What Chevy truck has Allison Transmission?
The Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD are the Chevy models most commonly equipped with an Allison-branded automatic transmission, specifically a 10-speed unit paired with the Duramax diesel engine.
Allison Transmission, a leading maker of heavy‑duty automatic gearboxes, supplies the 10‑speed automatic used in General Motors’ high-torce pickup lineup. While GM’s light‑duty trucks use their own Hydra-Matic automatics, the heavy‑duty Silverado models—especially those powered by the Duramax diesel—are the configurations most closely associated with Allison transmissions. This arrangement is designed to deliver robust towing, payload capacity, and durable performance under load.
Which Chevy models use Allison transmissions
The following summaries reflect the most common, current configurations observed in the market. Availability can vary by model year, trim level, and market.
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: Duramax turbo-diesel V8 paired with a 10-speed Allison automatic transmission.
- Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD: Duramax turbo-diesel V8 paired with a 10-speed Allison automatic transmission.
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Light-duty variant that generally uses GM Hydra-Matic transmissions and does not typically use Allison units.
In short, if you’re chasing maximum torque and towing capability from a Chevy, the Duramax-powered Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD are the models most commonly paired with an Allison 10‑speed automatic.
Why Allison matters for Chevy heavy‑duty trucks
The Allison 10-speed automatic is built to handle heavy workloads, offering more gears for smooth launches under load and improved control when towing. For Duramax-powered trucks, the transmission pairing is designed to enhance reliability, fuel efficiency under heavy load, and durability in demanding conditions.
What about other Chevy lines?
Most other Chevy models—such as the Colorado midsize pickup and the light-duty Silverado 1500—use GM’s own Hydra-Matic transmissions rather than Allison units. Allison transmissions are most prominent in General Motors’ heavy‑duty and commercial offerings, where torque, payload, and long-term durability are paramount.
The exact transmission lineup can vary by production year and market, so it’s wise to check the specific build sheet for a given truck if you want to be sure which gearbox it has.
Summary
Chevrolet’s heavy‑duty Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD are the primary Chevy models that use Allison-branded transmissions, specifically the 10‑speed automatic paired with the Duramax diesel. For light‑duty pickups and most other Chevy models, GM relies on its Hydra-Matic automatics rather than Allison. If you’re seeking an Allison transmission, focus on the Duramax-powered HD Silverado configurations and verify the exact transmission on the vehicle’s build sheet.
What Chevy trucks come with an Allison Transmission?
Chevy's medium-duty (MD) Silverado trucks, such as the 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD, are the primary models that feature a true Allison Transmission. While heavy-duty (HD) Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models used Allison-branded transmissions built by GM, their licensing agreement ended, so the branding is being phased out on these pickups.
Medium-Duty (MD) Silverado Trucks
- Models: Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD.
- Transmission: These trucks are equipped with a true Allison transmission, not one built by GM.
Heavy-Duty (HD) Silverado Trucks
- Models: Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD.
- Transmission: These trucks are no longer using Allison-branded transmissions after the licensing agreement with Allison Transmission expired at the end of 2025.
- Note: The 10-speed automatic transmission in the HD trucks from 2020 onward was designed and built by GM, but it carried an Allison badge due to the partnership. The performance and design have not changed, but the branding has been removed.
Can you get an Allison Transmission in a 1500 Silverado?
This will have a true Allison transmission it's a six-speed automatic transmission not this exact one this is a badass one i'm at the SEMA. Show here in Las Vegas it's the only 6500.
What year did Chevy put an Allison Transmission?
Chevy began putting the Allison 1000 transmission in Silverado heavy-duty trucks around the 2001 model year, most notably paired with the Duramax diesel engine. The "Allison" badge was added to heavy-duty models around 2006 when the 6-speed transmission was introduced.
- 2001 model year: The Allison 1000 5-speed transmission was first introduced in GM heavy-duty trucks, like the Silverado 2500HD, to handle the increased torque from the Duramax diesel engine.
- 2006 model year: The 6-speed Allison transmission was introduced, and the "Allison" badge was added to the trucks to advertise the partnership and the transmission's capability.
- 2020 model year: A new 10-speed transmission was introduced in the Silverado HD, which was branded with the Allison name but was built by General Motors, not the Allison Transmission company.
What transmission is in a Chevy 2500?
And is it actually the same Allison 10-speed transmission that's in behind the Duramax. Diesel. We'll find.
