Chassis cabs and cutaways are the solution when a standard truck or van isn’t exactly what you need for your fleet, providing a base for body building or upfitting to meet your requirements.

We’ve assembled a list of chassis cabs and cutaways from Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Ram. These workhorses seldom change from year to year, often receiving justst minor changes to their trims or features. Notable exceptions for 2023 are Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which gets numerous updates including new engines; the Ford Transit, which adds the all-electric E-Transit as a chassis cab or cut- away offering; and the Ram ProMaster, which gets a facelift and wan electric version later in the 2023 model year. Because Natural Resources Canada doesn’t require testing for these vehicles, fuel economy figures are not listed.

Ford Transit Chassis Cab & Cutaway

The gasoline-powered Transit chassis cab and cutaway are available in three wheelbase lengths and with available all- wheel drive, and with GVWR ranging from 9,070 to 11,000 lbs. Also available is the all-electric E-Transit in chassis cab and cutaway (as well as a cargo van), in rear-wheel drive and with an estimated range of about 203 km on a charge. All of the E-Transit’s electric vehicle components are covered by an 8-year/160,000-km warranty, and the 5-year/100,000-km road- side assistance program includes a 25-km tow if the vehicle runs out of charge. Depending on your location, it may be eligible for federal and/or provincial “green” rebates.

Specs

• Engines: 3.5-litre V6 (275 hp/262 lb-ft torque); 3.5-litre EcoBoost turbocharged V6 (310 hp/400 lb-ft torque)
• Transmission: 10-speed automatic
• E-Transit: Rear electric motor (198 kW/266 hp/317 lb-ft torque)

Ford E-Series Cutaway

The E-Series, known to as the Econoline, is now only a cutaway and is no longer sold as a van. It comes as the E-350 with single or dual rear wheels, or E-450 with dual wheels only. Across the lineup, GVWR ranges from 10,050 to 14,500 lbs. It uses a V8 engine that comes standard as a higher-powered “Premium- Rated” or optionally as the lower-powered “Economy-Rated.” The single trim level on all includes air conditioning, USB ports, vinyl flooring, and Bluetooth-capable radio.

Specs

• Engines: 7.3-litre V8 Premium-Rated (350 hp/468 lb-ft torque); 7.3-litre V8 Economy-Rated (300 hp/425 lb-ft torque)
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab

Ford’s heavy-duty trucks are available as the F-350 and F-450, and for even heavier work, the F-550 to F-750. A stripped chassis is also available for complete builds. F-350 models offer two gasoline V8s or a diesel and come with single or dual rear wheels, while the F-450 uses the larger V8 or diesel and is dual-wheel only. The gasoline engines can be optioned with a CNG/propane prep package. Cab configurations are regular cab, extended SuperCab or crew cab. All come in XL or XLT trim, while the SuperCab and crew cab trucks further add a top-level Lariat trim.

Specs

• Engines: 6.2-litre V8 (385 hp/430 lb-ft torque); 7.3-litre V8 (350 hp/468 lb-ft torque); 6.7-litre V8 turbodiesel (330 hp/825 lb-ft torque)
• Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 3500 HD Chassis Cab

These mechanical twins come in regular or crew cab and with dual rear wheels, and a GVWR of 14,000 lbs. Available in gasoline or diesel, they can be ordered with front, rear, or combined fuel tanks for a maximum of 240 litres, and with an optional PTO package. Cellphone integration and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot are available.

Specs

• Engines: 6.6-litre V8 (401 hp/464 lb-ft torque); 6.6-litre Duramax V8 turbodiesel (445 hp/910 lb-ft torque)
• Transmissions: 6-speed automatic (gasoline); 10-speed automatic (diesel)

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana Cutaway

GM’s twin cutaway vans come in 3500 and 4500 configurations. The 3500 offers three wheelbase lengths of short, regular and extended, while the 4500 comes in regular or extended only. The lineup comes in rear-wheel drive and has a maximum GVWR of 14,200 lbs. The 3500 comes with a V6 or V8, while the 4500 uses the V8 only.

Specs

• Engines: 4.3-litre V6 (276 hp/298 lb-gt torque); 6.6-litre V8 (401 hp/464 lb-ft torque)
• Transmissions: 8-speed automatic (V6); 6-speed automatic (V8)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Chassis Cab

While a complete list of vehicle specifications is yet to come, the Sprinter lineup gets a number of updates for 2023, including four-cylinder engines in both gasoline and diesel, and a nine-speed automatic transmission for all. Vans available with all-wheel drive get a new on-demand torque-distribution system and more ground clearance. There will also be new connectivity features and apps that include remote locking and unlocking, vehicle status, and remote diagnostics.

Specs

• Engines: 2.0-litre I4 turbodiesel (168 hp and 208 hp variants/Torque TBA); Gasoline engine TBA
• Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Ram Chassis Cab

Ram’s chassis cab comes in 3500, 4500 and 5500 configurations, in regular or crew cab models, with choice of 4×2 or 4×4 driveline, and with four cab-to-axle lengths. All come in four trim levels from Tradesman to Limited, and all can be optioned with advanced driver assist systems including adaptive cruise control and emergency front braking.

Specs

• Engines: 6.4-litre V8 (370 hp/429 lb-ft torque); 6.7-litre Cummins turbodiesel I6 (360 hp/800 lb-ft torque)
• Transmissions: 8-speed automatic (3500 gasoline); 6-speed automatic (4500/5500 gasoline); 6-speed automatic (diesel)

RAM ProMaster Chassis Cab & Cutaway

The ProMaster gets a facelift for 2023, with a new front fascia incorporating headlamps and fog lights, and new features on its telematics system.

The 2023 ProMaster lineup will also include a fully-electric version later in the model year, although full specifications haven’t yet been provided. For the conventional ProMaster, both the chassis cab and cutaway come as a 3500, and in 136-inch or 159-wheelbase lengths. Unique in the segment is ProMaster’s front-wheel-drive configuration, which offers a lower load floor.

Specs

• Engine: 3.6-litre V6 (276 hp/250 lb-ft torque)
• Transmission: 9-speed automatic