MultiPro tailgate may or may not feature here, but we sincerely hope it does because the Silverado has more cons than pros. The engine options and the towing capacities are quite impressive. But with an under-par cabin, it will appeal to job sites more than households. In my opinion, none of the trims expect the High Country feel luxurious or premium. Now whether or not the new renditions will help boost the sales, we'll have to wait and watch. The truck will be manufactured at the Flint Assembly Plant in Michigan. Sales are expected to commence in the third or fourth quarter of 2019.

Further reading

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.