2024 Chevy Silverado 3500HD

When Chevrolet pulled the sheet off its then-redesigned Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD models in 2019, the heavy-duty trucks came with the usual spate of upgrades in power and capability. Those rigs also had adopted a polarizing, busy front-end design best described as a Transformer mid, uh, transformation. Chevrolet is using the Silverado HD's mid-cycle update to hit the reset button on that bold look, toning things down so that, in many ways, the HDs now sort of resemble their more subtly designed light-duty counterparts. The 2024 Chevy Silverado HDs also, of course, gain a host of other upgrades to their cabins, where they needed the most help.

Face It, This Is Better

Where the current Silverado HD situates its headlights beneath brow-like running lamps and bifurcates the two lighting elements with a big grille spear, the new one remarries those lights as one. A long, bent LED accent light lengthens the truck's lights vertically while framing the grille, but the primary lighting is now located where you'd expect: Up high, near the edge of the hood. Chevy's designers have stuffed faux "intakes" beneath each headlight, but overall the front-end design is way cleaner than before. It doesn't appear as though much of the rest of the exterior received any attention, though the taillight internals look new, and there are some fresh wheel designs.

Chevrolet wisely focused its energies for this 2024 update on the Silverado HD's interior, which until now severely lagged not only other heavy-duty trucks'—namely the Ram 2500/3500 duo—but also its fresher light-duty 1500 counterpart with tiny, last-generation touchscreens and limited tech. The 2024 Silverado HD adopts a new 13.4-inch central touchscreen on nearly every trim level, along with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

As on other newer GM models, the Silverado HD also inherits a new, more horizontal button layout beneath the dashboard display, with switchgear that—even from photos—we can tell are nicer than the current truck's pieces. Some of the buttons surrounding the climate controls seem a little small and fiddly, but we can't argue against physical controls for stuff like seat heaters, the defroster, and fan speed. Chevy also fits the rear seat area with air vents, and it has added additional storage, a new center console with an available wireless phone charger, and up to 10 cupholders. We should note that the majority of these upgrades apply only the LT, LTZ and High Country Trim levels; Chevy has not outlined specifics for the jobsite-focused Work Truck (WT) variant, but figure on it relying on the old truck's more basic displays and less fancy dashboard layout.

Not only does the Silverado HD's cabin promise to be a nicer place to spend time, it's supported by new technologies that make highway stints and even towing easier. Adaptive cruise control is, for the first time, available on the HDs; it's an option on top of the standard forward collision warning, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and a following distance indicator. The adaptive cruise function even works with a trailer hooked up, and will account for the trailer's extra weight and aerodynamic drag when maintaining speed or slowing for traffic ahead. GM's "Transparent Trailer" tech, where cameras stitch together a rearview as though your trailer were "invisible," now is compatible with gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers. The blind-spot monitoring function also is optimized to work even with a trailer hooked up.

More Power, More Capability, You Know the Drill

No truck maker believes it can introduce a new or updated pickup without some kind of boast about more power, extra hauling capability, or both. Chevrolet plays this game well, and therefore has replaced the six-speed automatic transmission that previously came with the Silverado HD's standard 6.6-liter gas V-8 engine with the same Allison 10-speed paired to the Duramax 6.6-liter diesel V-8. This move helps the gas V-8 HD's gross combined weight rating rise from 24,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.

While the Duramax turbodiesel V-8 carries over its Allison 10-speed for 2024, it produces more power. Unspecified changes to the engine's combustion process—said to be more efficient than before—have resulted in an additional 25 hp and 65 lb-ft of torque, for new totals of 470 hp and 975 lb-ft. This diesel engine can now be paired to the max tow package on all Silverado 2500 HD trims, elevating the towing capacity on trucks so equipped to 22,500 pounds. Maximum towing capacity for the lineup remains 36,000 pounds, on properly equipped dual-rear-wheel 3500 HDs.

As before, the Silverado HD comes in WT, LT, LTZ, and High Country trim levels, with the latter being the most luxurious and, newly for 2024, available with a blacked-out Midnight Edition package. In other big trim level news, Chevy will bestow an off-road-focused ZR2 trim upon the HD lineup for the first time, matching the hardcore ZR2 versions of the smaller Colorado and Silverado 1500 models. Further details on that new HD, along with pricing and other details, is forthcoming. Expect it before the 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500 and 3500 HDs land in dealerships midway through 2023.