Chevrolet announces increased capability, options, and technology for the 2021 Silverado HD lineup. The new Silverado 3500 HD diesel-powered truck is now rated to tow a maximum of 36,000 lbs when properly equipped and configured. If you indeed want to tow the maximum weight, then you should configure a regular cab 2WD dually with the 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V8 and the 10-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet says that the increased towing capability (it used to be 35,500 lbs) is achieved with hardware upgrades to the suspension and the wheel/tire packages. The company says that the new tow rating is SAE J2807 certified. This maximum trailer weight can only be reached with a properly configured heavy-duty gooseneck trailer.
This new maximum tow rating is raising the bar to the best-in-class status unless you also consider a 2020 Ford F-450 consumer truck that can be configured to tow a maximum of 37,000 lbs. The new Ford Super Duty F-350 is rated at a maximum of 35,750 lbs. The new 2020 Ram 3500 HD trucks are currently rated at a maximum of 35,100 lbs.
The 2021 Chevy HD powertrains remain the same. It’s still a choice between a 6.6-liter gas V8 engine with 401 hp / 464 lb-ft of torque or a 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V8 with 445 hp / 910 lb-ft of torque.
The latest heavy-duty trucks get the same trailering technology upgrades as the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 light-duty trucks. This includes several enhanced or all-new camera features, such as Trailer Length Indicator, Jack-knife Alert, Cargo Bed view, Rear Trailer view, and Rear Side view.
Several new special editions join the 2021 Silverado HD stable. They are Carhartt Special Edition, Midnight Edition, Z71 Sport Edition, and Z71 Chrome Sport Edition. The Carhartt Special Edition comes first. Production of these trucks starts in the fall of 2020. The other special edition trucks will arrive in late 2021, or about a year from now.
The latest heavy-duty trucks also get a host of new standard equipment. SiriusXM and OnStar are available on the base Work Truck and standard on LT trim levels. Safety Confidence Package of driver assistance technologies is available on Work Truck and Custom trims. This package includes Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, Driver Information Center and Steering Wheel Audio Controls.
Please stay tuned for more 2021 Chevy truck video reviews coming to TFLtruck very soon.
