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GM exploring ways to raise half-ton Duramax diesel tow rating

Lots of truck owners cheered when GM announced fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six. Even after Ram let loose its EPA mileage ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the Chevy oil-burner still took the trophy. The victory was years in the making, GM engineers spending an entire four-year development cycle refining the LM2 Duramax to increase mileage. The tradeoff, as well all know by now, is towing; the Duramax in half-ton duty pulls a maximum 9,300 pounds in the Silverado. Rivals across town can do more, the Ford F-150 PowerStroke rated at 11,500, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel game to pull 12,560. GM engineer John Barta told Muscle Cars & Trucks that more hauling chops could be on the way, explaining, "We’re actually looking at upgrading some of the materials around (the engine bay) to see if we can maybe raise our tow rating." Engine bay materials are at issue due to thermal complexities underhood. John Barta, GM's assistant chief engineer of diesel engine controls, said the Duramax's inline-six configuration allowed engineers to get emissions hardware like the combined selective catalytic reduction, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filter unit closer to the engine, where it heats up quicker, getting emissions down quicker. But that filter puts another heat source in those confines, enforcing a cap on the tow rating to keep the engine and other systems from overheating. "If you look under the hood," he said, "youÂ’ll see a significant amount of silver ‘moon tapeÂ’ around to make sure things arenÂ’t getting overheatedÂ… if we were to go up in higher towing, which we can, we start impacting the possibility of deteriorating some of the components.” There isn't much space for more grille, so swapping for a better grade of "moon tape" or a different kind of material could reduce engine bay heat, extracting a higher tow rating in the process.  It's important to note a point Barta's been making for months about the Duramax figures, though. "Even though itÂ’s nice to brag about big numbers, in reality, light duty customers are not towing that large with their trucks," and, "We do know that (95 percent) of our light duty customers donÂ’t tow over 9,000 pounds." On our First Drive of the 2020 Silverado diesel we called out the tow rating, but emphasized that the Chevy and GMC have more important challenges to overcome.

2020 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty First Drive Review | King of the haul

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The 2020 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty is a bit of a mixed bag. It excels at the tasks an owner is likely to require from a massive pickup truck, but the interior is a definite letdown. Taken as a whole the truck boasts several class-leading specifications and features that make up for the lackluster look and feel of the cabin. And it's much more successful than the mechanically similar Chevy Silverado HD, which shares the Sierra's weaknesses but few of its subjective strengths. GMCÂ’s Sierra HD may share most of its major bits and pieces with the Silverado, but the strongest reason to pick the GMC over the Chevy is that the SLE and SLT trims of the Sierra HD are legitimately handsome. And the rugged, off-road-themed AT4 package is new for 2020 with a blacked-out look that we think a lot of buyers are going to love. Even the ostentatious, chrome-dipped Denali trim looks classy compared to the in-your-face look of FordÂ’s Super Duty line. The same canÂ’t be said for the Silverado HD, which, depending on trim level, varies from garish to just plain ugly. The six-function MultiPro tailgate is the next major differentiator. ItÂ’s not perfect — and mounting a hitch ball in the receiver renders some of its functionality unusable — but itÂ’s unique and potentially very useful to a subset of truck customers. WeÂ’ve covered MultiPro several times already, but if youÂ’re still not clear on its advantages, watch the video below for a demonstration (that's a light-duty Sierra in the video, but the tailgate works the same). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Another unique selling proposition is the AT4 trim, since Chevrolet doesnÂ’t (yet) offer its Trail Boss package on the Silverado HD. The most obvious competitor to the Heavy Duty AT4 is the Ram Power Wagon, and the GMCÂ’s 3,615 pounds of payload and 18,500 pounds of towing capability handily outdo the RamÂ’s ratings of 1,660 and 10,620. Granted, the trucks arenÂ’t aimed at quite the same buyer — the Power Wagon has legit off-road credibility thanks to upgrades like its electronically disconnected sway bars, 12,000-pound Warn winch, and a forward-facing trail camera. But unlike the GMC Sierra AT4, it isnÂ’t available with a diesel. No matter; those aiming for a rough-and-tumble appearance in a heavy duty now have a couple options.

2022 Chevy Silverado HD gains Multi-Flex tailgate as an option

GM is spreading the Multi-Pro Tailgate love around its truck lineup, and the Silverado HD is the latest pickup to gain the option. Just like the 2021 Silverado 1500, Chevy uses the “Multi-Flex” name for it in the HD, eschewing GMCÂ’s “Multi-Pro” branding for the bowtie vehicles. YouÂ’ll be able to option the tailgate on 2022 model year Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models. ItÂ’ll be available optionally in every trim, so thereÂ’s no need to grab a more expensive trim to gain access to the trick tailgate — youÂ’re also not required to take it in higher trims. Functionality is the same as the standard Silverado and Sierra.  The primary gate opens and closes like any other tailgate out there. ThereÂ’s a primary gate load stopper that allows you to put the gate down and still keep things from flying out the back (it can also be arranged such that the load stopper is at a higher height by using the inner gateÂ’s stopper). The inner gate folds down perpendicular to the ground to allow closer access to the bed. A full-width step is available if you fold both “gates” down and pop out the inner panel. And lastly, the inner gate can be lowered to use it as a small work space. You can watch the short video above to get a quick run through of all the positions, or scroll through the gallery at the top of this post. Besides the tailgate, Chevy says the 2022 Silverado HD is gaining a new Greenstone Metallic exterior paint color. Other changes for 2022 were not detailed at this time, but Chevy says the trucks with this tailgate should be available sometime this summer. Related video: