OFF ROAD FOCUSSED ZR2 JOINS SILVERADO RANGE
MORE EXPENSIVE CHEVY TRUCK, BUT WITH MORE KIT AND TOUGHER LOOKS
GMSV has added the more offroad focused ZR2 model of the Silverado 1500 pickup to its 2023 Australian range of vehicles. The ZR2 joins the LTZ in the brand’s local line-up and will become the highest priced variant at $124,000 plus on-road costs. The Silverado LTZ remains at $121,000 but unfortunately, the entry-level Trail Boss which sold for $106,000 and was undoubtedly the model best suited to Australian road conditions, has been discontinued.
The ZR2 will become the best model for local roads, you’ll just have to pay more now to get in to it. This is because the ZR2 rides on 18-inch wheels with 33-inch mud-terrain tyres compared to the LTZ’S 20s and low-profile rubber which don’t like our rough roads.
The off-road suited wheel and tyre package is helped by the inclusion for the first time in the full-size truck of Multimatic’s incredible DSSV spool valve dampers which we raved about after driving the Silverado’s little Colorado ZR2 brother. The bigger truck gets the 40mm versions of the DSSV shocks and they are mated to modelspecific springs that raise the ride height over that of the LTZ and produce what should be an excellent suspension package.
The Silverado ZR2’S off-road chops are further bolstered by the inclusion of front and rear locking differentials, a front bumper that improves the approach angle, and underbody protection plates. The ZR2 package was developed after years of the team at Chevrolet Performance running a Silverado in the production category at select off-road and desert racing events in the USA.
“Chevrolet has been competing on some of the most gruelling, toughest off-road courses with a prototype Silverado ZR2 in the Best in the Desert race series,” said Dom Lester, General Motors chief engineer, Performance Variants, Parts and Motorsports Engineering. “We applied what we learned in racing and Moab testing to the new ZR2 to offer a supremely capable and confidence-inspiring package, but one that doesn’t beat you up on the highway with its ride quality. It’s equally capable and comfortable.”
In difference to the outgoing Trail Boss model, the ZR2 gets the luxury features to justify its higher cost and top-of-the-range standing. Gone are the Trail Boss’s cloth seats and in their place are powered leather seats, a new dash with bigger configurable screens and a Bose sound system. As you expect, there’s plenty of room inside the big Chevy’s cabin for five adults and all your gear.
Externally, the 2023 model Silverado gets a facelift that distinguishes them from the older models, while the ZR2 gets its own grille and graphics to add to its more aggressive and off-road ready looks.
Carried over from the current models will be the 6.2-litre petrol V8 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission powertrain that serves the model so well with just the right balance of performance and refinement. This is the only powertrain offered in the 1500 in Australia by GMSV, while there are several other engine options available in the USA including EV.
The 2023 Silverado ZR2 and LTZ models will be hitting Australian tracks early in the new year. They continue to be imported and sold by GMSV with the left to right steering conversions carried out in Melbourne by Walkinshaw Performance.