The 3/4-ton 2500HD and 1-ton 3500HD pickups come with two-door Regular or four-door Extended or Crew cabs with 6.5- or 8-foot beds and single- or dual-wheel rear axles.
      Buyers will choose a Vortec 6-liter gasoline engine or Duramax 6.6-liter diesel, both V-8s. The 8.1-liter gasoline V-8 has been dropped from Class 2 and Class 3 pickups, but is still available in GM's medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
      The styling follows the chunkiness of the new 1500s, but has bolder outlines to suggest the 2500/3500HDs' greater payload and towing capacities. Chevies and GMCs get unique hoods, front fenders, grilles, headlights and tail lamps and pickup-box designs. Tolerances between sheet metal panels are tighter, and the gap between the pickup box and cab is said to be half as long as before.
      The windshield has a 57-degree rake for low wind resistance and smooth appearance. The Extended cab's rear-hung back doors swing on dual-action hinges to open 170 degrees, folding almost flat against the pickup body for easy loading and unloading on parking lots.
      Interior packages are Pure Pickup with a straight-across dashboard, and Luxury Inspired with a center audio and HVAC stack and fancier materials and appointments. There are numerous storage spaces in both trim levels. Special sound-deadening sprays and foams keep the cab interiors insulated from road noise.
      The ladder-section frame includes hydroformed box sections in front that contribute to greater stiffness. This, along with rack-and-pinion steering and suspension refinements, make for a smooth and highly controlled ride, according to GM executives. Four-wheel-drive trucks can be had with a Z71 Off Road package, which was formerly limited to 1/2-ton pickups.
      The standard Generation IV Vortec 6-liter gasoline V-8 has variable valve timing and is rated at 353 horsepower and 373 pounds-feet. The optional Duramax diesel V-8 has been enlarged from 6 to 6.6 liters and has advanced combustion, air management and exhaust aftertreatment equipment to meet EPA '07 emissions limits. The Duramax's rating of 365 horsepower and 660 pounds-feet is the strongest announced for this segment.
      Both engines come standard with six-speed automatic transmissions, a new Hydra-Matic 6L90 for the Vortec and Allison 1000 for the Duramax. No manual transmissions are offered, marketers explain, because few customers bought them in the GMT800 pickups. An integrated trailer-brake controller is now available.
      Safety was given considerable attention in the GMT900 pickups, say GM executives. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard, along with large four-wheel disc brakes. Rear-impact sensors work with those in the front air bags to deploy the bags and tighten seat-belt tensioners in front or rear crashes. Cab structures use high-strength steel and special adhesives to resist crushing.
      GM's On-Star call-in system is standard, and a radio/navigation system with touch screen and turn-by-turn prompting is optional. Also available are ultrasonic rear parking assist, and power sliding window on Extended and Crew cabs. Stadium-type fold-up rear seats are standard. A variety of tool boxes and cargo securement devices are available, and an EZ Lift tailgate assist using torque rods is standard.