Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 review

The new Silverado ZR2 takes Chevrolet’s big truck template and builds on it with off-road performance equipment and patented all-American attitude

The Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 makes one heck of a statement and, if you’re habitually hauling gear on trailers — or that Aussie-spec ruggedised caravan of your dreams — then this will make short work of it. Towing is bread-and-butter stuff for the Silverado and, as such, there’s plenty of tech onboard designed to make that task easier and safer.

But in the meantime, the ZR2 grade truck looks the part all on its own and brings some performance-themed additions to the party. So, where does this big blue behemoth fit into the Kiwi Silverado line-up?

Range life

The Silverado ZR2 is a new addition to the local Chevy truck range (distributed here by GMSV, or General Motors Special Vehicles) and like its stablemates is converted to right-hand drive at GMSV’s engineering facility in Victoria, Australia.

The Silverado ZR2 adds to Chevy’s big truck template with some excellent off-road performance theming

Following the departure of the Silverado LT Trail Boss at the end of last year, the ZR2 plugs the gap, with the LTZ Premium and the HD LTZ Premium remaining on sale as before. While the HD LTZ Premium version utilises a 6.6-litre Duramax turbodiesel engine, the LTZ Premium and the truck you see here share GM’s 6.2-litre EcoTech3 V8 petrol powerplant.

To a large extent, that’s where the similarities end, as the two Silverados packing 313kW peak petrol power offer two different demeanours. While the LTZ is all about gloss and shine, the ZR2 arrives made for mud.

The Silverado features an ‘auto down’ soft-open tailgate

With its all-terrain tyres and no-nonsense bodywork, the Silverado ZR2 presents the most appropriate application for Farm Trader readers. And while its nearly six-metre length and two-metre width might not suggest it’d be particularly nimble to place on a farm track, GMSV certainly makes sure it has plenty of off-road ability regardless.

On the trail

You tend to climb up into the cab of a Silverado anyway, but you’re climbing just that bit higher to clamber inside the ZR2. Its 296mm ground clearance is more generous than the LTZ, giving it decent approach, breakover, and departure angles for obstacle avoidance (31.8, 23.4, and 23.3 degrees respectively).

Side steps are both standard and necessary for climbing up into the cab

This is achieved with the fitment of a ZR2-specific high-lift suspension package and DSSV dampers from suspension specialist Multimatic. Matching the all-terrain mood, the ZR2 rides on 18-inch high gloss black alloys wrapped in Mud-Terrain Goodyear Wrangler Territory tyres. Aiding further is the ZR2’s steel ‘off-road cut’ front bumper arrangement, bolstered by an aluminium skid plate assembly to guard against rocks and other debris as you power through the paddock.

Under the skin, the ZR2 features front and rear driver-selectable electronic locking diffs and an enhanced two-speed transfer case with low range for proper rock crawling capability (the setting is even called ‘Crawl Mode’ in the menu). Helping keep things steady on-road is GM’s StabiliTrak electronic stability and traction control system.

Again, the Silverado doesn’t feel like the sort of truck you’d take into the back of beyond in the way you might imagine taking a Jeep Wrangler Gladiator (to suggest a likeminded XL-sized counterpart). But it’s good to know it should get you there and back again if you choose to do so.

Single digit efficiency?

Irrespective, you’ll have requisite power and torque on tap. The Chevy’s 6.2-litre V8 petrol delivers a peak power of 313kW and a hefty 624Nm torque spread.

As to be expected, the load bed at the back is capacious

Official ‘from the factory’ combined fuel consumption is stated as 12.2 litres per 100km, but before you scoff, some decent miles in the truck (Auckland to the Central Plateau and back) yielded a rather impressive 9.8 litres per 100km at one stage. I’m not suggesting that miraculously frugal figure was maintained for hundreds of kilometres on the trot, but it does prove that despite the big engine under the equally big bonnet, modern engine efficiency still has a part to play even here where for most buyers, it’s not really a consideration.

If you’re dead set on using the Silverado for what it was designed for — hauling stuff, whether in the load bed or with a trailer — then you won’t see economy as I achieved without so much as a tow rope in the tray. But again: moot point. You don’t purchase a Silverado solely to do the school run, so in terms of a practical powerhouse with dimensions that are fit-for-purpose, you can’t get much more able than the General’s mainstay workhorse.

The ZR2 replaces the Trail Boss in the Kiwi line-up for Chevrolet

The gross vehicle mass is 3300kg and the maximum payload is 717kg. The Silverado’s maximum braked tow capacity is 3500kg (or a decent 4.2-tonne if the truck is fitted with a 70mm tow ball). It’s worth a reminder that while the tow bar is standard, for us Kiwis, the tow ball and tongue are optional extras. And speaking of towing…

Tow the line

… the Silverado ZR2 has a heap of towing tech onboard to make things easier (and safer) on the road. Safety features such as Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist (which holds the truck in place when starting off on a slope), and Auto Grade Braking are commonplace these days, but GMSV takes things further with an entire Advanced Trailering System centred around an app accessible from your smartphone and in the truck’s 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The ZR2 features an ‘off-road cut’ bumper section designed to offer more ground clearance when away from the tarmac

There’s some cool stuff on offer here, including a pre-departure checklist, a guidance system for lining up on the tow ball the first time every time, an automated trailer light check procedure and trailer tyre pressure monitoring. The app allows you to enter (and store for future errands) your specific trailer size, which is handy if you have different work tow-alongs in addition to that racecar box trailer or boat. The truck’s monitoring system will adjust parameters accordingly.

There are eight cameras offering up to 14 views around the truck

Eight cameras offer up to 14 different views, so the Silverado gives you ‘eyes on’ when you’re towing stuff. The Blind Spot Monitoring system will automatically adjust so that it alerts the driver to other vehicles not just in the blind spot of the truck itself but whatever is being towed as well. It’s clever stuff that puts paid to the notion of ‘Murican muscle trucks like the Silverado only delivering on big ‘dumb’ fun.

Comfort stop

So too does the sophisticated, high-quality fit and finish inside the cab. It’s genuinely plush and a supremely comfortable space to be in, especially on longer trips.

The cabin is a premium space to sit

Highlights include a six-speaker sound system through which Apple CarPlay or Android Auto help access music, podcasts, and contact info from the driver’s smartphone. That smartphone can be charged wirelessly, while fully powered (10-way adjustability) heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone auto A/C also add to the premium-feeling interior. As you’d expect, there are also storage solutions everywhere, with the wide centre console effortlessly swallowing all manner of detritus for a start. Cupholders? Yep, there are a few.

The Silverado ZR2’s safety spec is similarly comprehensive, with Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist, and Lane Departure Warning all present as part of a wider suite of driver aids.

Verdict

Shrink-wrapped, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 certainly ain’t. It’s a big rig that makes the usual light commercial fare feel ‘fun-sized’ in comparison. But then, you know what you’re getting into if you’re contemplating this sort of American iron. And hey, all that heft really does translate into plenty of practical room for people and cargo alike.

Mud-Terrain Goodyear Wrangler Territory tyres are standard

It’s big, tough, and actually useful (in a way that many ‘standard’ sized double cab utes often aren’t). Over and above the chest-pumping performance, the ZR2 is supremely comfortable as well, with plenty of high-tech tools as standard to help you safely tow or just plain ‘go’. And if you’re judicious with your right foot, you’ll even find the V8 under its broad bonnet isn’t as intent on emptying your wallet as you might have presumed either.

Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Specifications

Price	$149,000 plus on-road costs
Engine	6.2L EcoTech3 V8
Power	313kW
Torque	624Nm
Transmission	10-speed automatic
Kerb weight	2583kg
Gross vehicle mass	3300kg
Maximum payload	717kg
Maximum braked towing capacity	3500kg (50mm ball) 4200kg (70mm ball)
Maximum unbraked towing Capacity	750kg
Overall height	1991mm
Overall length	5931mm
Overall width	2074mm
Wheelbase	3746mm
Turning circle kerb-to-kerb	14.4m
Approach and departure angles	31.8°/23.3°