2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 High Country 4WD

What Is It? This is a heavy-duty crew-cab pickup that is powered by a Duramax 6.6-liter Duramax turbo diesel and a box sized (8-ft) and equipped (spray-on liner; moveable upper tiedowns) to handle the sorts of loads that are all about work and possibly recreation, if building full-size Egyptian pyramids happens to be your hobby. This is a heavy-duty pickup that is tricked out on the interior such that with the leather and the heated/cooled front seats, the 8-inch diagonal touch screen, the multitude of charging ports, the Bose audio, 4G LTE connectivity, and the top-level material used for the trim, if this wasn’t something that you use the chrome assist step in order to clamber into and then something that you realize makes everything else on the road seem diminutive unless it happens to have a bulldog hood ornament, you might think you were in something from Cadillac, not Chevy.

Who Wants It? Farmers, ranchers, contractors, builders, rock gardeners (boulders only), Class 8 drivers who want a something to drive on the weekends without feeling cramped.

What Powers It? This particular vehicle has the Duramax Plus Package, a $9,645 option that provides a 6.6-liter turbo diesel that’s mated to an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic. This setup provides 445 hp @ 2,800 rpm and 910 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600 rpm (for enthusiasts of low-end torque). While this doesn’t fall into the purview of the powertrain, it should be noted that the vehicle has power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and a hydroboost braking system (after all, this is a diesel).

What About the Design? Well, the word impressive springs to mind. The front is a study in industrial execution with what appear to be a series of chrome billets that run horizontally across the front, including a piece that bisects the grille and divides pairs of lamps on either side. There is a huge bumper with fog lamps that are about the size of headlamps for a lesser vehicle inset and a set of chrome recovery hooks in the skid plate. What is an exceedingly nice touch is a horizontal vent in the hood that doesn’t look at all faux but completely serious: this thing works hard, and when you work hard you breathe heavy, so you need plenty of air. When you get toward the back, as this has a DRW configuration—that’s dual rear wheels or, simply, it’s a dually—there are massive fenders that flare out from the sides such that the amount of material used for each is probably more than in used to create the body-in-white for a Chevy Spark. (A word about how some clever technology helps with this arrangement. Yes, there are chrome trailering mirrors—which are heated, feature turn signals and, importantly, are folded with the push of a button on the arm rest. And the lower mirror, among other functions, allows the driver to readily see whether the truck is centered in the lane it is supposed to be in. But then there is another feature that is exceedingly helpful. Remember the aforementioned 8-inch color screen? When you activate the turn signal the screen shows the side of the truck that the signal indicates so that as the turn is made you can be cognizant of whether that set of tires is or isn’t going to hit something. Realize that the truck is 96 inches—or 8 feet—wide.)

What Can It Do? It has a GVWR of 13,025 lb. With a ball hitch it can trailer 20,000 pounds. With a fifth wheel that goes up to 23,100 pounds.

What Does It Cost? MSRP (not including $1,395 for destination) is $59,500. Price as driven (including the $9,645 Duramax Plus Package; $1,620 for rear-seat entertainment system; $995 for power sunroof; $495 for Cajun Red tint coat; $370 for special equipment for fifth wheel; $125 for LED cargo box lighting; $55 for radiator cover): $73,450 (including the destination and a $750 discount for the Duramax Plus Package).