So you are big truck enthusiast that feels the need for size. Well, if a Chevrolet 3500 Silverado isn’t big enough for your needs, we have something you will want to have. How about the big boy of pickups, the Chevrolet Kodiak 4500. Not familiar with that truck? You are, but usually this medium duty heavy truck is more commonly configured as dump trucks, school buses and moving vans. But the folks at Monroe Truck Equipment Company have teamed up with Chevy to build the Kodiak 4500 pickup.
At the heart of the Kodiak is the Duramax 6600 diesel and Allison six-speed transmission (with PTO) that is found in the Silverado and Sierra HD trucks. And while versions of the Duramax can be tuned to 350 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, the medium-duty versions such as what’s in the Kodiak are not. The Kodiak power totals 300 horses and 605 pound-feet of torque, which provide plenty of grunt for getting around town and towing. At highway speeds, the Kodiak loafs along at under 2,000 rpm. But being a very large vehicle, you do not accelerate with anything close to regular truck speeds. Momentum gathers more locomotive-like. The Allision transmission though is remarkably smooth-shifting, seamlessly snicking off gears without any jerks to the chassis.
Steering and braking are quite good for such a huge vehicle, but its home is clearly the open road. You will need about four regular parking spots to visit your local Wal-Mart, and drive-throughs, whether at the bank or your favorite fast food restaurant, are really out of the question unless you like to spend a lot of cash for repairing buildings.
But if you are someone that has the need for a serious tow vehicle, with the power and weight to get almost the biggest consumer trailer down the road, the Kodiak 4500 pickup is your vehicle.
0 Responses to “If King Kong Built A Chevy”