Review and photos by
Jil McIntosh, Autos.ca

If there’s anything General Motors has learned from the tough times it faced in the past, it’s that you need to spend the money where it counts. So while the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD (heavy-duty) is a new model, you’ll probably say it doesn’t look much different from the 2010 version, apart from a new domed hood and chrome bumpers. That’s because the cash was channelled into the stuff that really matters on a heavy-duty: beefier frame, stronger suspension and more diesel power. It worked: the new model was named Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year for 2011.

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 4×4 LTZ

The 6.0-litre gasoline V8 carries over, making 360 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque, but my tester was powered by the big news, a new 6.6-litre Duramax turbodiesel producing 397 horsepower and 765 lb.-ft. of torque. The block is the same as last year’s oil-burner, a 6.6-litre making 365 horsepower and 660 lb.-ft. of twist, but the guts are new, providing more power, quieter operation, and what GM says is improved fuel economy. We’ll have to take the company’s word on it, since the 2500 HD is large enough that published fuel figures aren’t available, but I noticed a considerable difference between this truck and one I’d driven in the past. (more…)