The timing seems just too coincidental for this announcement. In the same time that Ford announces the return of the large-cube gasoline V8, GM has unveiled the 2020 Silverado HD lineup that will undoubtedly go head-to-head with whatever the 7.3L Ford will be stuffed into. The styling of the new HD is going to elicit the same reactions that the standard Silverado line has seen so far, but as far as a workhorse rig goes, the hardware is there. The big hitter is the 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel V8, cranking out 445 horsepower and 910 ft/lbs of torque. With the ability to haul 7,466 pounds of payload and 35,500 pounds in towing, both Ford and Ram have solid competition on their hands. That tow rating represents a 52% increase in capacity, and is possible via an Allison 10-speed automatic, a 28-inch mechanical fan, a driveshaft that is 30% larger than the previous model, and a program that will do everything to help the engine cool down properly after a heavy haul, including popping up a warning to leave the engine on or, if the driver ignores said warning, will override the remote-start system to turn the engine back on for a proper cool-down. Ford isn’t the only one breaking out a new gas mill, either. A 410 horsepower, 464 foot-pound 6.6L engine appears, a 6.0L that has been given a 6mm stroke increase and direct injection. 

Another notable change for the 2020 HD lineup is that they won’t be sharing the bed with the lighter-duty trucks.  According to Chevrolet:

“For the first time on Silverado, the HD cargo boxes are not shared with the light-duty models. They are designed specifically for the HD with unique dimensions, but still incorporate the multi-piece inner panels (previously a single panel) design and strong, rolled-steel box construction featured on the Silverado 1500.

The multi-piece inner panels allow them to be pushed closer to box’s outer panels in certain areas, expanding the usable width by 6.7 inches on the standard box, compared to the current model. The box length is also about 3 inches longer on the standard box, extending length, adding volume and extra clearance for longer items. The long box length remains 8 feet long. With the extra width enabled by the multi-piece inner panel construction, the total cargo box volume expands 14 percent and about 9.5 percent, respectively, on the standard and long boxes. The larger volume for the long box — 83.5 cubic feet — is class-leading.”

The bed will feature twelve fixed tie-down rings, with the corner rings rated for 500 pounds, an available 120 volt power outlet at the rear of the box, BedSteps in front of the rear wheel openings and CornerSteps in the bumpers, and an exclusive, available power tailgate that raises or lowers via key fob, interior button or touchpad on the tailgate.

Fair to say, but the battle for the heavy-duty trucks will be going strong for years to come. Ram is brand new, Ford’s throwing in and GM is too.