KANANASKIS, ALTA.–About 65 per cent of GM’s heavy duty pickups are sold in Manitoba or westward. In Alberta alone, nearly one in three new vehicles sold is a pickup truck. What better place to introduce the latest version than here? Of course, driving these trucks unladen makes little sense — it’d be like testing a baseball bat without ever giving it a swing — so our host kindly provided us with trucks hauling everything from the box of air that most light-duty trucks seem to carry, right up to a 6,125 kg (13,500 lbs.) fifth wheel horse trailer — fortunately sans horses. The flats of the Prairies would hardly pose a challenge, even loaded, so GM’s evaluation route had us not only driving on the highway through Calgary’s sprawling suburbs (unfortunately, it’s not just a GTA thing), but over the highest elevation section of paved road in Canada, the 2205 m (7239 ft) Highwood Pass on Alberta’s Hwy. 40. Our test victims were a mixture of 2011 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras — mechanical twins that differ only slightly in content and appearance — in both 2500HD (three-quarter-ton) and 3500HD (1-ton) series, though all were 4WD crew cab models powered by the available 6.6 L Duramax turbodiesel V8. Changes to these HD lines’ standard 360 hp/380 lb.-f.t 6.0 L Vortec gasoline V8 and its accompanying Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic transmission are relatively minor for 2011, so the comprehensively reworked Duramax was chosen for the spotlight instead. Reworked may be an understatement; everything from fuel delivery to the pistons, connecting rods, and oiling system has been altered in the name of longevity and efficiency. GM claims in-house durability testing proves 300,000 km plus reliability at 95 per cent load. Output climbs 32 hp and 105 lb.-ft. from last year’s, to 397 hp and 765 lb.-ft. of torque, while highway fuel consumption (which isn’t officially rated in vehicles over 3855 kg/8500 lbs. GVWR) is expected to improve up to 11 per cent. There is plenty of power on tap here, enough to make overtaking up a grade with a massive trailer a realistic proposition. Highway merging with a 680 kg (1500 lb.) bale of hay on board isn’t even eventful. The benefit of that 11 per cent fuel savings may be offset by another 2011 change: the use of urea injection for exhaust treatment. There’s now a 20 L urea tank, whose filler is under the hood, that will need to be refilled every 8,000 km or so, at an expected cost of about $45. Cost of acquisition is a major factor here too; the Duramax and its mandatory six-speed Allison automatic transmission will add $11,115 to the bottom line of any GM HD pickup (HD’s start at $35,600, and are available now). It’s probably still worth it, as the diesel’s economy is certain to better the 6.0-litre’s, particularly when hauling. The onboard computer in my 3500HD dually Sierra calculated a 21.5 L/100 km (13 mpg) average through the foothills while lugging that aforementioned horse trailer. An empty Silverado 2500HD, driven more like a sports car through the Rockies, saw 13.8 (20 mpg) Diesels also get a “smart” exhaust brake system that actually lives up to its name. Integrated into the powertrain, cruise and stability control systems, it’s able to seamlessly provide varying amounts of deceleration whenever needed, including automatic downshifts. It did a fantastic job of minimizing brake use when descending from the Highwood with 4500 kg (10,000 lbs.) worth of bucket-loader tractor and trailer hitched behind. (The built-in trailer brake controller worked exceedingly well too.) Surprisingly, the upgraded Duramax isn’t the biggest change made to these trucks for 2011; the frame is. This is as clean-sheet a redesign as is possible using the same cabs — only the front stabilizer-bar end links are shared with the 2010 trucks. The wheelbase even grows by 17 mm. Now fully boxed from stem to stern (the previous design was C-channel from about the A-pillars back), the new frame boasts a 500 per cent increase in torsional rigidity and a 92 per cent greater resistance to bending. The front suspension incorporates larger, more robust components, and the still-adjustable torsion bars now come in five weight ratings instead of one. As before, GM’s HD pickups are the only ones to use double-wishbone independent front suspension on both two and four-wheel drive models, to the benefit of ride and handling. In the rear, three-inch wide (a 20 per cent increase), asymmetric, multi-stage leaf springs are used. The redesign produced results; compared to the 2011’s, the previous truck’s chassis has the rigidity of wet lasagna noodles. Unladen ride quality is now noticeably improved, and potholes and expansion strips create far less quivering in the structure. Capacity improves too; maximums for payload, conventional towing, and fifth wheel trailering are now 3009 kg (6,635 lbs.), 7711 kg (17,000 lbs.), and 9843 kg (21,700 lbs.) respectively. “Steering precision” isn’t a phrase commonly associated with this class of vehicle, however the enlarged recirulating-ball steering gear did provide decent accuracy, even as the Mahindra tractor shackled to my hitch tried to offer steering inputs of its own while traversing the Highwood Pass. Carried over from last year are the interiors, which is fine: they’re just as nice as the Ram’s, and noticeably less plasticky than the Ford Super Duty’s. The exteriors may as well be unchanged too; only die-hard fans will spot the revised front bumpers (now full-width on the Chevs), subtly changed grilles, larger wheels, and the GMC’s new plastic power dome on the hood. That’s a serious problem, because while I understand that the money went to engineering instead of styling, to Joe Average consumer, these trucks are the same as last year’s, and that’s likely going to sell them — and their substantial improvements — short. Rivals don't stand still How competitive is this segment? Less than five months after General Motors announced the “class-leading” power and capacity ratings of their upcoming 2011 HD models, Ford issued a release stating that effective immediately, new software would increase the already new-for-2011 F-Super Duty’s 6.7 L Power Stroke diesel’s output from 390 to 400 hp and from 735 to 800 lb.-ft. of torque — a reflash of the processor to be made available for free to all existing 2011 Power Stroke owners. Ford also stated that all future F-350SD models would receive “higher-strength steel in the frame (that) will boost the payload and towing ratings” to a maximum payload of 3,207 kg (7070 lbs.) and fifth-wheel towing to 10,251 kg (22,600 lbs.). So there. I wonder what GM’s response will be? 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500HD and GMC Sierra 2500/3500HD PRICES: $35,600 (WT Regular Cab/Long Box models) ENGINE: 6.0L V8/6.6 L V8 turbodiesel POWER/TORQUE: 360 hp/380 lb.-ft./397 hp/765 lb.-ft. FUEL CONSUMPTION: unrated because high GVWR exempts it from regulation COMPETITION: Dodge Ram HD; Ford F-Super Duty WHAT’S BEST: new chassis improves ride and capability; tweaked Duramax lowers consumption and emissions WHAT’S WORST: 2011’s don’t really look different from 2010’s; gas V8 falling behind competitors’ offerings; diesel’s cost and DEF requirement reduces economic incentive. WHAT’S INTERESTING: In U.S., Chev Silverado outsells GMC Sierra nearly 2 to 1; in Canada, the Sierra wins by a slim margin |