General Motors’ latest workhorses are all-new for 2009. The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana 4500 commercial cutaway vans are engineered to support the needs of three primary functions — school buses, shuttle buses and ambulances. The Express/Savana 4500’s is capable of supporting 14,200-pound GVW with a payload rating of 9100 pounds on the new and stronger chassis. The chassis was engineered to minimize mass and strengthen the chassis.

The reinforced frame assembly and other necessities (such as new rear axle with reinforced housing, gears, and axle tubes, upgraded rear spring hanger bolt attachments and leaf spring shackle assembly, high-capacity rear spring assembly, upgraded front ball joint material, revised front and rear shock tuning, and rear stabilizer bar) were modified for the same reason. Brackets also were added to the upper and lower sections of the frame’s side rail bulkheads for more strength as well.

The Chevy Express and Savana 4500 chassis offers to handle approximately 2500 pounds in GVCW and up to a 20,000-pound GCWR, making it ideal for exceptional towing, RV, and school bus functionally. And GM will be the only OE to offer an emissions compliant V-8 turbodiesel in the segment as well. The new Express/Savana 4500 will be offered with a gas V-8 and 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V-8.

The Duramax 6.6-liter features new enhancements that promise to deliver less emissions using cleaner, federally mandated Ultra Low Sulfur diesel fuel. The Duramax 6.6-liter V-8 is rated at 250 horsepower with 460 lb-ft of torque. The Duramax engine uses a new electronic variable cooling fan that delivers better cooling and quieter operation. The Vortec 6.0-liter gas engine features variable valve timing for enhanced performance and optimized fuel economy that produces 323 horsepower.