Supersize me: 2023 Chev Silverado 1500 ZR2 review and LTZ Premium tow test

The Chevrolet Silverado full-size pick-up has been coming into Australia via GMSV for a couple of years now and while not matching the sales of the RAM 1500 with its more extensive model range, its sales have been ticking along solidly.

For 2023 the Silverado has received a minor refresh with a new-look front-end and bigger changes inside that bring the tech up to expected levels.

The local model line-up has also been adjusted with the previous entry-level LT Trail Boss axed from the range and the higher-performance ZR2 added alongside the LTZ Premium model. These two models are now much closer in price with the LTZ Premium opening at $128,000 and the ZR2 starting at $133,000.

For this test we’re focusing on the ZR2 as it is the newest variant but we also nabbed an LTZ to see how well these trucks tow a trailer.

JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• Interior
• Safety
• Powertrain and suspension
• A week in the ZR2
• LTZ Premium tow test
• Weights and payloads
• Specs

How much is it, and what do you get?

The ZR2 is billed as the performance model in the Silverado range and it’s equipped and styled as such.

While the driveline remains the same as the LTZ, the ZR2 gets suspension that is improved for both on- and off-road performance, and blacked out styling to give it a more aggressive appearance.

The ZR2 swaps out the Silverado’s standard chrome grille for a black one and the Bow-Tie badge is opened up to increase airflow to the engine bay; some inside GM call this badge the ‘Flow-tie’. The grille surrounds LED headlights that were revised for ’23 while the ZR2 also gets a shortened front bumper that is specific to this model.

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The ZR2’s alloy wheels also cop the black treatment and are 18-inch rims as opposed to the 20s fitted to the LTZ. The ZR2 wears all-road suitable 275/70R18 mud-terrain tyres.

This particular ZR2 was also fitted with optional Premium Paint ($1500), Electric Tonneau Cover ($3970), Round Side Steps ($1330), Black Chevrolet Tailgate Lettering ($290), and a tow hitch with 50mm ball ($310), which takes the price as tested up to $140,150 plus on-road costs.

Interior

While heavy towing might be the drawcard for many full-size truck buyers, one of the best things about them is the interior space.

Both the front and rear seats deliver plenty of space no matter what direction you want to measure it in – legroom headspace, shoulder room – a full-size pick-up has it all.

For anyone with teenagers using a midsize ute as a family car, your children might be more inclined to travel with you if you upgraded to a full-size ute. The rear seat offers space and comfort that no existing midsize ute can come near.

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Even with three adults across the back seat of the ZR2, there’s heaps of space, although the higher squab in the centre seat of the Silverado isn’t the most comfortable position to ride in on longer trips.

The cabin is very well appointed with leather seats featuring heating and cooling, and an automatic mode in the front, power adjustment on the front and heating for the large back seat. For front-seat travellers there’s a new-for-’23 dash with a 13.4-inch colour touchscreen and a 12.3-inch configurable instrument cluster giving the driver more information than they could ever need.

The centre screen also includes some clever towing information including a checklist for your hook up, and a trailer-lights check mode.

Safety

Safety-wise, passengers are protected by low-speed AEB (up to 80km/h), TPMS, rear cross traffic alert, ESC, ABS, ETC, lane keeping alert and a swag of exterior cameras.

We prefer the subtle seat vibration warning in the Chevrolet and other American vehicles over annoying beeps for the lane departure warning as found in many other vehicles.

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The two Silverados we tested each felt like premium products backed with loads of features and equipment and quality fit and finish. The ZR2 is definitely the pic of the two for off-road use and styling, however the lower ride height of the LTZ could make it more appealing for those looking solely for a capable tow vehicle.

Powertrain and suspension

While the two models share the same 313kW/624Nm 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine, the ZR2 performance edge comes thanks to its clever and very effective suspension package which centres around DSSV shock absorbers from Multimatic.

These high-end shocks were originally developed for sports cars but were reengineered to suit off-road trucks by General Motors with plenty of input from Hall Racing in the USA. Chevrolet also uses them under its ZR2 Colorado midsize trucks, as well as some high-end Camaro models.

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The dual spool valve Multimatic shocks do an incredible job of controlling the mass of the vehicle when driven at speed over rough terrain. The performance is akin to that of high-end bypass remote-reservoir shock absorbers but they come in a more compact package that is easier to fit in a production vehicle. The ZR2’s suspension eats up ruts and rocks and the more you push it the better it feels.

The ZR2 suspension also gives it a 67mm ride height advantage over the LTZ resulting in more ground clearance for off road use. The short front bumper also helps here thanks to an improved approach angle.

A week in the ZR2

We can confirm that the suspension does what it claims to do, and not only is the ZR2 incredibly well mannered at speed on dirt tracks, but it rides better than the LTZ under all conditions, whether on- or off-road.

The mud pattern tyres should give more traction in slippery conditions but more notable than that is they give the driver confidence in their durability over rough and rocky tracks.

The V8 engine delivers plenty of punch and a surprisingly torquey feel in the way it accelerates, but there is no disguising the near-2600kg heft, and even with the standard performance on offer, you can understand why people fit superchargers to these rigs.

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The V8 experience is intoxicating and leaves you wanting more, even if more is just a big-bore exhaust system to give that big V8 burble. Walkinshaw Performance, who does the left to right hand drive re-engineering on these Aussie-market Silverados, also offers such powertrain improvements for these vehicles.

The 10-speed automatic transmission does its thing without giving cause for comment; it’s unfussed when left to its own devices and easy enough to manually shift using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

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GMSV quotes an official combined fuel consumption of 12.2L/100km for the ZR2 while over our week of on- and off-road use it recorded a more realistic 16.4L/100km, which given the size and weight of the vehicle, and the performance on offer, we thought was very reasonable.

For off-road use the ZR2 has selectable front and rear locking differentials and multiple drive modes including one that acts like low-speed cruise control. The 4x4 system offers part-time 2WD and high- and low-range locked 4x4, plus all-wheel drive for general driving on any road surface.

LTZ Premium tow test

A lot of people buy these trucks for their towing capacity so we took this opportunity to sample it for ourselves.

For this part of the test we were in the Silverado LTZ Premium and our friends at Page Brothers RV loaned us a Jayco Silverline 24-foot caravan that came in at around 2800kg. The Silverline range from Jayco is a premium line of caravans offering luxury features and equipment to make touring a pleasure.

The first thing you notice when switching from the ZR2 Silverado to the LTZ is how low the latter is. Sliding in and out of it is more akin to the height of a sports car than a truck compared to the more off-road oriented ZR2.

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Inside the LTZ gets a couple more interior features such as a Bose sound system and powered sunroof, but essentially the cabins and equipment are the same. And as mentioned the powertrains are identical, but the LTZ’s lower suspension doesn’t benefit from the ZR2’s DSSV dampers.

Hooking the Jayco up to the Silverado at Page Brothers’ Moorabbin facility was made easy using the inbuilt trailer light checker and the standard integrated electronic brake controller. There was minimal drop in the rear and the weight on the back barely had any effect on the Chev when pulling out onto the highway.

The Silverado 1500s standard mirrors are quite small for a full-size truck and are not ideal for towing. Taller extendable mirrors such as those on the 2500 and readily available from the aftermarket would be better options when hauling a wide trailer like the Jayco Silverline.

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The view down the sides is made a bit easier when you engage the indicator and the side cameras display that side of the vehicle on the centre screen, virtually eliminating any blind spots. We found this more natural for left-side checks when you instinctively turn your head to look down that side of the vehicle and you spot the centre screen, rather than the right when you instinctively look to the right-side mirror.

The Silverado LTZ had no problems travelling at 100km/h when towing on the highway but it felt somewhat floaty over bumps and undulations. It would benefit from better quality shock absorbers than the ones fitted as standard, as evidenced by a brief tow test using the ZR2 in the past that revealed no such floatiness from the suspension.

We pulled the Jayco around for a morning covering around 170km of various roads and have to say that it did the job easily in terms of power, but could definitely benefit from a suspension upgrade if you were towing anything heavier than the Jayco we used.

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Remember, you can tow up to 4500kg with the Silverado when using a 70mm tow ball, but we think the standard LTZ suspension would struggle with this mass. The fuel consumption over our towing loop was 22.7L/100km.

We owe a special thanks to the team at Page Brothers RV for the loan of the Jayco Silverline. I have to admit that at one point I was tempted to take off on an extended trip as we sat there in the morning sun with the van hitched up to the Silverado.

Weights and payloads

While these full-size pick-up trucks are nice and big and able to tow heavy trailers, the payloads in the 1500-class are relatively small, and certainly not what you would expect of their massive cargo and passenger compartments.

The ZR2 has a 771kg payload, a 3300kg GVM and 6851kg GCM. Hook up a trailer weighing close to the 4500kg limit you can haul, (when using a 70mm tow ball) and you barely have enough capacity left to put a driver behind the wheel, let alone any passengers or cargo.

The aftermarket fix comes from a GVM and GCM upgrade, and Queensland’s Rambler Vehicles teamed up with Touring Solutions Australia to develop a suitable kit that gives the Silverado 1500 an approved at 4499kg GVM and a 8999kg GCM.

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To achieve the higher capacities, a heavier duty suspension package was developed using a kit from Rough Country. The suspension upgrade includes Rough Country’s premium Vertex 2.5-inch, adjustable remote reservoir shocks, struts and upper control arms at the front, and a rear leaf pack from EFS with airbags for load management.

While this upgrade is a godsend for anyone wanting to haul heavy roads with these trucks, the catch for ZR2 owners is that you would lose the excellent Multimatic suspension if you fitted the GVM upgrade kit; not that there’s anything wrong with the suspension in the upgrade kit. But it would certainly be a massive improvement to an LTZ, whether towing or not.

2023 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 specs

2023 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Premium specs