Chevrolet is squarely back in the medium-duty commercial truck market with the unveiling of three Silverado HD chassis cab trucks — the 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD — that expand its commercial lineup and give Chevrolet a greater weight range of vehicles for fleet purchasers. Chevrolet first showed the vehicles at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

"We see a great opportunity for us with this truck," Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet, told Work Truck. "In the six years I've been with General Motors Fleet, this is the single biggest launch we've had happen in our space. This has been a hole in our commercial portfolio, and we are excited to re-enter the market moving all the way up to Class 6."

The trucks will now represent GVWs from 15,000 pounds in Class 4 to 22,900 pounds in Class 6. Chevrolet hasn't offered a medium-duty chassis cab truck since 2009.

This is a "Silverado on steroids," according to the automaker. The trucks will be powered by a standard Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel engine, which is the only engine available on the Silverado, and mated to a choice of Allison transmissions. The trucks will achieve 350 hp at 700 lb.-ft. of torque. They will be offered in seven wheelbase options, two trims (WT and LT), and a Crew Cab and Regular Cab variant, providing a number of available configurations for vocational fleet needs.  

A few special features include tilt hood, which will make maintenance a breeze. Sometimes referred to as a "clamshell" design, the hood is hinged at the front. The truck's hood and fenders all tilt forward nearly 90 degrees, giving the operator or tech full access to the engine compartment.

Another key exterior aspect is in the center bar in the truck's grille. The bow-tie is open, allowing even more airflow into the engine compartment, just like the Chevrolet Camaro Z28.

"On this particular truck, we've looked for as much feedback as possible and done more canvassing of stakeholders within the industry than anything we've ever done," Peper said. "We believe it's going to be a smashing success."