
While consumer vehicles are constantly being tweaked to capture buyers’ interest, commercial vehicles are more about practicality than pizzazz.

A new 6.6-litre V8 turbodiesel offered with the Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty makes 445 horsepower and 910 lb.-ft. of torque.
The most remarkable changes in the commercial vehicle offering for 2017 are in the heavy-duty pickup segment, with an all-new Super Duty from Ford, and a new diesel engine from General Motors.
The Super Duty, in 250, 350 and 450, now uses the same construction as the F-150: an aluminum body and high-strength steel frame, with barriers to prevent cross-metal corrosion. That construction dropped the F-150’s curb weight, but for the Super Duty, engineers put it back into beefier axles and brakes.
Engine choices are a 6.2-litre V8 making 385 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque, or a 6.7-litre V8 turbodiesel making 440 horsepower and 925 lb.-ft. of torque, both with six-speed automatic.
The mechanical twins of the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD receive a new 6.6-litre V8 turbodiesel that makes 445 horsepower and 910 lb.-ft. of torque, alongside the carried-over 6.0-litre V8 that makes 360 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque, both with six-speed automatic transmissions.
The only other heavy-duty, the Ram 2500/3500, carries over with few changes. It offers a 5.7-litre V8 (393 hp/400 torque) and 6.4-litre V8 making 410 horsepower (370 in Mega Cab configuration) and 429 lb.-ft. of torque, both with six-speed automatic transmissions. Three versions of the 6.7-litre inline-six turbodiesel are offered: 350 hp/660 torque with six-speed manual transmission; 370 hp/800 torque with six-speed automatic; and a high-output making 385 horsepower and 900 lb.-ft. of torque.
A fourth choice, the Nissan Titan XD, is meant to “bridge the gap” between a half-ton and three-quarter-ton truck, in size and capability. It offers a 5.6-litre V8 making 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque with seven-speed automatic, or 5.0-litre V8 turbodiesel making 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque with six-speed automatic. An all-new half-ton, which shares the XD’s V8, rounds out the Titan lineup for 2017.
To see what is available in 2017 in full-size pickups, small pickups, full-size vans and small vans, click here.