After some serious thoughts and many calculations...
Very few people will be excited to buy a hardcore pickup for work. Indeed, you don't purchase a big heavy-duty truck the same way you do with a Ford Explorer Sport Trac or a Honda Ridgeline, for instance...
(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
Entrepreneurs and fleet owners, who order the majority of these pickup trucks, are mainly interested in the payload capacity, the towing capacity and the weight of the vehicle. The capacities indicate if the truck will struggle to fulfill the required duties and wear out prematurely, while the weight tells how much you will have to pay to register the vehicle. In the province of Quebec, the "truck" replaces the "pickup truck" when the weight exceeds 3,000 kilos; consequently, the registration fees are higher. In addition, with a truck, users will have to perform comprehensive inspections before hitting the road and subsequent check-ups on a regular basis.
As for trucks that weigh over 4,500 kilos, it is mandatory for the owner to have a Class 1 or Class 3 driver's licence. This becomes problematic for businesses, because the industry currently suffers from a lack of truck drivers.
(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
With that in mind, when you're looking to buy a truck or pickup truck for work, like a Chevy 2500 HD, you want to get the strongest vehicle there is under 3,000 kilos. So, when it's time to step on the scale, GM's Sierra/Silverado duo is a smart choice. With winter approaching, many snowplowers, for example, will choose one of these two pickups to install their snowplow on, while using the bed for carrying the calcium spreader. For these reasons, most new owners will register their vehicle before installing any accessories on it. Let's not kid ourselves: in the weight department, there's always a way to cheat... all the more so when you know the folks who operate the scale. Moreover, you can fill up the tank and install the running boards only after the weigh-in.
End of the run Our test model, a Silverado 2500 HD with diesel engine, is one of those vehicles that we purchase not with our hearts but with our brains. Who would want an end-of-the-run pickup truck that's being fully redesigned and soon released on the market (the 1500s will be
(Photo: Philippe Champoux)
available first)? Perhaps the people who will make long-term calculations and manage to get a sweet deal. Or perhaps those who need to refresh their fleet as soon as possible. Anyhow, a lot of them would be surprised by its accelerations and handling.
Incidentally, the fact that this pickup will be entirely new for 2007 did not prevent GM from improving the performance of the Duramax diesel engine and mating it to an Allison 6-speed automatic transmission (with two overdrives). Why buy an Allison gearbox? You have to try it to understand: the shifts are smoother, and the sixth gear allows the engine to rev at 1,550 rpm at a speed of 100 kph -- compared to 1,800 rpm with the old 6-speed transmission -- which results in a better fuel economy. Also, a switch mounted on the shifter allows the driver to perform gear changes with his fingertips, especially while towing on steep hills. Working together with the tow mode, the cruise control will even detect an acceleration during a descent and shift down in order to slow down the engine.
