Spied: 2019 GM Medium-Duty Commercial Pickup
It was a few years ago that Navistar and GM announced they'd be collaborating on a new platform that would allow GM to re-enter the medium-duty commercial truck segment. Production is reported to begin in 2018 at Navistar's Springfield, Ohio, production plant. According to previous reports, Navistar will add as many as 300 jobs to produce the new commercial player, investing more than $12 million into the facility for upgrades and line improvements. Our hope is that the low-hanging DEF-tank-looking feature under the passenger door is just to fool us into thinking GM hasn't put the real DEF tank someplace much less exposed. Here's the note our spy shooters just sent in:
"This is Navistar's new medium-duty truck, co-developed with GM.
"This vehicle is part of a 2015 deal between Navistar and GM to make a new Class 4/5 truck platform model that will replace the International TerraStar and, by default, the old GMC TopKick and Chevrolet Kodiak models.
"Based on a version of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 chassis, it gets eight-lug-nut 19.5-inch rims, the Duramax diesel, unique International styling and a fiberglass hood shell instead of an aluminum heavy-duty hood. A gasoline GM V-8 is also expected to be offered.
"Sources say to expect the truck to debut in March 2018 at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis."
SpiedBilde images
Comments
Better late than never, I guess.
Plus-- they're offering a gas-engine option...
just like......
....Ford.
I see more GM class 4/5 trucks (older Kodiaks and topkicks) on the road than I see F-650/750s....
To be honest, most commercial trucks I see aren't even GM or Ford, they are real big truck manufactures.
As I recall Ford got a lot of complaints on the 450 pickup with 19.5" rims because the tires are limited to 75mph and some people just don't like driving that slowly.
Navistar is to build trucks for GM.
I don’t understand why GM chose Navistar. When GM sold the GM MD truck it was a far better truck than Navistar.
Navistar was always a cheap truck and you could do a walk around on the GM and show how much better the GM Truck was to the navijunk.
So they'll now have rebadged Nissan vans, and rebadged Navistar's Izuzu trucks?
GM is playing catch up but the solution is still just rebadges.
@papajim--Not my comment. But Honda does it better than GM. From lawn mowers to trucks. Always has. Always will.
the 2019 GM Medium-Duty Commercial Pickup will be my next truck. Hope they return with the 454 big block and a manual trans!
This will make beating Ford $$$$ even more easy HAHAHA!
This will make beating Ford $$$$ even more easy HAHAHA!
Correct me if I am wrong here PUTC.
Did't GM sell off their medium/heavy truck line to Navistar? And that was the Terrastar, right? Which was the old Topkick/Kodiack 4500-8500.
So this new truck is a GM built International or a Navistar built GM or badged as both? Or totally new?
Thats not a pick up by the way, that s a flat bed/stake body.
New truck, co-developed between GM and Navistar. Ford the record, only GM offered a gas engine in a medium duty between 1996 and 2010, so it was actually Ford copying GM in that regard.
I hope that they are better than the old Kodiak. It had the same drivetrain as the 3500 so both were limited to same GCWR which meant that the 3500 was actually rated to pull more. I have heard that the Kodiak was better for hauling things than the 3500 but when I was shopping for a motorhome on the Kodiak chassis I kept coming across articles where people had spent $5,000 or more to make the Kodiak driveable. I ended up buying a coach on a Freightliner chassis and feel like that was a good decision.
Chevy headlights- better add a chrome Line and bow tie
Why not make a 4500 and 5500 Sierra/Silverado? and beat F450,550
The last GM medium duty trucks used Van architecture for the cabs which gave better front line of sight. Under the vinyl wrap is a chrome grill which should make this truck cab version pop.
The last GM medium duty trucks used Van architecture for the cabs which gave better front line of sight. Under the vinyl wrap is a chrome grill which should make this truck cab version pop.
The last GM medium duty trucks used Van architecture for the cabs which gave better front line of sight. Under the vinyl wrap is a chrome grill which should make this truck cab version pop.
The 85 of these they sell every year won't help them fend of RAM for 2nd place. Next story....
Yep, here we go again; shaky GOVT motors playing catch up to Ford with rebadged medium duty trucks LOL...
Better late than never, I guess.
Plus-- they're offering a gas-engine option...
just like......
....Ford.
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Jun 26, 2017 11:47:28 AM
I wish Chrysler would join the party.
GM did NOT sell their MD unit to Navistar. they shut it down.
The Cab looks like a current gen Gm pickup cab, with a typical tilt hood. This has to be WAY cheaper for Navistar than assembling their own cab for the Terrastar has been. They can use a Commercial tuned Duramax in both and Navistar can send their V8 out to pasture. Navistar saves $$$ on engine development. They'll use an Allison trans any way you slice it. The GM 6L gasser is a fine work horse in a pickup, but seems like it would be miserable in a class 5 truck. Ford is building a 7L. GM should, too. Nice tall-deck stroker, with stacks of torque.
The GM 6L gasser is a fine work horse in a pickup, but seems like it would be miserable in a class 5 truck. Ford is building a 7L. GM should, too. Nice tall-deck stroker, with stacks of torque.
Posted by: Mr Knowitall
@Knowitall
GM could dust off the old Mark IV motor with some form of VVT and updates to electronics and fuel system. It has the potential for up to 8 liters in displacement, which would be perfect as GM's medium duty entry level engine.
@jeff: If Navistar is to learn about anything that GM had or has to offer when it comes to building Commercial Grade Trucks, they'll have no choice but to get it right, lets just hope that the marketing strategy that they use once the trucks officially go on sale, will be well enough to pull it off for the long run.
@papajim- you mean like a mass-production version of the LSX 454? Or maybe an L86 derivative, iron block, stroker... same HP (420 is plenty) and 500 lb-ft of torque- somewhere under 3000rpm. Hooked to an Allison...
GM is playing catch up but the solution is still just rebadges.
@Mrknowitall
I was referring to the old Mark IV motor aka Vortec 8100
The 8100 would be a beast if they updated the EFI and offered VVT. It would also be much cheaper to build than a Gen 4 or Gen 5 engine.
We're talking a base engine for the 2500 that should be ok with 87 octane pump gas and flex fuel capable.
Smart move on GMs part, not typically their MO, The International Chassis is head and shoulders better than Ford and Dodge, true medium components,
Tilt nose will attract many for ease of maintenance
Duramax and Allison combo is unmatched
Only question will be GVW, need to be in the 21-23k range to really separate from the Competition
This will be interesting as Volkswagen slowly buys Navistar. If VW pulls the plug on this arrangement, what is the GM plan B? Navistar pulled the plug on the previous Medium Duty agreement with GM at the last minute and it lead to GM exiting the segment. GM catchphrase at that time "Medium Duty is not their core business". Flash forward and collateral fleet sales have suffered a great deal for not having a broader portfolio. Rebadging a Nissan van, Isuzu LCF and now a Navistar built medium duty is the answer to Ford having a highly profitable, propriety commercial truck line up.
Rebadging a Nissan van, Isuzu LCF and now a Navistar built medium duty is the answer to Ford having a highly profitable, propriety commercial truck line up.
@GMGoofed
Your remarks are ironic given that Ford's stock has been in the crapper for the better part of 5 years and Ford's product development decisions have had dreadfully poor timing in the marketplace.
GM has wisely exited some markets, like Europe, that did not work out, with the result being that GM's stock looks great over the last several years and theyre presently very close to their 52 week high.
Ford? Sorry. Not so much.
Ford and GM stock isn't judged on the Fleet and Commercial business exclusively. Not a true measure of the performance, nor the decisions of the Commercial truck groups.
Currently Ford has roughly 60% market share in the class 3-5 truck market. GM currently hovers around 4 to 7% in these same markets. Now they are bringing back a class 4-5 truck and only giving it the Chevy dealers, which weren't the backbone of their previous success. GMC dealers sold more Class 4-7 trucks than Chevy dealers did. Not to mention that International dealers will have a very similar product offering as Chevy (cosmetic differences only?)
Time will tell, joint ventures come and go, better have a plan B.
GM had more sense than Ford and didn't let Navistar build their Diesel engine at least. 6.0 Powerstroke. Need I say anything else!?
Really disappointed there wont be a GMC version of the 4500/5500 GM Medium Duty -- I remember when GMC had the super heavy duty trucks like the DF920 conventional and DF860 diesel COE and the Cannonball COE of the 1950s and the greatly styled 1955-59 heavy duty trucks with wrap around windshields, and Chevy starting getting badges on some like the Spartan and Viking and the 8401 in the late 50s, but never had the big trucks like GMC. Even the 1992-2002 GMC mediums looked great I guess I will have to be content with my 2016 Sierra Crew Cab which is great and my 1955 GMC 100 long-wheelbase pickup V-8 with GM Truck Hydramatic. .
The comments to this entry are closed.