Zac Quinn 
General Motors seems to be working on something that’s more than just cosmetic with regards to the updated 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2023 GMC Sierra HD pickup trucks. If reports are accurate, both pickups could very well be the first three-quarter and full-ton trucks to break the 500 horsepower barrier. According to TFLTruck, the legendary 6.6L Duramax V8 diesel engine is set for a few upgrades.
500+ Horsepower, 1,000+ Lb-Ft Of Torque
The current L5P 6.6-liter Duramax V8 introduced in 2017 has 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque paired to a 10-speed “Allison” automatic transmission in both the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD on sale today. As it stands, the GM HD trucks are second in horsepower, but in third place for torque specs. But the leapfrog game will continue onward, and now it’s GM’s turn to hop in front.
The next iteration of the 6.6L Duramax diesel V8 engine could have 505 horsepower and 1,085 lb-ft of torque, with transmission upgrades to keep up with the new power. By comparison, the 2022 Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel produces 475 ponies with 1,050 lb-ft of torque. Thirdly, the 6.7-liter Cummins I6 diesel found in the Ram HD produces 420 horsepower and currently class-leading 1,075 lb-ft of torque.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD And GMC Sierra HD Could See Gains In Towing, Payload
Earlier this year, we had covered the 2023 Silverado HD, having been spotted testing in Colorado. It’s entirely possible that with these boosts to the engine’s output, we could see the GM HD trucks pulling 40,000 pounds instead of the current 35,500 they’re capable of, which would surpass Ford’s 37,000-pound capabilities in the 2022 F-450 Super Duty.
Keep in mind that all of these current towing specs were already absurd, and are crossing into the need for special licensing to operate these trucks. Best to call your local commercial truck driving school and see if they have any openings.
In addition, the exterior and interior design for the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD will also receive an exterior and interior updates. These changes will be similar to that of the recently unveiled 2022 Silverado 1500 and soon-to-be-revealed 2022 Sierra 1500.
We’ll report on additional 2023 GM HD truck details as we can get ahold of them. There’s sure to be much more underway.
