First Test-Drive Here of The Redesigned 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD

 Desert landscapes provided the backdrop for Truck Fleet Management’s first test-drive here of the redesigned 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, General Motors Co.’s entrants into the competitive and increasingly luxurious heavy-duty pickup market.

That’s not to say the trucks cannot handle workaday duties, as a series of tests was intended to demonstrate. But buyer data and long options lists indicate that GM’s heavy-duty pickups have moved uptown.

For one, there is the trucks’ updated look, a freshening marked by deeply creased fender lines and massive grilles. A line could be drawn from the new models to the straight-edged styling of the manufacturers’ models from the 1970s and ’80s, which often featured two-tone paint and chrome trim in upper-level models. The look of the new models is distinctly GM.

Underneath the new skin are carryover engines, transmissions, and underpinnings. Chief engineer Jeff Luke noted during a presentation Jan. 29 that the new chassis the trucks received in 2011 remains, and the updated cab that debuted on the 2014 light-duty pickups moves over to the HD models.

Under the hood, the trucks keep the 6.0-liter gasoline engine that makes 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque as the base powerplant. Optional is the Duramax 6.6-liter diesel (397/765), which can be matched to an Allison automatic transmission. All tested models featured the latter combination.

And while those carryover powertrains and stout underpinning offer ample capability for commercial users, most heavy-duty pickup buyers opt for much more than the base-level workhorse, said Kenn Bakowski, marketing manager for the GMC Sierra.

Speaking with Truck Fleet Management during a two-hour drive along mostly highways, Bakowski noted that only about 10% of Sierra HDs are sold in base trim. Further, he said only 30% of buyers are classified as “fleet” buyers, which are defined as customers that buy five or more trucks per year. The remaining commercial buyers, he said, are what are called “non-fleet commercial” and consist of another 25% of Sierra buyers. The rest are retail buyers.

“Small business definitely fit into the HD world,” he said.

And it’s those non-fleet commercial buyers who opt for what Bakowski called “creature comforts,” such as power seats. He noted that while government buyers, for example, might place more focus on “functional” options, such as locking hubs on 4-wheel drive models, non-fleet commercial buyers want capability along with comfort options since they might also spend off-duty time in these trucks.

An example of this kind of truck was a bright red Silverado decked out in midlevel LTZ trim, along with the Z71 suspension package and 20-inch chrome rims wrapped with street-tread tires. Hitched to the bumper was a flatbed trailer carrying a front-end loader. During a short drive along a winding route, the truck capably pulled the trailer. The truck’s steering is responsive and balanced; not too light, not too heavy.