Earlier this month, Chevy unveiled the Silverado refresh coming for 2022 — revealing a new Raptor-fighting off-roader, the Silverado ZR2, and interior and exterior styling upgrades for all the Silverado 1500s. With the regular trucks having just been updated, a refresh for the Silverado HD (and GMC Sierra HD) trucks should follow for the 2023 model year. And it may come with eye-popping — and record-breaking — power upgrades.
TFLTruck, citing an anonymous GM insider, reports that the refresh will include an update to GM’s 6.6-liter turbodiesel Duramax V8. Per the source, the update will push the engine’s outputs to 505 horsepower and 1,085 lb-ft of torque. That’s an additional 60 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque over the previous generation.
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Both numbers would put the Silverado and Sierra HD at the top of the segment. Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel has 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft torque. Ram’s 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel checks in with 420 hp and 1,075 lb-ft of torque.
What do those numbers mean in real life? The current Silverado 3500 HD is rated to tow 36,000 pounds. This power boost would likely push it past the Ram 3500, which has the current best-in-class tow rating of 37,100, and the Ford F-450, with a max rating of 37,000 lbs.
We suspect that most Silverado HD owners won’t get close to testing that max towing capacity. It’s not often you’re going to have to tow something like an aircraft carrier’s anchor, which still would leave you with plenty of spare capacity. But the Big Three truck battle is fierce, and being able to say you do something “best-in-class” pays dividends.