Chevrolet Kodiak

First generation (C70/C7000)
1980-1989 Chevrolet Kodiak towing mobile police command post
Overview
Production	1980-1989
Body and chassis
Class	Class 7
Body style	2-door truck
Related	Chevrolet C/K ("Rounded Line") medium-duty
Powertrain
Engine	10.4 L (636 cu in) Caterpillar 3208 turbodiesel V8
Transmission	5-speed manual 5-speed manual x 4-speed auxiliary (20-speed) 10-speed manual 13-speed manual 4-speed automatic 5-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	137–254 in (3,480–6,452 mm)[4]
Length	213.8–383 in (5,431–9,728 mm)
Height	100 in (2,540 mm)

For 1980, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick short-hood conventionals. Sharing the cab of the medium-duty C/K trucks, the hood length was shortened nearly 5 inches (reducing the BBC length to 92 inches[4]); the hood length was also shorter than the Chevrolet Bruin/GMC Brigadier Class 8 conventionals.

Within the C/K series, the model line was designated as a Chevrolet C70/GMC C7000.[5] The Kodiak followed the Chevrolet naming tradition of "frontier beast" names for heavy conventionals (Chevrolet Bison and the Chevrolet Bruin) while the TopKick was a military slang term (in line with the GMC Brigadier and GMC General). The model line was offered in single and tandem-axle configurations as both a straight truck and as a semitractor.[4]

Shared with the Bruin/Brigadier, the Kodiak and TopKick were powered exclusively by the Caterpillar 3208 10.4L diesel V8.[4][6] To accommodate the larger engine, the C/K hood adopted the boxier shape of the 90-series Bruin/Brigadier; the change shifted the cab upward several inches.[7] To optimize engine ventilation, the grille was enlarged (repositioning the headlights below the grille).

Following the withdrawal of Chevrolet from the Class 8 truck segment after 1980, the Kodiak became the largest truck offered by the Chevrolet division.

Second generation (GMT530)
1990-1994 Chevrolet Kodiak
Overview
Production	August 28, 1989–2002 Janesville Assembly 1990-2008 (Mexico)
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door truck 4-door truck
Platform	GMT530
Powertrain
Engine	gasoline: 6.0 L Mark IV/Gen V 366 V8 7.0 L Mark IV 427 V8 7.4 L L19/L21 V8 8.1 L Vortec L18 V8 diesel: 6.6 L Caterpillar 3116 I6 7.2 L Caterpillar 3126B/E I6

1997-2002 GMC TopKick in use as a crew transport truck

The second generation of the Chevrolet Kodiak/GMC TopKick was introduced for 1990. Under the GMT530 architecture, all GM medium-duty trucks were consolidated under the Kodiak/TopKick nomenclature, with C/K shifting to consumer-derived vehicles (pickup trucks). Following the 1986 joint venture between GM and Volvo, GMC ended production of the General, Astro, and Brigadier, leaving the Class 6-7 Kodiak/TopKick as the largest vehicles produced by GM.

In line with the previous generation, while designed with its own heavier-duty chassis, to lower the costs of tooling, the cab of GMT530 trucks was derived from the GMT400 C/K pickup (introduced in 1988). As before, two-door and four-door configurations were offered; a raised-roof cab became optional during the 1990s. Over its thirteen-year production run, the GMT530 platform underwent relatively few changes; as airbags were not required in medium-duty trucks, the 1988-design interior was retained through the entire production run. For 1995, GM replaced the Kodiak and TopKick badging with C4500-C8500 model names, bringing the medium-duty trucks in line with the rest of the C/K naming convention. As an option, a lower-profile "aerodynamic" hood became an option (not offered on severe-service or school bus applications).

In a break from the single engine offering of the first generation Kodiak/TopKick, GMT530 adopted the powertrain line of the 1973-1989 medium-duty C/K trucks. Gasoline engines were offered as standard equipment, with diesel engines as an option. The standard gasoline engine was a 6.0L fuel-injected V8, with an optional carbureted 7.0L V8 (replaced by a 7.4L V8 in 1991[8]); in the mid-1990s, the 7.4 L became the standard gasoline engine. In 2002, the 7.4-litre V8 was replaced by the 8.1-litre Vortec V8 (the highest-displacement V8 ever built by Chevrolet). In place of the Caterpillar 3208 V8 diesel used in the first generation Kodiak/TopKick, the GMT530 trucks offered the Caterpillar 3116 inline-six with 165 hp (123 kW). This was upgraded to produce 170 hp (127 kW) beginning with the 1991 model year.[8] The Caterpillar 3126 inline-six was introduced as an optional diesel engine in 1997.

After GM ended production of the GMT530 for the US market after 2002, production for Mexico continued in Toluca, Mexico, through 2008. From 1995 to 2001, the GMT530 was assembled in Brazil using components imported from Mexico, built to Mexican specifications. All Brazil-market examples were produced with the Caterpillar 3116 diesel engine. In Brazil, the trucks were badged according to their GMVR (in metric tons) and rounded horsepower output (12-170 for 12 tons-170 hp, 14-190 for 14 tons-190 hp, and 16-220 for 16 tons-220 hp).

Third generation (GMT560)
GMC TopKick C5500 crew cab utility vehicle
Overview
Also called	Isuzu H-Series
Production	2003–2009
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door truck 4-door truck 2-door cutaway
Platform	GMT560
Related	Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana
Powertrain
Engine	6.6 L Duramax V8 diesel 7.8 L LG4 diesel I6 8.1 L L18 V8 gasoline
Transmission	5-speed manual 6-speed manual 9-speed manual 10-speed manual 5-speed automatic 6-speed automatic

Chevrolet Kodiak C5500 in use as a bus on Maui

For 2003, General Motors released the third-generation Chevrolet Kodiak/GMC TopKick under the GMT560 architecture. As General Motors felt the two names had better marketplace recognition, the medium-duty truck line was released under the previous Kodiak/TopKick nameplates, with Cx500 as a secondary part of the nomenclature. Showcased as part of the redesign was a change in the design layout of the Kodiak/TopKick. To better compete with the better-selling International DuraStar and Freightliner Business Class M2 medium-duty truck ranges, the GMT560 trucks switched to a vertically-oriented cab configuration to allow for a lower cab floor, increased cab space, and better entry and exit. Derived from the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana full-size van, the cab was produced in two-door and four-door configurations (as the commercial trucks had a GVWR of over 8500 pounds, they were produced without airbags).

During its production, the GMT560 was produced with few changes. With the exception of grilles, Kodiaks and TopKicks are nearly identical; depending on trim, versions are produced with either two or four headlights. Carried over from the previous generation, the GMT560 chassis was produced in Class 5-7 configurations, in C4500, C5500, C6500, and C7500 models. Effectively, a successor to the GMC Brigadier, a tandem-axle C8500 model was introduced (with up to a 46,000-lb GVWR).

On the GMT560 Kodiak/TopKick, the powertrain configuration was derived from the model specification. On C4500/C5500s, an 8.1L V8 was carried over from the previous generation, with a 6.6L Duramax V8 diesel replacing the Caterpillar 3116. Diesel engines were standard on C6500s and up, with the 7.8L Duramax LG4 inline-6 as standard, with a 7.2L Caterpillar C7 (a redesigned Caterpillar 3126) offered as an option.

In December 2007, GM announced its intention to sell its medium-duty truck business, including the Kodiak and TopKick, to Navistar International.[9] In August 2008, both GM and Navistar announced that their memorandum of understanding for the purchase had expired and was not renewed.[10][11]

After four years of working with multiple potential buyers, including an anticipated five-year deal with Isuzu Motors announced late in January 2009 to take over the production line in Flint, Michigan,[12] General Motors decided to wind down its medium-duty truck operations.[2] Production of the Chevy Kodiak and GMC TopKick medium duty trucks in Flint ceased on July 31, 2009. The Montreal plant also closed on July 31, 2009.

At the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, General Motors launched a new line of medium-duty trucks for the 2019 model year. Developed in a joint venture with Navistar International,[3] Chevrolet launched the Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD (for Classes 4,5, and 6, respectively[3][13]), produced by Navistar as the International CV.[14]

In a shift from previous generations of medium-duty trucks, the model line is sold exclusively by Chevrolet, as GMC is shifting towards away from commercial fleet sales and focusing its premium Denali model lines.[15] In another break from tradition, the Kodiak nameplate was retired; with the exception of the Colorado mid-size pickup and Low Cab Forward (Isuzu Elf/NPR), all Chevrolet trucks use the Silverado nameplate.

Sharing its cab with the Silverado K2XX, the medium-duty Silverado/International CV receives its own chassis with a tilt-forward hood; both 4x2 and 4x4 configurations are produced. As of current production, the model line is offered with a 350 hp 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel V8; the engine is paired with an Allison automatic transmission.[3][13][16]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chevrolet Kodiak.

• Car and Driver road tests for the C4500.