The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD boasts monstrous torque, intimidating front end

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Chevrolet introduced a brand-new Silverado pickup truck at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, so it stands to reason that the more capable Heavy Duty (HD) model is right around the corner. The firm released the first official images of the truck along with a basic set of specifications, and while it’s promising on paper, it looks like a real handful.

Designers took the big-bodied Silverado in a bolder, more aggressive direction that you just can’t miss. It wears a tall, wide front end accented by a grille painted black (at least in the model Chevrolet released photos of) and a wide, chrome-like strip of trim accented by lettering that spells out the company’s name. This is the first Chevy truck in recent memory that doesn’t wear the decades-old bowtie emblem. Stylists also positioned the vertical headlights low on the fascia to add a finishing touch to the polarizing look.

Chevrolet cleverly added steps between the cab and the rear wheel arch to facilitate the task of grabbing items from the bed. Note that the model pictured is an upmarket four-door truck fitted with the optional, off-road-friendly Z71 package. The lineup will also include two-door models, more basic variants, and six-wheeled dually versions. They could get a different front-end design as well.

Like it or not, the design at least differentiates the HD from the standard Silverado 1500. That hasn’t always been the case. For the latest generation, the two models only share a roof panel. The rest of the sheet metal is nameplate-specific. We expect GMC’s Heavy Duty-badged trucks will look different as well.

Though Chevrolet hasn’t released photos of the interior yet, it promises four-door crew cab models that offer three additional inches of leg room compared to the outgoing truck while giving the passengers a seating position that’s taller and more comfortable. The company also notes HD customers will have access to a host of technologies and features designed specifically for them, though it won’t release additional details till we get closer to the Silverado’s on-sale date.

Similarly, technical specifications remain under wraps. All we know at this point is that the palette of available engines will include a brand-new gasoline-powered engine bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission and a Duramax V8 turbodiesel that channels 910 pound-feet of torque to the pavement through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The lineup will again include both rear- and all-wheel drive trucks.

Made in Michigan, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD will make its full debut online in February 2019. That’s when we’ll learn more details about the truck, including pricing, towing capacity, and precisely what’s under the sheet metal. Sales will begin halfway through 2019.