2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD / 3500HD
4th generation (2020–present, refreshed for 2024)
Spec plateChecked Sep 2026
- Starting price
- $45,900
- 4x4 from
- $48,700
- Max towing
- 36,000 lb
- Max payload
- 7,234 lb
- Most power
- 470 hp
- Ground clearance
- 11.8 in
2500HD ZR2 Bison
Our verdict
For work and towing, the Silverado HD is a known quantity, and the Duramax/Allison pairing is its strongest card. The ZR2 is the rare heavy-duty truck with proper off-road dampers and 35s, but it relies on a single rear locker. Choose the standard ZR2 over the Bison if approach angle matters more than steel armor.
Best for
Owners who tow heavy trailers or campers and want an HD that can also handle rough roads, with the ZR2 as the pick for trail use.
Skip it if
You want front and rear lockers or a coil-sprung HD for rock crawling, or you tow less than a half-ton can handle.
Strengths
- Duramax 6.6L diesel makes 470 hp and 975 lb-ft and is available on every trim
- 3500HD dually tows up to 36,000 lb (gooseneck); 2500HD Crew Cab up to 22,070 lb
- ZR2 brings Multimatic DSSV dampers (shared only with GMC's Sierra HD AT4X), 35-in MT tires and a rear e-locker
- Auto-locking rear differential standard from the base WT
Weak spots
- No front locker, even on the ZR2
- ZR2 conventional towing tops out at 18,500 lb (diesel) versus 20,000 lb for other HDs
- ZR2 Bison's steel bumper cuts approach angle to 29.8 degrees from the ZR2's 32.5
- ZR2 starts at $73,200 before destination
Capability vs other heavy-duty trucks
- Cabs
- Regular Cab, Double Cab, Crew Cab
- Bed lengths
- 6.9 ft, 8 ft
- Fuel economy
- Not EPA-rated (heavy-duty pickups over 8,500 lb GVWR are exempt from EPA fuel-economy labels)
- Pricing notes
- Excluding destination: 2500HD WT Regular Cab 2WD $45,900; 2500HD WT Regular Cab 4WD $48,700 (cheapest 4x4, per Cars.com); 3500HD from $46,800. Chevrolet.com trim starts (2500HD): Custom $49,200, LT $52,600, LTZ $63,300, ZR2 $73,200, High Country $73,600. Trail Boss is a package on LT and LTZ; ZR2 Bison is a package on ZR2.
- Configurations
- Regular Cab (long bed), Double Cab and Crew Cab (standard 6-ft-9-in or 8-ft long bed). 3500HD offers single or dual rear wheels. ZR2 is a 2500HD Crew Cab standard-bed 4WD only.
Off-road hardware
4WD / AWD system
Part-time 4WD with a two-speed transfer case (4-High and 4-Low) on 4x4 models. GM does not publish the low-range ratio or trim-by-trim transfer-case details on its consumer site.
Locking differentials
Automatic locking rear differential (G80) is standard from the WT up. The ZR2 and ZR2 Bison swap it for a rear electronic locker, which GM says has no speed limit when Off-Road mode is engaged. No front locker is offered.
| Approach angle | 29.8° |
|---|---|
| Breakover angle | 22.6° |
| Departure angle | 25.7° |
| Ground clearance | 11.8 in |
| Water fording | Not published |
Off-road tech
- Multimatic DSSV dampers (ZR2)
- Rear electronic locker without speed limit in Off-Road mode (ZR2)
- Automatic locking rear differential
- Two-speed transfer case
- Up to 14 camera views including trailering views
Engines & transmissions
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6L gas V8Standard engine from the WT up; the ZR2 is offered with either engine. | 401 hp | 464 lb-ft | 10-speed Allison automatic |
| Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel V8Available on every trim. | 470 hp | 975 lb-ft | 10-speed Allison automatic |
The off-road trims
Z71 Off-Road Package
Z71 shocks and suspension package; it is the basis of the Trail Boss package and part of the Z71 Chrome Sport Edition on LT and LTZ.
Trail Boss (package on LT and LTZ)
Z71 shocks and suspension package, skid plates, blacked-out trim, 20-in black wheels with BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires and red recovery hooks.
ZR2
1.5-in lift, Multimatic DSSV dampers, rear e-locker, 35-in Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires on 18x9 wheels, steel transfer-case skid and aluminum front skid; 11.6-in clearance and 32.5-degree approach.
ZR2 Bison Edition (package on ZR2)
AEV high-approach-cut steel bumpers, AEV stamped-steel skid plates for the front, steering rack, exhaust and transfer case, and AEV 18-in wheels; 11.8-in clearance.
What's new for 2026
Minor changes: an integrated trailer brake controller is now standard across the lineup, the Multi-Flex tailgate becomes standard on ZR2, and there are new 20-in wheels plus White Sands and Polar White Tricoat paint. Trail Boss (on LT and LTZ) and a Stars & Steel Special Edition are offered.
Rivals worth a look
Sources & data notes
These specs were checked on September 24, 2026 against the sources below, starting with the manufacturer's own material. When a figure isn't published, we leave it blank instead of estimating. Ratings are maximums for the best-equipped configuration; confirm yours on the door-jamb labels.
Sources for this page 12
- chevrolet.comchevrolet.com/trucks/silverado/2500hd-3500hd
- chevrolet.comchevrolet.com/trucks/silverado/2500hd-3500hd/specs-models
- chevrolet.comchevrolet.com/content/dam/chevrolet/na/us/english/index/trucks/trailering-and-towing/2026_Silverado_2500_HD.pdf
- chevrolet.comchevrolet.com/content/dam/chevrolet/na/us/english/index/trucks/trailering-and-towing/2026_Silverado_3500_HD.pdf
- news.gm.comnews.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2023/apr/0413-silveradohd.html
- news.gm.comnews.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2026/mar/0318-zr2.html
- gmauthority.comgmauthority.com/blog/gm/chevrolet/silverado/2027-chevrolet-silverado/
- cars.comcars.com/research/chevrolet-silverado_2500-2026/trims/
- edmunds.comedmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-2500hd/2026/
- edmunds.comedmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-2500hd/2026/features-specs/
- edmunds.comedmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-3500hd/2026/
- kbb.comkbb.com/chevrolet/silverado-3500-hd-crew-cab/2026/
Understand the hardware
