2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD Unveiled at Texas State Fair

Chevrolet chose the Texas State Fair to unveil its latest lineup of Heavy Duty trucks, which have received a facelift for the 2015 model year.

In terms of powertrain enhancements, General Motors has added compressed natural gas (CNG) capabilities to its 6.0-liter Vortec V8, allowing the engine to run on either gasoline or CNG. Aside from that, powertrain options remain unchanged. The 6.0-liter Vortec V8 remains as the base engine with 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, while the real workhorse for the brand is the Duramax turbodiesel that makes 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque.

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The majority of the updates come to the look of these 2015 trucks, as Chevy has migrated its new half-ton design to the heavy duties. Aerodynamics are improved thanks to the style change which includes the addition of doors that are inlaid into the recesses in the sheet metal of the truck.

The interior gets a complete overhaul as well, and now offers Chevy’s MyLink touchscreen infotainment system. As with the exteriors, the Heavy Duties adopted all of the changes that were first introduced on the 2014 Chevy Silverado, including the high-mounted trailer brake controller, new center stack design and layout of the controls.

Towing numbers have been bumped up across the board, with the truck rated to haul 7,374 pounds of payload (up from 7,222 lbs.), 19,600 pounds on a conventional hitch (up from 18,000 lbs.) and 23,200 pounds on a fifth-wheel hitch (up from 22,500). To aid the truck while towing, integrated cruise control, auto-grade braking and diesel exhaust braking have all been added to the 2015 Silverado HD.

Finally, the bed also adopted new tech from the brand’s half-tons, adding the in-bumper corner step along with the dampened tailgate.