Chevy has doubled down on the polarizing looks of its 2019 Silverado 1500, endowing its big brother with a face ripped straight from the pages containing the most terrifying of Dr. Who monsters.
Actually, I’m not entirely sure we have the correct photo here. What brand is this truck? Anybody know?
“We set out to make a statement with the 2020 Silverado HD and wanted to visually capture the power and capability of the truck,” said Brian Izard, lead exterior designer for Silverado HD, who presumably also spends his spare time grafting outsized CHEVROLET stencils onto every surface of his suburban home.
GM says the new Silverado HD shares only its roof with the smaller 1500-grade pickup in terms of sheetmetal, but those tail lights certainly mimic those found on the 1500. GM will surely say the rear illuminators aren’t counted as sheetmetal and in this they are technically correct. Same goes for the rear bumper. The new HD is said to employ some of the same architectural changes as its smaller brother. This points to extra rear legroom in Crew Cab models of the new truck, plus increased height because that’s what all trucks need these days.
A practical and useful styling cue shown in the photos is the inclusion of a textured step positioned just ahead of the rear wheel. This will make it easier for owners to access the bed without having to wander around to the back of the truck, while avoiding the indignity of using the dirty and messy tire as a launching point while trying to step into the bed while alongside the truck.
Under the 2020 Silverado HD’s hood, GM touts a choice of two powertrains. A gasoline engine with direct injection is described as “all-new” and mated to a six-speed transmission. Heavy haulers may want to opt for the Duramax 6.6-liter Turbo-Diesel V8, which delivers 910 lb-ft of torque through an Allison 10-speed automatic.
That torque number is unchanged from 2019 models but the number of gears jumps by four. The truck shown in these press photos houses a diesel motor in its alarming snout, primarily given away by the presence of that hood scoop, a unit which is indeed functional, by the way.
Remaining details of both power teams go unmentioned. The current gas burner is a 6.0L unit making 360 horses and 380 units of twist. With plenty of half-tons cresting that mark, expect significant jumps in those measures for the new engine.
Your author has always a hard time reconciling his brain with styling cues that place a vehicle’s headlights below the main grille feature. This is why I could never look at the old Nissan Juke without doing a double take. The same reaction applies here.
But you know what? If they didn’t do something like this, we’d still all be armchair quarterbacking their styling decisions and complaining GM didn’t move the needle enough, or some other hackneyed phrase. Like it or not, at least the 2020 Silverado HD looks like something, even if that something exists alongside The Ood to haunt the dreams of small children.
Chevy says this new truck will debut in February 2019, a month which coincides with the Chicago Auto Show. It’ll hit dealer lots four or five months later.
Thoughts? Scared yet? Chime in below.
[Images: General Motors]
Umm well it’s well I guess not to bad from the side, oh alright that front on shot is disturbing who OK’d this thing?
mopar
The same guy who OKed the Aztec.
Chevy and Toyota are in a battle. Who can make the ugliest vehicles.
I hope this is the beginning of the end of this nonsense, but I doubt it.
I thought sure that the SuperDuty line from Ford was when we hit peak Tonka grille! Guess I was sadly mistaken. Both Fords look tame compared to this abomination!
It wouldn’t look half-bad if that damn bar was thinner! (And even so, I see the grille ending at the top of the bumper. This isn’t a Juke, or Cherokee before the mid-cycle refresh!)
The side profile looks really good — the doors on the half-tons should look like this? (What happened to economies of scale and all that??!!) Almost like the GMT900s.
1958 automotive styling was another year that is now viewed as peak styling excess from that era. Interestingly, when I see the fronts and backs of some (most?) new Lexus and Toyotas they actually remind me of the over-styled fronts and backs of the 1958 models…too much “overhang”, too tall, and just way too much going on. And this does too.
After the ’58 model year, things began to calm down from a styling perspective and within 5 years we had some of the purest automotive designs ever (in my opinion). Probably wishful thinking that history will repeat itself….
What’s the relative cost of this versus penis enhancement surgery?
I feel as if ROI is rising for the latter.
(::Rim shot!::)
How about just adding a big wang as a hood ornament? It’s where they’re headed.
Comes standard with Truck Nutz.
…and it should play the guitar chorus intro from Idiocracy when it starts.
“driving the biggest, hugest correctional
vehicle ever built in history-
bigger and huger than everything
ever before in history-
GIVE IT UP FOR…BEEF SUPREME!”
Well, considering the surgery won’t tow an 8,000+ lb trailer, very low. And face it, the vast majority of HD truck buyers will use them for their intended purpose (unlike 1/2 ton buyers), I would say your comment is borderline ridiculous.
Ahh, it’s a big heavy duty truck, it looks like a St. Bernard, it’s fine. Leave it be. The target customer for these buy because of brand or power ratings, they aren’t concerned with how Joe or Bill is gonna react when they see him pull up in this thing at the neighborhood’s latest fusion bistro, soy latte in hand in his skinny jeans.
Actually, I’d say the target market for these is about 1,334% concerned with how Joe or Bill reacts when he pulls up in it.
BINGO! Cartoon truck for cartoon tough guys…
That must be why drivers of these things are so eager to drop $5-10k on ensuring smoke billows out the back (right past they’re chrome truck nuts) everytime they touch the accelerator. Because they care so little about how they look…
Those bellowing smoke with truck nuts are the ones you noticed, meanwhile you passed 100 white ones that faded into the background like a silver camry.
Well, yeah, total a-holes usually get noticed.
I live in Texas, and it’s been a while since I saw anyone rolling coal. I think that fad is dead, or just about. Now it’s brodozers with low-profile tires, or at least tires that stick far out past the fenders.
Members of the Sub-Zero-IQ Society – I mean, coal rollers – are still pretty common in the area of Denver I live in.
It’s the thin air. Pretty much everyone in Denver suffers from it.
Here in OK the same seems to have happened. In fact, at the auto show, the dealerships each have about 5 in different lifted and chromed marked-up Special Editions (named for the dealership). They sell weirdly well.
They’re all over the roads, just *barely* stopping behind every CUV or Minivan at red lights. Guess what the dealers don’t upgrade? -hint: brakes
Makes me want to yank down that big chrome handle with “Chevrolet” on it and pop in a pizza.
That side step feature is really useful and I can see it being included in more and more trucks. If it also included a front-loading pizza oven…wow! A baking feature might even make it a little less intimidating to creepy junk-size obsessed critics.
“That side step feature is really useful and I can see it being included in more and more trucks.”
Suddenly it is 1955!
I applaud them for spelling Chevrolet out across the tailgate, something I’ve been saying manufacturers should do ever since they stopped.
Fugly and cartoonish. Gad, when will it stop?
Clearly, no one here remembers some of the late 50’s early 60’s Chevy and GMC trucks with their grotesque and complicated frowny grilles. In some regards, this is actually pretty clean.
And the huge “CHEVROLET” lettering is no worse than the Raptor’s “FORD” lettering across the front…
Allison 10 speed? Details Please?!
And…………powered by the NEW, IMPROVED, BETTER THAN EVER, 700-hp twin-turbo all-aluminum DOHC 16-valve I-4 with headers and dual exhaust pipes that easily spins to 10,000rpm.
with maintenance intervals of 25,000 miles
Maybe this is why the Baltimore Transmission plant is closing? Baltimore builds the Allison 1000, so it sounds like the new 10-speed will be built somewhere else.
No Allison. Will be a GM built trans.
You know what, it’s just so bad and in your face that I kind of like it. No face is better suited for its target demographic, who will tailgate everyone in their way as it gets near its 98 mph governor. I do think the recent spy shots of the Ram HD does look better, but this isn’t as bad compared to the 1500 imo. Are they using incandescent headlights, though? That kind of sucks.
Also, that new gas motor better have more power, the current 6.0 is a dog. At least compared to the 6.2 and 6.4 gassers.
I seem to recall the rumor mill saying that GM was working on a 7.0L NA V8 for their HD trucks, so presumably it will bring a significant jump in output.
“Also, that new gas motor better have more power, the current 6.0 is a dog. At least compared to the 6.2 and 6.4 gassers.”
The current 6.0 is a true truck engine. You couldn’t kill that motor if you tried. When I sold my 2004 Sierra HD in 2017 w/180K miles the 6.0 under the hood didn’t leak or burn a drop of oil and it still sounded good and tight through the exhaust when you fired it up. One of the best motors ever built by GM or anyone else. Roller cam push rod V8 FTW bitches!
Gosh that grill is foul! I guess when you’re driving it you don’t have to look at it.
My office window faces a landscaper’s parking lot where I see the grills of their truck fleet many hours a day. Hopefully, their two-decade-long Ford loyalty continues.
This design solidifies my prior tendency to only shop the Ford and Ram brands for my HD trucks.
That unfortunate bumper design renders removing the air dam ineffectual; there’s just no cleaning up the appearance.
It’s a face even a mother would smother with a pillow.
Recent improvements in the future Camaro’s snout left me with hope GM was beginning to see the error in their front end design (specifically placing the larger opening on bottom where airflow is needed instead of more symmetry or elimination of the double opening to improve appearance) but this puts to bed any such notion.
Could it really be so hard to butch-up the GMT400 front end and slap it on this thing? If they could do that and also fix the wheel well openings’ bulge-upon-a-bulge it’d be orders of magnitude better.
This is one way to get people to buy the GMC model instead.
Good God, heaven knows what THAT’S gonna be like!
“This is one way to get people to buy the GMC model instead.”
Yep, the reason for me trading in my ’97 2DR Tahoe on a 2004 GMC HD, versus another Chevy was I couldn’t stand that butt ugly Avalanche front end on the Silverado.
That 2004 Sierra HD was such a good looking, tasteful truck compared to what is offered these days. WTF happened??
Not quite there yet, but this sort of thing puts them on the path to deathwatch in my view.
Sometimes I think GM has a mole who’s mission is to destruct the firm from within. Will this be the most expensive 6 speed vehicle on the market? Does 360 hp from 6 litres make it the least power from the biggest engine? ( yes, I know it’s the old engine)
But the ugliness is the most egregious mistake. Who finds this thing attractive? Put the body from a 30 year old Chevy on this thing and it would sell more.
If only that were possible with the actual vehicle
Read it again, the 6.0L is being replaced by an all-new engine. In case you’re still confused, the new truck wont have the current 360 HP engine.
not sure the best way to share my results, but I threw the first picture into MSPaint and knocked out one of the grille “rungs” taking the lower headlamp element with it, essentially removing 5 inches or so from the overall height of the bodywork. not half bad looking that way!
If only that were possible with the actual vehicle
GM has hired unemployed Hollywood designers, specifically the team that brought us the Family Truckster and the Tartan Prancer.
As soon as I saw the thing, my first thought (beyond “good lord”) was that it is channeling the spirit of the family truckster with that headlight stack.
This sucker is just hideous. Maybe people will take the Guy de Maupassant approach; if you’re sitting in it, you won’t have to see it.
That front on view is going to haunt my dreams. Yikes!
And that, my friend, is exactly what the designers intended.
How much would a front end collision repair cost on one of these jacked up sedans?
Well, for starters it would total the car it hit.
They had to work really hard to make this thing look THIS ugly (Aztec ugly). Then, it’s like they pushed the poor schmuck who drew this travesty out the front door, locked it, and made him rationalize his “masterpiece” to the media. And, it’s gonna have a typical GM craptastic interior, too!
Pizza Oven grill indeed…GM must be hiring meth-heads on their design team. The team approving this monstrosity must be crack-heads…
Is there an uglyier word for ugly?
I do believe this has the same drag coefficient as the USS Nimitz.
It looks to have the aerodynamics of a barn, too. I’m glad that they managed to make the tough-looking hood intake a functional gap – for the engine that sits 24″ below it. What a travesty of design. I guess that pedestrian safety doesn’t matter if one can’t see them.
The only good thing is the headlights are lower to reduce the blinding of the several motorists left still driving cars.
When will front cameras be federally mandated? I can see kids, pets, and short adults disappearing in front of this thing.
The head-on view is certainly revolting, but the front 3/4 view actually isn’t bad. At least the bumper doesn’t inexplicably fold inside the fender like on the 1500s. And the front fender doesn’t have the odd swoop by the A-pillar like the 1500s. If they could tone it down a bit but leave the basic design at is, it would be a big improvement for the 1500s
“Your author has always a hard time reconciling his brain with styling cues that place a vehicle’s headlights below the main grille feature”
Ford does it that way on their HDs as well. Since the vehicles are jacked up so high, it keeps the headlights out of other drivers’ eyes.
I kind of like it.
Same. It reminds me of Ford pickups from the mid-60’s thru 1977.
I dont hate it. Looks 10x better than the 1500 series.
The GMC will be better looking. 99% of the time, they are.
The side step is innovative. The convenience of a step without losing any bed space.
And no, to the dimwit above, its absolutely nothing like old step-side beds from yesteryear, this doesn’t change the interior of the bed, or really the outside except for the step. I have a step-side bed truck and its absolutely nothing like this.
I think it looks great, and I think this site has a whole lotta insecure pansies who wanna be the cleverest guy in the room. I mean seriously who could bag on this yet pretend Ford Super Dutys don’t exist??
My eyes latched immediately onto the sizable gap under the misaligned driver’s side parking lamp.
Seems to me that any manufacturer unable to line up such pieces correctly a) probably shouldn’t style its products to highlight such errors (although Ford is the worst offender in that regard) and b) should definitely use one built closer to true to use for the official press photo.
Jesus Christ.
Holy cow. In my 30 years of following the auto industry, that’s probably one of the worst as far as styling goes IMO.
It reminds me of the 1967 medium duty truck.
https://gmphotostore.com/1967-chevy-truck-billboard-banner-ii/
I know modern trucks are fantastically capable beasts, and very comfortable, luxurious even, not to mention easy to drive and shockingly fast. But, holy crap are they ugly! Comically ugly, drive while wearing a paper-bag ugly. If the sheer size of the thing to be designed is the issue, then the designers should be shown a picture of Shaquille O’ Neil in a tailored suit, that might give a different perspective.
Count me as another who kind of likes the front end. Dare to be different! Wonder what the GMC version will look like.
More like “ripped from the pages of the Toyota front end design manual”. Regardless, this thing is hideous.
I bought a new 2018 Silverado LTZ (4WD) because I despised the look of the 2019 half-ton. And the 2020 HD is worse….
More sales going to RAM…..
Here’d a mind blowing claim from a line worker on the HD Chevy/GMC pickup assembly plant, tales of using bent frames (that should be crapped) reworked, body work that grinds off protective zinc coating, wiring and carpet installed over a 1/4 inch of rain water in cabs, and other disturbing things, infuriating if you’re buying a GM pickup, especially when dropping serious funds on one.
Take it with a grain of salt, but goddamn..
youtube.com/watch?v=-p_7OephMOM
I like it.
Wow, not a single bowtie on this thing. I’ve hoped for a while they’d go back to the blue bowtie instead of the gold one, but in this case they’ve scrapped it altogether.
This is the most idiotic looking truck, easily taking the title away from the dull-normal looking Dodge Ram. Even worse than the Toyota/Lexus grimace
UhuhuhuhuhGLY!
Hideous. Absolutely hideous. Can’t believe this was approved
Why did GM not finish the thought – raise the hood just a few more inches, install front cameras, and leave the driver safely nestled in the submarine-like cockpit? Then there’s plenty of room for huge gargoyle or Godzilla hood ornaments!
Just when I thought the Ford Super Duty was hideous and overwrought, especially with its
[]–ford–[]
Chevy manages to out ugly it. Take a lesson Dodge,er, RAM designers.
The ones who perpetually follow behind Ford and GM in sales?
If FCA can steal some sales from not being fugly, then its a small win. RAM will never beat Ford or GM in sales, but every little bit helps.
“The ones who perpetually follow behind Ford and GM in sales?”
That appears set to change. This makes my eyes hurt like looking at the front end of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster.
Even the GM faithful will have a hard time with this.
This would be result if random shadetree mechanic would (temporarily) rebuild crashed truck with parts found in his shed, some parts being from an old BBQ.
Grotesque. Was hoping Michael Simcoe would improve GM’s overall design as his work for Holden (particularly the Monaro) was excellent. Hoping this rubbish was too far along for him to make any meaningful changes to upon his arrival. If not, then GM’s design center needs to stop sourcing its drinking water from Flint.
GM Management “You know what we need? Something that neither Ford or Ram have… A full size truck that loosely resembles a Pontiac Aztec…”
The good news.GM will eventually have to give these things away. If you need a full size truck, have limited resources and aesthetics mean nothing to you then here you go. Probably 0% APR for 100 months and 20k off MSRP by the time this all wraps up and an emergency redesign takes place.
GM if you are going to concentrate on trucks do it well.
Ohhhh boy. Cant wait for the inevitable little dorky man wearing his every working man hat with his group of paid market research actors. “Chevy hit it out of the ball park with this one” Yeah, straight to some world filled with hideous looking trucks. Yikes!
Everything above that big Chevrolet banner could be wiped out and not be missed. That would either allow the hood to come down in a nice, gentle slope to improve aerodynamics or simply lapped over by the front of the hood to give some continuity to the front of the truck. This, however, is all wrong.
Oh, lowering the headlamps is a good idea; it will help visibility for the driver AND for other drivers by putting more light on the road and less in those other vehicles’ mirrors.
The grill is too tall already and has been for nearly 20 years now; the fake Big Rig look is passé and this honestly looks added on just to make the hood taller for no real reason. Come on! Slope the hood down that 4″ and improve the fuel economy legitimately.
Who mounted the grill and headlights upside down?
Design by committee?
FCA might be sending a Christmas card and Thank You note to GM for the new front on this new Chevy HD Silverado. This will definitely help Ram HD sales. The new half ton Silverado front will also help Ram half ton sales. Chevy should have gone with a front on the Silverado like the current generation Colorado.
My 2014 HD just got a lot better looking.
This one kinda reminds of a 2003 avalanche front end and not in a good way.
Look at me! I have a tiny ying-yang!! Wooooooonk!!!
EXTERMINATE…EXTERMINATE…
Looking at this truck,i like it!! it took the second picture from the top to convince me. it looks much better than a Ford 150 or 250 as they look like frieght trains from the front and Dodge has completely abandoned what made them stand out(the freightliner look). one thing i wish chevy would do as i see that they are getting inspiration from their 1973 to 1980? boxy look is that they just go all the way and copy it. it would be most refreshing.
When do we reach peak grille?
In ten years the few people who feel wowed right now by this design will view it with disdain, saying, “Remember when we though that was cool? What were we thinking?”
In thirty years you’ll find a few guys dragging these out of fields saying, “Wow, that grille is sooo big. It’s so hideous I love it!”
Of course, I could be wrong.
“That’s a bold move, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.”
GM is trying to emulate the ’60 to ’66 C/K Chevy pickup with the upper “forehead” and lights above the grille. It too was odd-looking, but still classic. I like it and think it will age well.
“GM is trying to emulate the ’60 to ’66 C/K Chevy pickup with the upper “forehead” and lights above the grille”
Well, they need to stop it.
Gack! Detroit big trucks (and Toyotas) are now the styling bretheren of the 1957-60 tail-finned big cars.
Clearly I’m in the minority, but I like this! I like it more than the 1/2 ton version – the tacky looking vents to the outside of the headlights are gone!
The Ram grille looks disfigured by comparison.
GM – what a disgrace!!
Although front end styling seems to be one of most America’s greatest worthless obsessions to rant about especially with respect to pickup trucks, I usually don’t care much one way or the other and think people are crazy when they claim one truck looks like another brand when they are all clearly so different; but the new offensive Toyota and Lexus front end grilles are painful to look at; and then seeing this; I have to look away. I keep thinking they’re going to come out like IHOP and say it was a joke. It’s embarrassing just to know that you looked at it if you’re viewing along with someone else.
That’s a ridiculously cool vehicle. And that’s coming from a Porsche driver.
HUGE diesel with a 10-speed? Barrage of electronics, and every convenience known to man? Transformer styling (I love the way the nose is slightly pointed in profile)?
It’s like a personal-sized Kenworth. Part of me wants one.