5 Reasons the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado Is Late to the Medium-Duty Party
Anytime a manufacturer returns to a vehicle class it left, the assumption is that something changed.
Example: The mid-size 2019 Ford Ranger that's due to go on sale at the end of this year resulted from dealers pushing to get a U.S. version of the popular global Ranger following the successful (and risky) introduction of the mid-size GM twins, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.
Now it looks like GM has bowed to dealer demands with the introduction of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado as a medium-duty truck at the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. It's a class in which GM has not had a player for nearly 10 years. But there's more behind this introduction than dealer pressure. As we understand it, GM's return to the medium-duty class had to do with finding the right partner to defray manufacturing and engineering costs. That's where Navistar and its Ohio production plant comes in.
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500/5500/6500 is not exactly a bold dive back into the deep end of the work-truck pool, but it's certainly cost effective. Nevertheless, we have some reservations about it:
1. Fleet Buyers Have Long Memories
Nothing bothers a fleet buyer or commercial truck business owner more than not being able to depend on their vehicles or suppliers for service. When GM left this market, many of those buyers had to make other arrangements and buy from other manufacturers to fix or replace aging trucks. That very likely left a bad taste that could take a few years to mend.
2. What's Changed?
Following GM's restructuring after its collapse, it's hard to believe that it took this long for the business case for medium-duty trucks to get the green light. More likely, it took GM time to find a partner willing and able to do most of the heavy lifting on this project. Thankfully, Navistar has plant capacity and plenty of experience building medium-duty trucks (think International TerraStar and DuraStar).
3. Doesn't Navistar Have Its Own Trucks?
We're not sure about a strategy that involves entering a truck class with a competitor that is likely to have a vehicle with almost the exact same specifications. It seems likely that International, Navistar's premium truck brand, also will offer a truck in this highly competitive class.
4. Do Customers Want a One-Ton Interior?
No one will tell you more clearly than the drivers of these vehicles that the interiors need to be better. As a rule, they've always been quite functional and designed to take punishment, which includes being easily cleanable. Making the interior of this medium-duty truck look identical to a Silverado 3500 interior could make some of the owners and drivers happy, but isn't there a lot of wasted space with a center console and a conventional dashboard layout?
5. You Can't Escape Your Past
You can bet that competitors will not let fleet and commercial buyers forget how GM abandoned the medium-duty class and suggest that it's possible GM could do it again if the trucks don't turn a profit in a short time. Still, our guess is savvy Chevy dealers will be nimble and humble, reminding customers that they now have a full pickup truck lineup — from the mid-size Colorado to a medium-duty low-cab-forward Silverado — to meet their every need.
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Comments
GM will be the Nissan Titan of the medium duty market.
What's odd to me is that it uses the CURRENT generation truck cab- check out the kink in the back door. It matches current trucks. That means they'll have a-change this truck in just a few years, or b-build a stock-pile of cabs to supply throughout the run. Otherwise the economy of scale from sharing the regular pick-up cab goes out the window.
Most of the facts in Mr William's commentary today could apply to Ford as well.
In recent years Ford's cache of research-development money went toward micro vans and little trucklets. Admittedly, RAM and GM would have probably done the same but they didn't have the R-D dough that Ford did at that time.
I'm thinking that Mark's comments are mostly on-target but the market for these trucks is changing faster today than anytime in the last 25 years, so all bets are off. Hiring is up, construction permits are up, new businesses are popping up all around.
The perfect time for GM to come to market with something their marketers can call "All New" and actually be telling the truth.
Let's talk about the stock-holders GM abandoned as well... I hope they sell none.
Let's talk about the stock-holders GM abandoned as well... I hope they sell none.
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 8:23:01 AM
Time to move on. We can spend an entire thread talking about how each company screwed investors or customers.
Let it die already.
The 5 reasons are valid. Speculative, but valid.
I've said this before, most of your large up fitters use a lot of different brands. Most already have GM HD trucks in use. It will boil down to more choice for them and which truck is easiest to up fit.
It's also more about what to buy now than what they bought last year. ROI and COO drive fleets. Not my favorite truck is....
It will be a slow up hill climb for market share.
It will be a slow up hill climb for market share....Posted by: andrwken | Mar 14, 2018
@andrwken
Please! This is not a "market share" discussion. GM has owned Ford's butt the last 5 years and did not even HAVE a medium duty player.
GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
It will be a slow up hill climb for market share....Posted by: andrwken | Mar 14, 2018
@andrwken
Please! This is not a "market share" discussion. GM has owned Ford's butt the last 5 years and did not even HAVE a medium duty player.
GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
Posted by: papajim | Mar 14, 2018 9:05:54 AM
------
Easy papa,
I'm talking about market share in this class specifically, which right now is zero, correct?
"Let it die already."
Posted by: andrwken
Oh -- it's dead as can be, bro--I'll NEVER buy another GM again!
Time will tell...I know three plowing/landscaping companies that only use gm trucks and two of them will be buying a gm med duty.
The one i plow for bought a f450 with a v10 and they sold it after 2 years because they hated it and their gm 1 ton dumps could do everything it did using less fuel even when overloaded. The company i plow for wanted to buy a 4500/5500 this December but was not available yet.. So he got a new gm 3500hd dump and wants to buy a 4500/5500 this fall/winter. but the lack of gas option is not making him happy.
Oh -- it's dead as can be, bro--I'll NEVER buy another GM again!
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 10:26:32 AM
Ditto!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh -- it's dead as can be, bro--I'll NEVER buy another GM again!
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 10:26:32 AM
Ditto!
Posted by: Frank | Mar 14, 2018 11:46:39 AM
Neither of you ever owned a new GM in your lives.
Oh -- it's dead as can be, bro--I'll NEVER buy another GM again!
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 10:26:32 AM
Ditto!
Posted by: Frank | Mar 14, 2018 11:46:39 AM
Neither of you ever owned a new GM in your lives.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Mar 14, 2018 12:14:51 PM
Go cry to your momma, I had a '73 Cheyenne, the back bed rusted out in the mid 80s.
All the key words about GM are in this article...
"collapse"
"restructuring"
"abandoned"
Like the article says "you cant escape your past".
With enough government money GM can rebadge other manufactures stuff and yet again return to markets they abandoned... maybe with better non organic products (like Navistars or Renaults).
At least it will be good for US workers in Ohio if GM pulls another dump, run, take me back, over on their very forgetful, ignorant to history, blindly to a fault loyal fans, again...
GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
@andrwken
Repeat. GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
It's not a discussion of market share within a tiny market.
^^^
LMFAO!
blindly to a fault loyal fans, again...
Posted by: Clint | Mar 14, 2018 1:26:30 PM
Fans aren't the ones buying a truck of this nature, Fleet managers are. Fleet mangers will be looking at things like specifications and pricing to help determine which vehicle best fits their needs. With respect to leaving the market and returning, it will have little effect on the success of these trucks. Truthfully, vehicles of this nature easily have a 10+ year life cycle and therefore are now returning to offer customers a replacement for their old topkicks.
Go cry to your momma, I had a '73 Cheyenne, the back bed rusted out in the mid 80s.
@ Frank
If it was a '73 Ford it would have rusted out by '76 and been dead on road in '77! Junk!! My dad had one of those turds with a 390. Pathetic 161 hp gas sucking, smoke bowing junk. One of the reasons I couldn't stand Fords. Gave him so many problems!
Got rid of it for an 83 three on tree ck10! It was awesome as a kid watching him shift that thing from the column instead of the floor...great memories!!!
@GMSRGREAT
Dude you're lookin' for love in all the wrong places.
Frank and Clint and the other goofball that's always writing HAHAHA in all caps are not up to your better stuff. Seriously
I agree, there are a lot of loyal GM Fans out there.
If they made a HD GM truck from cardboard with a lawnmower engine they would still buy it and proclaim it's the best.
but what I don't understand WHY they will pay MORE money for a GM
loyalty has it's limits where there's a fine line between loyalty and the local GM Dealer ripping you off
the reason I brag about my F-150 is because I feel I got it at a bargain with $15K off sticker price where I priced the Silverado and Ram at the same time, I just couldn't see either the Silverado or Ram worth the extra $10K over the F-150
I would feel really stupid knowing I paid that much more.
@ Ecoboost Rules
What F150 do you have?? The STX package or XLT package??
XLT competes with the LT models....
You can't compare an STX or XLT to an LTZ totally different ball park.
I will give ford credit for offering more engines in their lower trims but I would buy a small block V8 over a blown lawn mower engine!!
@GMSRGREAT
Dude you're lookin' for love in all the wrong places.
Frank and Clint and the other goofball that's always writing HAHAHA in all caps are not up to your better stuff. Seriously
Posted by: papajim | Mar 14, 2018 3:11:48 PM
You both should get a room.
European and Japanese manufacturers would not call these MDT’s. Their MDT’s are more your Class 7/8
I gather the Chevrolet is built as an up fitters vehicle. In that regard it maybe successful, but it’s GVWR is light for a US spec “MDT”
There will be the worry that GM pulls out again. In that case Navistar almost identical models will have parts.
Interesting strategy by GM as they are using Isuzu as a Cabover
“MDT” as well. This time adding the 6 Litre Gas engine to the small 5.2 Diesel
That Isuzu model is listed as a light truck in Australia by Isuzu.
I think the IQ of Frank and chingon combined don’t even reach normal
so ford is late whit is ranger if people remenber the problem this truck have before,,,right,,
Miath you don’t understand FORD never has problems remember that because they are the best
Miath you don’t understand FORD never has problems remember that because they are the best
Posted by: Leon | Mar 14, 2018 6:31:03 PM
Ford never has problems huh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-13_A-2F90
Ford never has problems huh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-13_A-2F90
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Mar 14, 2018 6:52:50 PM
Ford's entry to driver-less cars.
Navistar does have its own truck in this class. I doubt getting parts for this truck will be that hard. Navistar formerly International has been making trucks in this class a long long time. At one time IH had their own pickup which was No. 3 in the market ahead of Dodge. GM if anything has partnered with the right partner with many many years of experience in making this size of truck.
Ford never has problems huh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-13_A-2F90
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Mar 14, 2018 6:52:50 PM
Ford's entry to driver-less cars.
Posted by: Yeah | Mar 14, 2018 7:14:50 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Dang, that's good!
GM is just stepping in to the place ford was in. Navistar (International) built Ford's 7.3, 6.0 and 6.4 diesel engines. Also Navistar built the F650 and f750. GM is making progress by following what Ford has already done.
Let's talk about the stock-holders GM abandoned as well... I hope they sell none.
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 8:23:01 AM
If anyone thinks the stockholders got abandon you aint seen nothing until you see what happened to the bondholders.
They got beyond totally screwed.
Frank is Chingon .. Smarts of a twig.
My ecoboost is a big pile of crap, I hope GM sells lots of these trucks.
Let's talk about the stock-holders GM abandoned as well... I hope they sell none.
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Mar 14, 2018 8:23:01 AM
Lets talk about the decade of Ford Superduty owners that had their worthless Powerstroke fail under warranty and Ford blamed the owner. I know at least a dozen guys that had 6.0 or 6.4 fail and Ford told them to pay up or take a hike. They kept on selling those worthless engines for years, knowing the whole time that they were junk. Heck, Ford kept putting them into ambulances, knowing that those engines would eventually fail when they were needed most.
-------------------------------------------------------
I agree, there are a lot of loyal GM Fans out there.
If they made a HD GM truck from cardboard with a lawnmower engine they would still buy it and proclaim it's the best.
Posted by: Ecoboost Rules | Mar 14, 2018 3:31:47 PM
The same could be said about the Ford guys that kept buying Superduties back in the 6.0 aka 6-blow days. Even the 6.4 was complete garbage. Then there was the 5.4 Triton, one of the worst engines Ford has put out in the last 20 years. Then there are the guys that kept throwing money away, buying Ecobusts that ate timing chains, had cam phaser failures left and right, cracked spark plugs, dumped fuel into the oil, blew turbos that puked metal into the engine oil and took out the bottom end, stalled and misfired for YEARS, etc.
-------------------------------------------
but what I don't understand WHY they will pay MORE money for a GM
loyalty has it's limits where there's a fine line between loyalty and the local GM Dealer ripping you off
the reason I brag about my F-150 is because I feel I got it at a bargain with $15K off sticker price where I priced the Silverado and Ram at the same time, I just couldn't see either the Silverado or Ram worth the extra $10K over the F-150
I would feel really stupid knowing I paid that much more.
Posted by: Ecoboost Rules | Mar 14, 2018 3:31:47 PM
As a former Ford pickup fan, I would GLADLY pay more for a current generation GM truck over the weak unreliable throwaway trucks Ford has been pumping out over the last 20 years. Unreliable, poorly designed engines. Weak and cheap axles (F-150). Weak stamped steel IFS. Plastic hub locks with an extremely unreliable vac assist system. Failure prone master cylinders (ecoboost models). Weak tinfoil beds that are poorly assembled and prone to rip apart. Poor fit and finish - wavy body panels, terrible paint, misaligned doors, warped dashes, etc.
There's a reason Ford has to throw all that cash on the hood of the aluminum F-150's. Frankly it's a bad sign for Ford that they have the newest truck out yet need to put that much cash on the hood. What happened to aluminum being a game changer that would allow Ford to command a premium for their trucks?
Wow so much misinformed opinion about the new 4500/5500 HD...
GM isn't re-entering this segment with intentions of topping everyone else in the segment or even fighting to be #1 in sales in this class. GM is re-entering this segment because fleet buyers want to be able to "one-stop shop". That's why GM has begun offering a chassis cab Colorado, a City Express van based on the Nissan NV200, and an Isuzu-based Low Cab Forward Truck. They're filling out their portfolio at the request of fleet buyers.
“Fleet businesses and buyers of trucks that people use to make a living think it’s very helpful to have the service, parts and brand in common,” Mark Reuss, GM’s global product chief, told Trucks.com in an interview earlier this year. “They like one-stop shopping. We will have a commercial piece of that, an adjacent business to our light-duty trucks.”
And as far as this articles critique about "wasted space" with the center console, perhaps they should have looked at what GM's stated goals for these trucks were:
“The Silverado 4500HD/5500HD trucks are the flagship of our full-line commercial truck portfolio and we’ve designed them to be among the best in the industry in maneuverability, serviceability, visibility, quietness and comfort, diesel fuel economy, and more,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, General Motors Fleet.
Ever drive an F-550 with it's stripped down interior? It's not the kind of truck you would want to be in for a long drive. Nobody else in this class ever talks about maneuverability, visibility, quietness or comfort. I guess we'll see if this strategy works out.
TNTGMC
My F-150 is the XLT Sport with the 302A equiptment package with every option except moonroof and leather with 3.5 Eco-Boost
sticker price $48K
discount $15K
OTD price $33K
I couldn't touch a new Silverado All Star options for less than $40K or a Ram for $38K OTD (both the Silverado and Ram had LESS options than the F-150 and they cost MORE)
also the NADA Book Price for my USED F-150 is $38K and I only paid $33K for it,,,,,so I am extra happy it's now worth more than what I paid for it
lesson learned: you can buy a NEW F-150 for less money than a used one costs
that's WHY the F-150 is selling
Vincent
I have proof you are making up ghost problems about the F-150 Eco-Boost because you didn't mention the #1 problem that all Eco-Boost engines have: "the throttle body" !! sticking throttle bodies are a problem they all have.
So instead of making up problems at least you can do is get it right about the one problem they do have.
The Ranger will steal a few sales from competitors but most sales will come from F-150. All of the sales from this truck will come from its competitors.
Ecoboost, the F150 I just drove was 8 k more than the Ram, it must depend on what dealer and where you live.
-CT
@ Ecoboost Rules
You basically have an All Star Silverado with leather...and yes they have $11K off of it right now, so it would be really close. Plus, you would have the best small block V8 engine building company in the business under your hood!! LOL!! JK
Congrats on the purchase though of your truck. you got a really good deal. Doesn't mean everyone is going to get that type of deal bc around here they are very close the Chevy and Ford.. Now GMC I can see bc they are around $4 to $5k more
you can buy a NEW F-150 for less money than a used one costs
Posted by: Ecoboost Rules | Mar 15, 2018
@Ecoboost Rules
Hanged with your own rope. In your own words you have explained why an F150 needs $15K on the hood to sell it.
GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
@andrwken
Repeat. GM is entering this market again purely to make their dealers happy. Their timing is perfect.
It's not a discussion of market share within a tiny market.
Posted by: papajim | Mar 14, 2018 2:26:15 PM
"Conquesting truck buyers is not an easy task. GM executives, however, believe the Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD are differentiated enough from the competition to eventually gain upward of a 25 to 30 percent share of the medium-duty truck segment, matching pre-bankruptcy levels."
Their words not yours or mine.
Sounds like market share in this class is on their minds...
@andrwken
I have asserted (correctly) that GM execs are responding to pressure from the nation's GM dealers. It is the dealers who call the tunes on this sort of move.
GM has fleets of executives, big deal!
They have a fairly small number of extremely influential dealers, and they listen to them VERY closely. Please don't doubt me on this.
@ Mark. I think we miss the point here. This is a parts bin truck that is targeted for a consumer that is not really going to care about styling and comfort. It's a different medium duty approach than say a F-450 King Ranch. No way someone would choose this over that to pull to the horse shows but it will compete well against a F-650 or an expensive medium duty offering from KW or Peterbilt. AS far as abandoning the segment? I think GM was probably more forced out at the time rather than just deciding they didn't want to play. Remember, they didn't hold the cards at that time and it's it seems more than just timing that they re-enter the segment after the Obama admin. has left the white house.
Even more so, GM medium duties have always been parts bin truck, a pickup cab and dash and pickup engines in a heavy frame. You had to move up to Class 7 or 8 trucks to get specific built trucks (General,Brigadier, Bison). I think the audience for this truck is more blue collar than country club and having a truck that can share componnets of a massed produced pickup is cheap for the owner. It saves a lot when you can replace a door from a junk yard pickup rather than ordering across the parts counter an that's what made these trucks appealing in the past. They were tough enough, cheap enough and just enough to keep a small business owner working.
papajim, that is true for any. Case in point, a LTZ silverado new less rebates is 32K, I saw a used 2017 Silverado (22K miles) at a local used truck lot for 42K.
-CT
@ CT
If u can get an LTZ Silverado for $32K. That makes Ecoboost rules deal look silly. The LTZ has ton more features than his XLT does!!!
Ecoboost Rules: Sorry man that's a steal of a deal!
I can't see the Silverados succeeding/taking significant marketshare. Since GM left, most fleet owners (including myself) looked to Ram to replace their Kodiaks and haven't really looked back. The five Ram 5500s we have are easy to service since we contracted with a Cummins service center where we could either send our trucks in or have a service guy come on site. I'm actually surprised that GM didn't step up the GCWR on these medium duties because the best way I could see them ease back into the market is through dedicated gooseneck/hot shot hauling. Would be very tough when a Chevy 6500 has a lower GCWR than a Ram 4500.
Check the web for a story on Navistar. Seems a lot of old GM execs are there now running the place. Navistar said International would get a version of this truck. Reckon GM took care of their old buddies by letting them put this together for them and use some idle plant capacity?
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