In a first drive review for The Drive, writer Byron Hurd awards the 2027 Chevy Silverado HD a score of 8.5, praising its combination of a massive new diesel engine and fundamentally upgraded steering and brakes. While the light-duty 2027 Silverado 1500 primarily received new small-block V8 engines and exterior styling tweaks, Chevrolet gave its heavy-duty line an updated interior, new powertrains, and a segment-breaking move to electronic power steering and brakes.
Chevrolet also replaced its traditional recirculating-ball steering setup with a rack-and-pinion system. According to Hurd, these chassis changes make just as much of a difference to the truck as its new 8.3-liter Duramax engine, if not more.
The Basics: Steering Overhaul and Two V8 Options
Heavy-duty pickups have long relied on traditional steering boxes because they are robust and reliable, even if they are not ideal for daily driving. Hurd notes that General Motors (GM) took about a quarter-century after transitioning the light-duty Silverado to commit to rack-and-pinion steering on the heavy-duty models.
Under the hood, the headline addition is the new 8.3-liter Duramax turbo diesel V8, which produces 555 horsepower and 1,230 lb-ft of torque. That output gives the new 3500 HD a maximum tow rating of 38,000 pounds - double the capacity of the 6.6-liter gas V8. Unlike the light-duty truck, which received a new V8 related to the Corvette's LS6, the heavy-duty gas model keeps its previous-generation V8 architecture with minor edits, generating 412 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque.
The New Look: Subtle Exterior Updates
According to The Drive's review, the 2027 Silverado HD wears a mild exterior redesign that is easy to miss from the side profile. The visual changes are largely limited to new front lights along with revised bumper and grille designs.
Diesel models are easier to spot thanks to a large “8.3L Duramax” badge mounted on the hood.
The New Drive: Rack-and-Pinion and One-Pedal Off-Roading
Hurd explains that switching to rack-and-pinion steering does not change the truck's capability numbers on paper, but makes it more precise and less tiring to drive by reducing the need for constant small steering corrections. Asked by The Drive what makes the new setup special, Ken Morris, GM's senior vice president of product integration, safety, and motorsports, summed it up in two words: “Drive one.”
In Hurd's testing on a twisty mountain road, negotiating switchbacks did not feel like work the way it does in most heavy-duty pickups; instead, the truck drove like a slightly heavier half-ton pickup. While electronic power steering and brakes offer no raw capability advantage over hydraulic hardware, they allow full integration with Chevrolet's drive mode system.
During a short off-pavement drive in the Silverado HD ZR2, the reviewer tested how both Off-Road and Terrain modes alter brake and steering effort. Terrain mode also adds a computer-modulated one-pedal driving feature that Hurd found intuitive on steep inclines and descents, comparing it to a manual transmission locked in first gear that cannot stall.
The Big Duramax: 555 Horsepower on the Road
Compared to the outgoing Duramax, the new 8.3-liter diesel gains 85 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque. Testing the engine during Chevrolet's towing demonstrations, Hurd describes its road manners as “authoritative” without feeling overpowering, noting that power delivery remains fairly subtle.
Under hard acceleration, the big V8 whistles, snorts, and tries to kick the rear end toward whichever tire has less immediate traction before the truck's weight settles onto the axle and pulls like a locomotive. At idle and cruising speeds, the reviewer found that the diesel engine fades into the background until the driver squeezes the throttle, when it wakes up immediately.
2027 Chevrolet Silverado HD Specs
Chevrolet provided travel, hotel accommodations, and vehicle access for The Drive's review. The specifications and ratings from the test are detailed below:
| Specification | 6.6-Liter Gas V8 | 8.3-Liter Turbo Diesel V8 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price (as tested) | $49,995 (various) | $49,995 (various) |
| Powertrain | 6.6-liter gas V8 | 10-speed automatic | 2WD and 4WD | 8.3-liter turbo diesel V8 | 10-speed automatic | 2WD and 4WD |
| Horsepower | 412 @ 5,200 rpm | 555 @ 2,500 rpm |
| Torque | 472 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm | 1,230 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Towing Capacity | 19,000 pounds | 38,000 pounds (Max Tow Package) |
| Payload Capacity | 6,990 pounds | 6,170 pounds |
| Review Score | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Final Verdict: Everyday Comfort Meets Heavy-Duty Muscle
In his quick take and verdict, Hurd concludes that while the 8.3-liter diesel is a game-changer on its own, the Duramax is not the whole story. Combined with the new electronic steering and braking systems, the 2027 Chevy Silverado HD delivers what the reviewer calls a massive leap forward in everyday comfort, leapfrogging the heavy-duty truck segment.
This article was written by AI.
