Overview

THIS is the “off-road” and range-topping version of Chevrolet’s big Silverado crew cab pick-up (aka ute) priced from $138,000 excluding on-road costs, or $7500 more than the LTZ variant.

It sells against a bunch of similar size, ballpark priced, US-style pick-ups including the Ram 1500, Ford F-150 and way more expensive Toyota Tundra with slightly scaled down Chinese brands nibbling away underneath.

The ZR2 benefits from Silverado upgrades last year that brought a dual active performance exhaust (with V8 rumble) and a raft of added tech equipment including rear camera mirror, multi-colour 15.0-inch diagonal head-up display, power tilt/telescoping steering column and adaptive cruise control along with a Bose premium sound system.

Adding to off-road capability is the ZR2’s suspension package with high performance lifted suspension and Multimatic DSSV dampers. Helping put power to the ground are front and rear driver selectable electronic locking differentials while underbody protection is afforded by large aluminium “ZR2” skid plates and off-road cut front bumper.

It rolls on 18-inch black painted alloys fitted with 33-inch Mud Terrain (MT) Goodyear Wrangler Territory blackwall tyres.

Motive power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre EcoTec3 petrol V8 engine generating 313kW and 624Nm outputs on 95 RON fuel at a claimed combined rate of 12.2 litres per 100km fed from a 91-litre tank.

Driving through a 10-speed fluid auto with a cooling heat exchanger attached, the selectable 4WD system offers a two-speed transfer case with push button controls, ‘Crawl Mode’ and enhanced traction software (four-button control 2WD High, 4WD Auto, 4WD High, 4WD Low) and ZR2 Off-Road Mode.

The model features an extensive array of ADAS and active/passive, primary and secondary safety features automatically activated or accessible by various means (screen and switch) on the wide dash.

Aiding off road applications is the short and long arm torsion bar front and leaf rear suspension with a solid axle and fully boxed frame with Hydro-formed front section and high-strength steel. Braking is by four-wheel antilock disc brakes that include a brake pad wear indicator. Refuelling is by cap less filler.

From a practical standpoint, the ZR2 is blessed with a cargo bed camera and Durabed cargo bed with 12 fixed tie downs, Chevytec spray-on bed liner with imprinted ZR2 logo, power tailgate down and a cargo bed LED lamp.

On the outside, you can pick the ZR2 from its raised bonnet with ZR2 applique, ZR2 skid plate and black front bumper and grille, flow tie front badging and chrome rear badging, red recovery hooks, other sundry body hardware in black including wheel arch flares, privacy glass, LED headlights, DRLs and turn signals and the already mentioned off road wheel and tyre package.

Towing kit encompasses a rear-view camera with hitch guidance and view in-vehicle trailering app with trailer profiles and trailer theft alert. This is additional to a tow bar (not including tow ball and tongue) 12 pin wiring harness, electric trailer brake controller, automated trailer lighting and gross combined mass (GCM) alert.

Extensive creature comforts are fitted: keyless open and start, wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Bluetooth connectivity, a 13.4- inch colour touchscreen infotainment and 12.3-inch driver’s instrument cluster.

Seven-speaker Bose premium audio is standard and the five-seat model has front and rear USB ports, dual-zone climate control, 10-way electrically adjustable and heated/ventilated driver and front passenger seats, power sliding rear window, leather upholstery, heated and electrically adjustable steering wheel and plenty more.

Driving Impressions

Size (and weight) counts when towing, and in this regard the 2587kg Silverado 1500 ZR2 comes out trumps enhanced by its many towing assist systems.

We hooked up a two-tonne rig behind it and barely noticed apart from a slight uptick in fuel consumption to about 15.0 litres per 100km instead of the claimed combined 12.8. That’s as good as some smaller diesel one tonners towing the same weight presumably because they are working harder.

During general driving, we did a lot better than 12.8 surprisingly dipping into the 10s with general run around driving and some unladen inter-city commuting.

We couldn’t go the whole hog to 4200kg but presume that would impact the big ZR2 more than our piddling little half load.

The ZR2 has decent get-go off the line despite its weight and backs up with strong across the board engine performance accompanied by either near silence or a stirring V8 rumble from the twin (hidden) exhaust tips depending on how far the accelerator is away from the floor.

It’s smooth too as the 10-speed auto makes a huge difference to the entire drive feel and aids efficiency while slipping imperceptibly between ratios.

We left it in Normal drive mode on and off road as it was entirely across what we wanted to do offering up generous amounts of torque at low revs and low speeds and revving out willingly on the open road.

So, we love the engine. What about the rest of it?

Dynamics on the road are liveable compromised by the ZR2’s ride height, relatively soft but well damped suspension and big balloon tyres with chunky mud tread that tend to “walk” if you push matters too far. The upside is a luxurious, magic carpet ride over our atrocious, so-called sealed roads.

Keep in mind it’s not intended to be a boulevard blaster or GT interstater, the ZR2 is more for bush bashin’, sand blastin’, mud pluggin’, stump jumpin’ and rock hoppin’ with sides of towing, interstate cruising and general driving all of which it covers off with ease.

It’s a tank off-road and virtually unstoppable with the diffs locked and low range 4WD selected. It will nearly walk-up walls and the Crawl function is super handy in tough terrain or soft sand/mud.

You can virtually let it drive itself under some scenarios with the right drive selections in place.

But don’t go too deep into the jungle or you won’t be able to get back because turning the ZR2 around is akin to turning around the Queen Mary… And don’t forget how tall it is on carpark entry otherwise you might end up with a convertible.

At one point, an oil maintenance warning appeared on the screen for an overdue oil change which we ignored, only to see a more urgent low oil warning a few hundred kays later. We stopped, checked the dip stick and were horrified to see no oil level mark at all. It appeared to be empty, later discovered to still have perhaps 10 litres in the sump.

However, after stopping at a spare parts store, we were informed it’s a regular occurrence with the Silverado… and other vehicles that run 0W-20 oil as it evaporates with use “because it’s not much thicker than water and is used to make the engine run with less friction with theoretical efficiency gains”.

One and a half litres of “full syn” later and it was at the top mark on the dipstick. Phew!

Off we went again in the huge and luxuriously appointed cabin with the seat ventilators on and the Bose audio blaring out our favourite tunes accompanied by nice phat bass.

The slowish steering reveals minimal deflection and the brakes have impressive stopping power regardless of load aided by the tyres that at times feel as if they’re going to rip up the bitumen.

The rear-view camera is seriously distracting so we flicked it to real time and the ADAS is not as intrusive as some.

A muted tyre thrum is audible at times but only adds to the “no arguments” character of the big ZR2.

The load space is about the same size as a one-tonner perhaps deeper, but the payload is only 713kg.

We really enjoyed driving the ZR2 at a number of levels: towing, cruising, off road driving as all fall easily within its remit. Makes you feel “king of the road” too at least until a prime mover rolls up alongside…