At a glance
materials are still a bit downmarket – but that’s just like the original.
There are still a couple of quirks in the conversion, sorry, re-engineering process.
The factory sat-nav doesn’t work in New Zealand – not a dealbreaker when the Silverado’s MyLink infotainment system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The dual-zone
For the record, Ram still ousts the Silverado in pure workingtruck terms. Maximum tow capacity is over a tonne more in the former, although the Chevy’s 5890kg is not exactly puny.
Towing, not payload, is the point of these vehicles; neither do any better than a Ranger-sized ute in the latter regard (913/875kg respectively), although two metreplus tray lengths are pretty handy. $163,990.
6.6-litre turbo-diesel V8, 332kW/ 1234Nm, 6-speed automatic, AWD, Combined economy n/a.
6085mm long, 1985mm high, 3886mm wheelbase, tray 2003mm long/1296mm between wheel arches, payload 875kg, tow capacity 5890kg (using pintle), 20-inch alloy wheels with 275/65 tyres.
Magnificent engine, relatively nimble, nice RHD job by HSV. Weird steering, cheap cabin materials.
The Silverado Custom is also Z71 ‘‘off-road’’ specification, with unique shocks, stabiliser bars and underbody protection. Ground clearance is 250mm (Ram 218mm).
A new Silverado has just been revealed in the United States. It will be officially launched at the Chicago Auto Show in February and is billed as a 2020 model, meaning it will go on sale for American customers later this year. So it’s a while away for HSV’s RHD version.
Silverado versus Kiwi roads: which wins?
Well, the former takes up a lot of the latter. But it’s not as intimidating as you’d think, because the driving position is quite car-like and visibility is excellent.
The 6.6-litre turbo-diesel engine is magnificent. It rumbles like a proper V8 should and the monstrous torque makes its presence felt in all driving situations.
It does require care when the roads are damp and the tray is empty: in normal (2WD) mode the back wheels will spin in first, second, third. . . basically as long as you keep the throttle buried.
It’s reasonably nimble for a supersized ute. You can cruise along with conventional cars on a winding road, providing you’re mindful of the Silverado’s width.
The worst aspect of the vehicle is the steering. It’s slow, as you’d expect of a hard-working, bigtowing truck. But the weighting is weirdly inconsistent at low speeds and while it’s better on the open road, absence of meaningful communication does make it a tad tricky to place through tight corners.
Vital statistics:
We like:
We don’t like:
Is this just a big ego trip?
It could be. Much of the appeal of this thing is Americana, V8 muscle with a four-figure torque output and the outlandish physical dimensions.
Yes, you could buy one these simply to show off – if you live in the regions.
In an urban environment, it’s simply too large to serve as a lifestyle ute, however much you love the image and muscular driving character. Although at a kerb weight of 3616kg it’s legally a truck, so you can drive it in heavy traffic lanes on motorway onramps.
But somebody who buys one of these things and drives in or around main centres will probably want it for practical work purposes. That’s not mutually exclusive with showing off, of course.
Other cars to consider?
In terms of New Zealand-new vehicles there’s really only one other similar product: the aforementioned Ram.
The Ram range is a little broader than the Silverado: there’s a Laramie 2500 version with a 6.7-litre turbo-diesel six that starts at $164,990 ($1000 more than our Silverado 2500 Custom Sport), but launched last year is a smaller 1500 model with a 5.7-litre Hemi
V8, from $89,990.