The dawn of the big ‘Murican pick-up has been a relatively fast one in New Zealand and Australia, with both markets taking to the huge trucks with enthusiasm, despite their large size and hefty pricing. But then, we do like our utes.
Ram kicked things off back in 2016, followed by General Motors getting in on the act with its Chevrolet Silverado in 2019 and now even Ford is getting in on the act with the F-150.
So, with the big GM pick-up’s Blue Oval-adorned arch-rival heading down-under, it was clearly time for a refresh of the Silverado 1500 line-up here. And have a bit of a range reshuffle in the process.
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For the 2023 model year, GM has slightly tweaked the 1500’s exterior – a new front fascia with new daytime running lights is the most noticeable change – but given it an all-new interior, complete with a 13.4-inch infotainment touchscreen and a new 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, as well as a totally revamped layout and noticeably-improved material quality.
But the most controversial change is no doubt the introduction of an electronic transmission shifter located on the centre console, seeing the demise of the column shifter. The new centre console-mounted shifter is much easier to use than the column shifter, but I do kinda miss that big, truck-like clunk as you hauled the big chunky shifter through the gears...
The other big change comes in the model line-up, with GMSV (General Motors Specialty Vehicles) retaining the up-spec LTZ model and dropping the more off-road focused Trail Boss.
But while this may alarm fans of off-roading; don’t panic, because they are replacing it with the even-more off-road focused ZR2 model. And having spent a few days driving the refreshed range in Brisbane, I can honestly say the newcomer is easily the pick of the range, even if you have no interest in heading off the sealed stuff whatsoever.
Rather than taking on Ford’s F-150 Raptor head-on, the ZR2 effectively combines the off-road prowess of the Raptor with the luxury of the Silverado LTZ. This means that while it doesn’t get an insane power boost like the aforementioned Ford, it does get the same sort of serious off-road kit underneath.
The LTZ and ZR2 are powered by the same 313kW/624Nm 6.2-litre petrol V8 hooked up to a ten-speed automatic transmission, but this is good enough to make it the most powerful in its segment (ignoring the insane and insanely expensive Ram TRX that lands with both 523kW and a $250,000 price tag...), with neither the standard Ram’s 5.7-litre V8 nor the Ford’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 crossing the 300kW mark at 291kW and 298kW respectively.
While there is no performance bump, the ZR2 does get some serious suspension upgrades in the form of a two-inch lift and DSSV (Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve) dampers from Multimatic, which are multi-chamber dampers - similar in concept to the Ford Raptor’s Fox Racing shocks - that were originally developed for track racing, but have been re-valved by Chevrolet for off-road uses on its trucks.
In simple terms, the DSSV dampers soften at low speed to allow a more compliant ride and free up wheel travel, and then firm up at higher speeds to improve control and dynamics. And they work exceptionally well both on and off road, something that was driven home by the presence of an older Trail Boss at the launch, which had a far firmer off (and on) road ride by comparison.
The ZR2 replaces the LTZ’s chrome exterior bits with more menacing blacked-out alternatives, while also incorporating the Chevrolet “Flow Tie” (the Chev Bow Tie logo is an air-intake), a black bonnet bulge and a grille-mounted camera, complete with a washer. It also gets front and rear electronic locking differentials, as well as 33-inch mud tyres (that add a bit more height to that two-inch lift) and aluminium underbody skid plates.
As well as replacing the LTZ’s chrome bits with black bits, the ZR2 also gets a redesigned off-road bumper that is higher for an improved approach angle, but is also modular with end sections that can be removed or easily replaced if damaged, without having to replace the entire bumper.
But possibly the most impressive feature of the upgrade is the awesome “Terrain Mode” that is a ZR2-only addition to the new Silverado. Slipping the ZR2 into Terrain Mode essentially gives it EV-like one pedal driving in an off-road setting – lifting off the throttle slows the ZR2 and will even bring it to a complete stop, either up or down hill.
Terrain Mode makes the Silverado damn-near unstoppable off road and, while it did become less reliable at angles of more than 25 degrees thanks to the Silverado’s sheer weight, it makes crawling over difficult terrain utterly effortless.
But while heading off-road is deeply impressive in the ZR2, towing is what the Silverado is really all about, and the MY23 Silverado in either guise is equally impressive with a load hooked on the back too. During the launch we towed gigantic off-road caravans and boats, all around the 3000kg mark and, as expected, the Silverado made effortless work of it. While the ZR2's trick suspension gives it the edge over the LTZ in towing comfort (it gets pushed around less), it does see its ultimate towing capacity drop a fraction - 4200kg compared to the LTZ's 4500kg - with both maximums available only with a 70mm tow ball.
The other thing that impressed when towing was the fuel consumption – GMSV claims a combined average of 12.2L/100km for the Silverado, which actually seems pretty achievable in the real world, and while I would normally never be terribly impressed by a vehicle returning 20L/100km on the open road, when it was a 2500kg truck powered by a petrol V8 hauling a 3000kg caravan... well, that is actually pretty impressive, really.
Unusually for the launch of a massive truck, we were also let loose on a race track and skid pan. Being based at former V8 Supercar racer and Bathurst winner Paul Morris’ Norwell Motorplex driver training centre (a wonderful little playground of race track, off-road track and skid pan) gave us the opportunity to throw the ZR2 and LTZ through a pair of slaloms – a high speed one on the track and a tighter, lower speed one on the skid pan.
And, guess what? The ZR2 was the pick here too.
While the LTZ was flatter and more controlled through the fast slalom, the ZR2 was more responsive, predictable and - you guessed it - fun, while on the wet skid pan it was an absolute blast. That something so huge and heavy could be so predictable and controllable says a lot about GM's engineers and even more about its software developers...
The ZR2 was added to the local line up at the Trail Bosses expense because, while customers overwhelmingly preferred the Trail Bosses’ look, the lack of the LTZ’s interior luxury was off-putting to them – which you can understand in a vehicle with a $100k-plus asking price. The ZR2 fixes that and adds even more off-road prowess into the mix, as well as an even tougher look.
Yes, the LTZ is still excellent, but the ZR2 is even better.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2
ENGINE: 6.2-litre petrol V8
POWER: 313kW/624Nm
GEARBOX: 10-speed automatic, AWD with low-range transfer
CONSUMPTION: 12.2l/100km
PRICE: $149,000
