MONSTER TRUCKS

BIG UTES ARE BECOMING BIG BUSINESS, BUT SHOULD YOU JOIN THE SUPER-SIZED TREND? LET’S FIND OUT

Are you the sort of person who always pays an extra 50c to go large in the drive-thru lane? We’re guessing you’re going to like RAM vs Silverado

FILLING MY EARS is the deep burble of what can only be a V8 engine, the rear vision mirror lets me glimpse a large practical tray, and ahead of me is a straight, empty drag strip. It’s all oddly familiar, with images of Australia’s home-grown Holden and Ford V8 utes at the front of my mind. The mental picture is nothing but a cultural ghost of Australia’s lost manufacturing, with those car-based utilities now dead and long buried.

What I’m experiencing is a new era (for Australians at least) of pick-up performance, and it comes in a package that’s as subtle as a bald eagle holding a shotgun. Australia, meet your new V8 ute overlords: the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 Laramie.

Representing the GM faithful is the Silverado, sold by the soonto-be rebranded HSV in a single high-specification LTZ grade for $113,990. Ford doesn’t have an officially licensed F Truck in the country so taking its place in the blue corner is Fiat Chrysler’s Ram brand, distributed locally by Ateco with approval from

North America. We have the top-spec Laramie specification on test which carries a sticker price of $99,950. Both pick-ups are delivered to Australia as they would be sold in the US and then undergo a ‘re-engineering’ process at Walkinshaw’s Clayton facility at the hands of skilled Aussie workers.

While both 1500s are substantially larger than our traditional dual-cabs (roughly 100mm taller, 200mm wider, and a full half metre longer) they still sit beneath the truly gargantuan 2500 offerings from both Chevrolet and Ram that have been sold locally. But it’s not just size that differentiates these powerhouse pick-ups from your usual worksite fare. You won’t find any turbo diesels here; both have atmo V8 petrol engines under the bonnet.

Dep ed Enright and myself have brought both behemoths to Heathcote Raceway for what surely has to be one of the strangest (if not heaviest) performance testing exercises in Wheels’ recent history. Enright has just finished recording numbers, so I’ve jumped into the Chev for a familiarisation run.

The 6.2-litre petrol V8 builds revs gradually as I load it up against the torque converter. Side-step the brake and there’s a brief squeal from the Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner all-terrain tyres as they use 313kW/624Nm to get the 2588kg mass moving, the central diff transferring power fore and aft as required. It’s an impressive middle finger to physics as the big beast squats and then lunges forward. The 10-speed automatic slurs through the ratios but it’s surprisingly quick: in 14.5sec I’m past the

400m mark and travelling at a licence-incinerating 150km/h. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 6.4sec. There’s currently no ute on sale that can beat it in a straight line.

The Ram isn’t far behind. Its 5.7L V8 is down on capacity and performance compared to the Chev, yet it still runs a respectable 6.8sec to 100km/h and is only three tenths shy to 400m.

While the Ram is the less powerful of these two, its engine has more character. It has a hearty engine note and it builds revs more readily, which makes it feel more energetic. And its eight-speed auto (controlled by a dash-mounted dial) is less prone to shortshifting compared to the Chev, so you get to enjoy more of that bent-eight burble as you build speed.

Despite the slightly smaller capacity, the Ram is thirstier, drinking 14.5L/100km during our test compared to the Silverado’s 13.5L/100km. We had a VW Amarok 580 along as a benchmark and turbo diesel V6 drank 9.8L/100km. Going big has its consequences.

Peeling out of Heathcote, it’s easy to see the appeal of these large pick-ups. Both boast impressive towing capacities (a claimed 4500kg braked each is a full tonne more than the best dual-cab), making them prime targets for people with regular heavy hauling duties. Ram provides trailer brake assist, but the Silverado goes the extra-mile with a specific towing drive mode and sway control.

But where they really raise the bar compared to more traditional dual-cabs is their luxury and refinement. Interior room rivals that of the largest SUVs, with both featuring more cup holders than a cinema, vast centre consoles, heated steering